Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Craig Romano/The Mountaineers Books Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak
Featured In:
Day Hiking: North Cascades,
by Craig Romano.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. The trail starts at the edge of a huge clear-cut from the early 1960s. If the North Cascades National Park hadn't been created in 1968, you could bet your weight in sawdust that many more of these surrounding slopes would have been severely scarred. Begin on decommissioned logging road-turned-trail and hike 2.3 easy miles, crossing Thornton and a few minor creeks en route. After gaining only a couple of hundred feet, the trail leaves the old roadbed and heads straight up deeply forested and mucky- at times slopes. Never commissioned by the Parks Service, this trail was beaten into the ground long ago by anglers lured in by the three Thornton gems. Enter the North Cascades National Park at about 4 miles and continue steeply climbing, coming to a 5000-foot saddle and trail junction at 4.5 miles. Decision time. Should you head left to the lake basin, dropping 500 feet (which you'll need to regain on the return) in 0.6 mile, or climb another 900 feet in 0.8 mile to the peak? Either way, you have to climb some more. The lake trail ends at the rocky outlet of the largest and lowest of the Thorntons (elev. 4500 ft), in a cirque that doesn't leave much room for spreading out. The other two lakes require challenging cross-country travel, so break out the snacks and be content at the first lake. If Trapper bound, follow the trail right, another never-sanctioned path, this one beaten by climbers up, up, and away. The going gets steep along a narrow ridge, and at times requires the help of hands. It's not exposed, though, and not particularly difficult for seasoned hikers. From the 5964-foot summit, find yourself a nice rock to rest upon and prepare for an onslaught of sensory overload. One of the most awesome ranges in the Cascades-the sheer and jagged Pickets-charge across the northern horizon. Shimmering directly below are the Thornton Lakes. Directly above them, glacier-decorated Mount Triumph stands victoriously. To the south 1 vertical mile below, the Skagit River slices through steep verdant slopes, the little company town of Newhalem perched quaintly upon its banks. Get the topo maps out as you twirl round and round. There's a whole lot of gorgeous country screaming out at you.
Driving Directions:
From Marblemount follow the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) east for 11 miles, turning left onto Thornton Lakes Road between mileposts 117 and 118. Continue on this rough-at-times gravel road 5 miles to the trailhead at the road end (elev. 2600 ft). Recent Trip Reports
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Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak
— Sep 09, 2011
— Gary Oppewall
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming | Ripe berries
Issues:
Bugs
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This was quite a tough hike for a 60yr old but more than worth it for all the aches and...
This was quite a tough hike for a 60yr old but more than worth it for all the aches and pains. The first two miles of the trail is deceivingliy easy, and then there is nothing but up, up and away. The very beginning of the side trail up Trappers Peak is very tough but not death defying--thanks to some good handholds and tree limbs ! I wouldn't take my lab up this trail as it's too rocky. And the views from the top ? Words cant describe how much you can see ! All the Picket Range up to Canada and Cascade Pass Mnts to the south---Sahale, Boston Glacier etc.The upper Thornton lakes are still frozen yet. We got an early 8am start which worked out good as the heat set in on the way back down. Someone saw a bear on the top of Trappers Peak right as we left coming down ! Damn, we didn't see him ! The lupines and other flowers are still out along with the berries. Unreal. Fall and Summer all mixed together up here. I'd suggest camping at the Goodell Creek Campground the night before and getting an early start right now with this heat. And the bugs are bad right now. Unreal for September.
Take your bug juice for sure ! Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs
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The trail up to the pass is in great shape. Crossing the creek was a bit challenging, but doable thanks...
The trail up to the pass is in great shape. Crossing the creek was a bit challenging, but doable thanks to well placed logs.
From the pass, we headed up to the summit of Trappers Peak. The boot path is nearly snow free; one large snow patch remains on the summit. As noted earlier, no special gear is required to negotiate this. Black flies are a problem right now on the trail, so bring your DEET! Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs
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Picked a great destination for my final hike of Hike-a-Thon 2011. The trail up to the base of Trappers Peak...
Picked a great destination for my final hike of Hike-a-Thon 2011. The trail up to the base of Trappers Peak is ho-hum. It starts on an old road bed and then gets pretty rooty as it starts to climb up. (There is one creek crossing that takes some gumption. Fortunately, there is a large, sturdy log spanning it.) Soon you reach the junction for Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak and the views begin. The lower Thornton Lake might make a nice, if buggy, base camp for a weekend in the area, but we prioritized the peak for our day trip. (The upper lakes are still covered in ice and snow.)
The final 0.8 miles to the peak is steep, with a short scramble section. Pretty quickly you get to breath-taking views. Soon the Pickets come into view and things just get better from there. There are a couple of short snowfields to cross but they aren't steep and not really worth mentioning - no special equipment necessary. The rocks seemed to form a natural recliner chair on the peak, providing an excellent place to take in the panorama. We would have taken a nap if we had more time. The crazy thing about this hike was that the flora couldn't decide whether it was spring, summer or fall. There were still ripe salmon berries and unripe thimble berries on the lowest portion of the trail, and tons of blooming lupine next to shrubs of a deep autumn red near the top. Bring the bug repellent - the biting flies were pretty constant below the peak. Note that the forest road up to the trailhead is steep in parts with loose gravel. Our little car (Honda Insight) actually couldn't make it up one of these slopes, and, for the first time ever, we had to abandon it. This point is about 2.5-3 miles from the trailhead. Another small car, a Ford Focus, was left here too. THANK YOU to the families from Redmond who picked us up on their way to the trailhead, and to the guy from Ohio who gave us a ride down in the evening. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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On a beautiful Friday two members of the Whidbey Hiking Group set out to hike/scramble Trappers Peak about...
On a beautiful Friday two members of the Whidbey Hiking Group set out to hike/scramble Trappers Peak about 11 miles east of Marblemount off Highway 20.
The 5.3 mile approach road is generally good but some short, steep sections are very rough although my two wheel drive vehicle was able to do the job. About 1 mile into the hike a swift running (Thornton) Creek must be crossed on a log and this is not for the faint hearted but certainly doable for most hikers. After about 4.5 miles a well marked sidetrail heads off to the right and becomes a climber's boot path leading up to Trappers Peak in another 3/4 mile. This climbers trail is very steep in places and requires the use of hands in several spots. One very tight section of trail leads you between a rock wall and a small tree and was a challenge on the way down. Eventually the tread improves and becomes a fabulous ridge hike up to the summit. (Very little snow left on any part of the trail.) The views were incredible in every direction. I especially enjoyed seeing The Picket Range and the upper Thornton Lakes. We estimated this hike to be 11 miles round trip and about 3,300' of elevation gain.
Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak
— Aug 21, 2011
— 2 old hikers
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
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Took a great hike up Trapper's Peak today. Enough snow has melted so it was not a factor in...
Took a great hike up Trapper's Peak today. Enough snow has melted so it was not a factor in the hike. Just a few small snow patches to cross, but no cleats or poles or anything else needed. Some large, dangerous snow patches still exist near the top of the peak, but they can be easily avoided and don't hamper the trail.
As always, this is a very tough but very beautiful trail. Complete 360 degree panorama from the top with mountains in all directions, including the best view available of the picket range. |
Thornton Lakes and Trappers Peak by Day Hike
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