When we started just before 8am there were two other cars in the lot. The road in has some large potholes which I was able to negotiate in a sedan, but it was a bit bumpy. There are multiple runoff streams running through the forest right now and as mentioned in previous reports the last water is found around 5900ft. It threatened to rain all day and it did briefly on several occasions, just enough to make us put on our rain jackets for a few minutes each time. We went to the end of the trail/bootpath which ends at what I heard referred to as the "dog walkers summit" or the hikers summit which is just below the west summit of Goat Mt. From there we dropped down towards the permanent snowfield on scree and traversed around to the base of the west summit scramble. This initial drop down towards the permanent snowfield was very loose. I used a trekking pole and ice axe for stability, there is no snow travel necessary under current conditions. The final section up to the top of the west summit was an easy, enjoyable scramble. We were in the clouds most of the day and got no views from the summit, really the only negative for the day. On the way down we took our time gorging ourselves on huckleberries. Altogether including relaxing on the summit for awhile and an extended period of time spent picking berries on the way down it took us just over 8 hours and we clocked 10.2 miles round trip.

This is a hard hike that's quite steep in parts. The first stretch (2–3 miles) is wooded and shady and the ground is soft, which we appreciated, especially on the descent. There was no snow whatsoever on the trail, no downed trees, rushing streams, or other major obstacles. Bugs were the worst in the meadows and most bothersome when we stopped moving. We had few bugs when we stopped to eat and recharge up on the ridge. We (two adults, mid-30s) hiked Goat Mountain on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. The road and trailhead are easy to find. We stopped at the Glacier Ranger Station to purchase our NW Forest Pass. The machine was broken and we had to go inside to make the purchase, which was no big deal.

We hit the trail at 10:00 am. The entirety of the trail was well maintained and passable. It was narrow and overgrown in spots but we found it easy to pass. The steep stretch at the end is more intense than I anticipated from the descriptions we read. The start of the climb can be easy to miss as the trail also appears to continue straight. There was a little stream bed and someone had marked the way up with a couple of small logs/sticks laid across the trail. I did not take note of the mileage, unfortunately.

I recorded 2,589 ft. of elevation gain and ≈9.4 miles roundtrip. We at some boulders a little ways up from the ridge and did not do the final push. 

tl;dr: This is definitely a top 10 WA hike, but you have to work for it.

Take your pick - here you can get fantastic, spectacular, outstanding, or eye-popping views :) If you want to know what you get for your sweat, see below notes on views at the different elevations:

4783 ft - Trade the forest switchbacks for a more open and increasingly rocky path. There are some overgrown spots here, but as it opens there are also wildflowers and berries

Starting at 5200 and up to 5600 - This is where you get your first FANTASTIC views to the south (baker, shuksan, sefrit) and, as you climb higher, to the east (like the pointy Gendarmes). If you’re beat after the climb, you can call it good here. Lots of camps and open spaces.

5687 - Start of switchbacks through overgrown grass (aka the unofficial trail). It’s a bit narrow in places and there’s one part that looks like a cut-through to the right but is in fact the main trail (path straight is blocked off with twigs)

5889 - Start of kind of a brutal near vertical climb. Poles really come in handy here on the way down. There’s a lil creek for water if you need it around this spot, it might be your last option if you’re backpacking. If you need motivation, keep your eyes glued on the magical little tree (see photos); get to it and that’s where the views to the north open up

6331 - phew! magical little tree rewards you with SPECTACULAR views to the north (American and Canadian border peaks, Winchester lookout, yellow aster butte, Mt larabee etc). Stay here if you like, badass rocky outcroppings make for great lunch spots

6520 - Or keep climbing, more reasonably now, for OUTSTANDING views to the east

6645 - finish with EYEPOPPING views. It’s nearly 360 degrees of north cascades bliss, only goat mountain west blocks your view of the border peaks but otherwise it’s views for miles .

If you go all the way to the false summit it is FANTASTIC (9-10 miles RT and 4100 to 4200 ft gain) but the first view point at 5100 ft (at 3.5ish miles and 2600 ft gain) is Wow and totally worth it. The trail is not 12 miles round trip.

The trail itself was nice, very steep uphill at times, overall, uphill to the top. There’s a few flat areas to regroup, have a snack and water.

I was with a small group and they were not bothered by insects. However, they were wearing pants and long sleeve shirts. I was in hiking shorts and my legs were bitten by several deer flies. I highly recommend sunscreen and insect repellent.

The wildflowers were awesome! The smells and views were heavenly and on our clear day, exceeded expectations.

Nearly 12 miles round trip to Goat Mtn, one blister and several insect bites.