Hiking Suntop Lookout Trail

Ten miles north of Mt. Rainier, located in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Suntop Lookout sits at an elevation of 5,270' and overlooks the valleys of the White River and Huckleberry Creek. On a clear day, the views go on for miles, reaching all the way to the Olympic Mountains to the west and Mt. Baker to the north. Originally built in 1933 to watch for forest fires, the lookout is now open to the public. Hiking to the peak can either be challenging if you opt for the 16 mile route or easy if you choose the 0.5 mile option. Still not easy enough? You can also drive all the way to the top.

HikingPacific North WanderersSeptember 29, 2016Pacific Northwest, Lookout, WashingtonComment

Hiking High Rock Lookout in the Pacific Northwest

High Rock is a 5,685' prominent peak located on Sawtooth Ridge which provides beautiful, unobstructed, 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. Located on the rock is an old fire lookout, one of only three remaining in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which was built in 1929. The north face of the rock has a 600' sheer drop, without any protection from falling. Explore this area, but do so carefully.

Heybrook Lookout Trail

On the western edge of the Central Cascade mountain range is Heybrook Lookout Trail #1070. It traverses through a second-growth forest that leads to a seven flight observation deck overlooking many nearby peaks, a close town, and more. The 900-foot elevation gain, just over a mile in length, had us catching our breath more than a few times on the way up. The views from the top on a sunny and clear day made the hike well worth it.

HikingPacific North WanderersJanuary 17, 2016Pacific Northwest, Lookout, National Forest, WashingtonComment

Tolmie Peak Trail

Tolmie Peak Trail is an easy-to-moderate hike starting from Mowich Lake and ending at the Tolmie Peak Lookout tower. The round trip distance is about 6.5 miles and it took us approximately 1.5 hours to reach the top and about an hour to get back. We went in late June and the weather was in the low 70s, dry, and cloudy. The parking lot was full and a long portion of parking on the road was also full. We came across 15–20 other hikers along the route and at the peak there were about 10 other hikers.

HikingPacific North WanderersNovember 8, 2015Pacific Northwest, National Park Service, Lookout, Lake, WashingtonComment

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