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Silver and Twin Lakes Trails from Monte Cristo - Logout

Backcountry Response Team

Thu Aug 27, 2026 8:30 AM — Sun Aug 30, 2026 3:30 PM

Trip Difficulty: Strenuous

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Region

North Cascades — Mountain Loop Highway - Darrington

Features: Earn Northwest Forest Pass

Crew Leader: WTA Chief Crew Leader

Views from Poodle Dog Pass are incredible. Photo by trip reporter Mia m.

Overview

Camp at the historic townsite of Monte Cristo and help us improve the Silver Lake and Twin Lakes trails as they climb up towards Poodle Dog Pass.

About the Area

The road to the townsite is a long walk up the old Monte Cristo Road grade, but past the townsite, rougher terrain begins. Eventually, the trail crosses into the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness area, and past Silver Lake, the trail becomes difficult to find. Trek along a steep mountainside before finally cresting the ridge to look down on Twin Lakes.

What to Expect

We'll have fun, work hard and make a difference! No experience is necessary.

Project Description

Work along these trails will prioritize log out, removing encroaching vegetation, and general tread repair on the trail to Silver lake and Twin lakes.

Camping and Hiking Information

  • Type: Backcountry camp
  • Location Monte Cristo
  • Shower: None
  • Weather: Be prepared for variable conditions including heat, cold, wind and rain
  • Hike to camp: Backcountry camp is 4.1 miles of easy hiking from the trailhead
  • Anticipate 4.5 miles roundtrip of hiking to work sites each day from the campsite

Schedule

  • Day 1: Meet the crew rain or shine, then hike in, begin work on the project and set up camp
  • Day 2+: Make breakfast and pack a lunch before heading out on trail with the crew by 8:00 AM. Work at your own pace, take plenty of breaks and enjoy lunch on the trail. Arrive back in camp by 4:00 or 5:00 PM for a relaxing evening. Prepare your own dinner and swap stories with the crew.
  • Final Day: Break down camp, finish trail project, hike out and say goodbye to the crew at the trailhead

       For safety reasons, arriving late or leaving early is not allowed.

Planning Information

Please wear comfortable and weather-appropriate work clothes and your boots as well as comfortable camp clothes and footwear.

What it Takes to Do This Work Party

  • A great attitude for working with a team! WTA provides the training and tools you need for the project
  • Backpacking gear and food for multiple nights on the trail
  • Good physical condition to hike with a fully-loaded backpack and be physically active for about 8-9 hours daily on uneven terrain 
  • Backpacking experience including the ability to run your own camp following Leave No Trace principles
  • Day work party experience recommended
  • Flexibility to adapt to changes due to unpredictable weather or land manager requests
  • Minimum age: 18


What to Bring

Required:

  • Sturdy closed-toe shoes
  • Work gloves
  • Eye protection (glasses, sunglasses, or safety glasses)
  • Long pants

Recommended:

  • Sturdy work or hiking boots
  • Long sleeved shirt

A hard hat will be provided by WTA if you do not already have a WTA provided hard hat. Additionally, work gloves and eye protection will be provided by WTA if you do not have your own, but when possible we recommend bringing your own. For safety reasons, certain tasks may be assigned based on the safety level of your footwear. Volunteers who do not have long pants, or sturdy closed toes shoes, will not be able to participate in the work party.

In addition to items listed above, bring the following backpacking gear

  • WTA hard hat
  • Work gloves
  • Backpack to carry all of your gear
  • Tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad
  • Cooking gear and enough food (plus a little extra) for the entire trip
  • At least two 1-liter water bottles and a way to purify your water
  • Rain jacket and rain pants
  • Extra warm clothing
  • Camp clothing such as shorts, shirt and sandals
  • Sun and bug protection
  • Headlamp and extra batteries
  • Personal items such as medication, hand sanitizer and toiletries
  • ​First aid kit
  • A sense of fun and adventure for learning new skills and meeting great people!

A hard hat will be provided by WTA if you do not already have a WTA provided hard hat. Additionally, work gloves and eye protection will be provided by WTA if you do not have your own, but when possible we recommend bringing your own.

More Information


From the Hiking Guide

See what WTA's hiking guide and trip reports say about this area.

This is a preview. Registration will open soon.

Partners

Directions

Drive east on Hwy 92 from Everett to Granite Falls. Proceed through town and turn left on the Mountain Loop Highway. Continue past the ranger station at Verlot and continue another thirty minutes to Barlow Pass where Hwy 20 turns to gravel. The gated road to Monte Cristo is on the right.

Note: Please follow the written directions above instead of using a GPS device. This will ensure that you get to the correct meeting location for this work party. The location of the pinpoint below is only approximate.

Getting to WTA work parties can involve travel on rough, unpaved roads in areas without cellular service and without street addresses that can be accurately used by navigation devices. Unless specifically noted otherwise, routes can generally be traveled by all types of vehicles. Volunteers with limited experience driving on unpaved mountain roads may want to allow extra time, beyond what is recommended in the directions above, to get to the meeting location.

Required Documentation

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Carpool

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