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Oakes Peak Snowshoe

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20
48.5890, -121.3912 Map & Directions
Length
18.0 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain
5,000 feet
Highest Point
4,400 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty
Hard
Early winter snow covering the road. Photo by onehikeaweek. Full-size image
  • Mountain views
  • Old growth
  • Summits
  • Ridges/passes

If you are looking for a walk through deep snow in the winter that will take you into the North Cascades, Oakes Peak is the snowshoe trip for you. Walk along a Forest Service road toward the National Park boundary or up toward Oakes Peak. Continue reading

Rating
4.00 out of 5

Hiking Oakes Peak Snowshoe

The Oakes Peak Snowshoe takes snowshoers along Forest Service roads into the northern end of the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. There are two options for this hike, one taking you along Bacon Creek on FS Road 1060, the other taking you up towards Oakes Peak on FS Road 1062. Both provide classic North Cascade views of peaks, mountains, buttes, and more.

Begin your trip just off of the North Cascades Highway near Bacon Point. There is no dedicated parking lot as you are just walking along the road, so be sure to park so that you are not blocking the road. Follow FS Road 1060 for about a mile and a half until you reach a fork. If you continue straight, the road will take you generally straight along Bacon Creek. Pass Oakes Creek, Steelhead Creek, and Jumbo Creek as you make your way to the end of the road, which is right at the boundary between Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park. On your left, you'll see Diobsud Buttes in the Noisy Diobsud Wilderness.

The other option is to turn right at the fork and follow FS Road 1062. This road winds up towards Bacon Point and around to Oakes Peak. It also nears the boundary between Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest and Ross Lake National Recreation Area. On this road, you can see Damnation Peak, Mt. Triumph, and maybe even Mt. Despair to the northeast. The road will take you across Oakes Creek to the base of Oakes Peak, where some may choose to attempt to summit. However, there is no trail whatsoever that takes you there. This should only be attempted by those with strong route finding skills and avalanche knowledge and tools.

Both roads are covered in snow in the winter, and snowshoes are necessary. In early spring, the lower portions of the road may be clear of snow, but at higher elevations, the snow doesn't melt until late in the season. Come prepared with the proper gear and knowledge to make your trip a success.

Hike Description Written by
McKenzie Carlson, WTA Correspondent

Oakes Peak Snowshoe

Map & Directions

Trailhead
Co-ordinates: 48.5890, -121.3912 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 Marblemount, take Highway 20 east towards Newhalem for about 5 miles. Turn left onto Forest Service Road 1060 just before entering Ross Lake National Recreation Area. There is no designated parking lot; drive up the road as far as you can/are comfortable with and start your hike from there.

More Hike Details

Trailhead

North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Hwy 20

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Oakes Peak Snowshoe

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