We arrived to the TH at 7:20 AM! The parking lot was full and many cars parked on the sides of route 20. We also parked there too.

While ascending the trail, we didn’t feel that the trail was too much crowded, probably because it was still too early. But when were descending, it was very crowded.
After about 2 miles up the trail the stunning colored larches were close and I think we didn’t realize how we got to the cutthroat pass because we were so overwhelmed and stunned by the larches. The beautiful sunny day made it also very special. We spent at least an hour at the top enjoying the views and having our early lunch.

when we were descending the sun was shining over the larches making them so golden with the red bushes on the floor. It was splendid!

The trail is long and according to the WTA description considered hard. Be well prepared and bring water and snacks. Also the trail is mostly rocky.

Hands down the prettiest place we have ever slept 👏

I’ve been wanting to get up to the North Cascades for a few years & we finally made it up there this weekend to see what all the hype is about the larches. My mom, 13 mo. old daughter , & I arrived at the trailhead a little past 9:00 a.m. after a 4.5 hour drive.

No lie, the highway was lined with hundreds of cars for probably 2 miles. We snagged a spot only .4 miles from the trailhead thankfully. If you’re looking for solitude, this is not the hike for you - we passed hundreds of people heading up the trail.

At about 3 miles into the trail we got our first glimpses of the golden larches, and now I get the hype. This trail was gorgeous with all of the fall foliage (pics don’t do it justice). We snagged a perfect camp spot overlooking Cutthroat Lake & looking out at the mountain range.

The night was a little chilly but we were comfortable & cozied up.

Sunrise was unreal (again, pics don’t do it justice). We got up around 5:00 a.m. & got to enjoy the sunrise spectacle while drinking coffee. We packed up camp and had a leisurely hike back to the car.

This is a fantastic trail for backpacking! I was carrying 80 lbs with my daughter and both of our things so the gradual incline of this trail was in our favor. We will definitely be back, but on a weekday to try and avoid the mass crowds

Mr. Jimmy Legs and I used to hike this as a much less crowded alternative to the Maple Pass trail. Recently a popular social media platform began to have a lot of frequent posts about Cutthroat being "mind blowing", etc., but saying the trail was still less crowded than Maple Pass. Tips were being thrown out to get there by 7 am. In October of 2022 we arrived at the Cutthroat trailhead at around 7 am and easily found parking right next to the trail head loos. This year we arrived at 6:15 am only to find the lot full. Not wanting to be part of a potential problem of blocking in a horse trailer in the lot, we joined the cars parked along the hwy adding about 1/2 mile to our hike. Still, we hoped the main crowds were mostly going to Maple Pass as in the past.

The trail was probably the most crowded we have ever experienced in our 40 years of hiking! Descending was like trying to weave through a stream of spawning salmon. We met some very friendly wonderful people, however we also saw folks far off trail in the heather taking pictures. There was a tent that looked like it was set up on top of the heather as well. There were a few extremely loud people who made hiking near them very unpleasant. 

Here are some tips from this curmudgeon:

Please stay on the trail so that the fragile eco systems can survive to be enjoyed by future hikers. 

We all have conversations as we hike, but please be respectful of others who may want to hear the birds and not your conversation 100 yards away from you.

Horses have the right of way to hikers. If its safe to do so step off the trail downhill from the horse and speak in a calming voice. Do not try to pet the horse without asking the riders permission. Also, if you see a horse trailer in a parking lot remember to leave space for the rider to reload the horse and maneuver out of the lot. 

And lastly, if you see that cars are parked for miles and miles at a trailhead have a plan B and even a plan C. This website has a hike finder feature that you can select for fall color, kid-friendly, etc.  There can be great joy in discovering other beautiful hikes that may not be getting as much love or as many posts on social media. I know that is what we will do.

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We started and ended at the PCT trailhead (not Cutthroat Lake). We got here at 9 am and had to park a mile down the highway, with even more cars arriving after us. It was worse than Walmart on Black Friday. Toilets were out of TP. There was smoke from the Blue Lake fire on the drive there, but we didn't smell it at all on this trail.

The trail's as well-maintained as it gets. The first couple of miles were pretty flat, shaded, and easy on the ankles. It gets rockier after that, starting to climb more, and then you get to the boulder and huckleberry field and golden groves of larches and it looks like the switchbacks go up forever, but if you stop to take lots of pictures like me (or stop to let people pass) it's not that bad. It was gorgeous and worth every step. Backlighting makes the larches absolutely glow in the photos. They're definitely at peak this weekend. 4.5 hours up (starting from the trailhead) and 2.5 hours down.

The sunshine was vibrant, larches peak golden, and it made for a lovely day.