Cascade Lookout — Sunday, May. 31, 2009

Snoqualmie Region > North Bend Area

Note that this hike is entirely on roads. We had heard that the lookout has fallen down but stopped about a mile short of the lookout so could not verify this. The road offers very nice views up the North Fork valley and across the puget sound lowlands. The road is very exposed to the south and so this is a very hot hike. No other people were spotted on the hike but its not surprising given the lack of signs and other information about the hike. The key to making it as far as we did is to avoid the "Deep Creek" route, where the road has been taken out by a large slide. We went up Rd. 29500 and 29520, which are to the east of the Deep Creek route. These two roads eventually bring you to Deep Creek, but above the slide. It was at this point that our group turned around. One can't see the lookout from here and it was unclear if there would be a view from the lookout site, as part of the hill is still forested and part is clearcut. The starting point for this hike is at a gated road in the middle of a large clearcut. If you reach the Wagner bridge over the N. Fork, you have passed the starting point.