Trails for everyone, forever

Home Go Hiking Hiking Guide Mount Higgins

Mount Higgins

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway
48.2821, -121.8308 Map & Directions
Length
15.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
4,700 feet
Highest Point
4,849 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty
Hard

A summit outside of Darrington without an official trail system. The approach is on private property. Hikers are requested to respect this and stay on the road if you elect to visit it. Continue reading

Rating
2.90 out of 5

(10 votes) Log in to rate

Hiking Mount Higgins

Accessed via a road walk to the old trailhead, the hike up Mount Higgins is a long trek to a forested summit near Darrington. The road is on private property. Hikers are requested to respect this and stay on the road if you elect to visit it.

Past the parking area, you'll climb steeply up an old road for a mile. You will pass through a recently thinned area and a clearcut that later burned, finding nice views of the valley the further you hike up. The trail leaves Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land and enters forest, passing over a number of broken puncheon bridges before crossing Dick’s Creek at two miles. This creek can be very difficult to ford during high flows.

About 3 miles in, find an often brushy and muddy spur trail to the left (west), heading to small and quiet Myrtle Lake. At an elevation of 3,700 feet, a marshy shore surrounds this quiet lake with limited camping. The main trail going right (east) climbs slightly, passing through a number of small meadows then climbs consistently, passing through boulder fields and dense forest until reaching the summit.

This is the site of former Mount Higgins Lookout, which was used for fire detection in the summers from 1926 to 1949. The views of the surrounding mountains are outstanding: Glacier Peak to the east; White Horse, Three Fingers, and Mt. Rainier to the south. Looking west offers views of the Olympics and Puget Sound.

Toilet Information

  • No toilet at trailhead

More information about toilets

Mount Higgins

Map & Directions

Trailhead
Co-ordinates: 48.2821, -121.8308 Open in Google Maps

Before You Go

See weather forecast

WTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead.

Getting There

From the forest service office in Darrington, drive on Highway 530 west for 11.8 miles. Just west of milepost 38, take the road to the north, signed as C-Post Road. Continue on the road for a half mile, cross the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River and turn left at the unmarked junction.

Continue up this very rough road for 2.3 miles. The road dead-ends at the trailhead. The traill is on the right (east side) of the road.

More Hike Details

Trailhead

North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Mount Higgins (#640)

Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Darrington Ranger District

Guidebooks & Maps

Day Hiking: North Cascades (Romano - Mountaineers Books)

Buy the Green Trails Oso No. 77 map

You can improve or add to this guidebook entry

Mount Higgins

133 Trip Reports

Hiked here recently?

Submit a trip report!
 
Trip Reports