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Home , Bald Mountain (New York), Barlow Pass (Washington), Boulder River Wilderness, Glacier Peak Wilderness, Gothic Peak (Washington), Mountain

Mountain Loop Scenic Byway Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

Glacier Peak from Mount Dickerman Trail

Welcome Plan Before You Go Rugged peaks and deep, wet forests Mountain weather conditions can change dramatically and with little warning. beckon to the adventurous traveler levels are dependent on temperature, , and . along the Mountain Loop Scenic • Check the current weather forecast. Byway. • Let someone know your travel plans. • There is no cell service along the Mountain Loop. The 55 mile route winds along the scenic Sauk and Stillaguamish For current conditions and information: corridors in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National NW Weather & Avalanche Center: National Forest. You are invited to Forest Mountain Weather Conditions enjoy this special place. www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs (206) 526-6165 ( winter months) www.nwac.us Campgrounds, picnic areas and a Darrington Ranger District variety of trails offer opportunities for 1405 Emens Avenue N. National Weather Service seasonal recreation. Darrington, WA 98241 www.noaa.gov (360) 436-1155 The byway is paved between the Verlot

Public Service Center and . State Parks Verlot Public Service Center It then turns into a gravel with www.parks.wa.gov 33515 turnouts until reaching the White Falls, WA 98252 Chuck River Road junction, where the Washington State Department of (360) 691-7791 pavement begins again and continues Natural Resources to Darrington. www.dnr.wa.gov Snohomish County Road Conditions: Road Mileages http://www.snohomishcountywa. Snohomish County gov/204/Public-Works www.snohomish.org From Verlot Public Service Center to:

Mt. Pilchuck Rd. 1.0 mile Travel Alerts 22 TH 2.0 miles Driving the entire Mountain Loop Highway is typically limited to late spring Big Four 14.5 miles through the fall due to lingering snowpack. The road is both paved and Barlow Pass 19.5 miles graveled and may have varied conditions. Check on the current status Bedal CG 27.5 miles before driving the Mountain Loop and other National Forest . Darrington 55.0 miles Use caution and be prepared for mountain road travel. Trail oPPORTUNITIES ALONG THE LOOP Length Beginning VERLOT TRAILS Description Access Trail Use 1-way Elev. (feet)/ (miles) Gain Ashland , WA. State Dept of Natural A series of popular lakes. Enters Morning Star Natural FS RD 4020, 4021 Hiking 4.25 2400’/800’ Resources (DNR) Resources Conservation Area (NRCA).

Barlow Point 709 Leads to former site of Barlow Point Lookout. Mountain Loop Hiking 1.2 2400’/840’

2700’/120 - Bear & Pinnacle Lakes 703 Bear Lake: short, easy hike. Pinnacle Lake: steep and FS RD 4020, 4021 Hiking 0.3 – 1.9 muddy hike. 1100’

Big Four 723 Leads from Big Four Picnic Area to the Ice Caves Mountain Loop Hiking 1.0 1700’/200’ Viewpoint. Hiking Big Four Picnic Area Trails Loop trail connecting Big Four Picnic Area and Loop .25 1700’/0’ Caves Trailhead. Wetlands view. Accessible Boardman Lake 704 Short hike to lake with 5 campsites. FS RD 4020 Hiking 0.8 2800’/200’ Coal Lake 632 Small lake, great for a family outing. FS RD 4060 Hiking 0.1 3600’/0’

Glacier Basin 719 Beautiful historic basin with great views/. Monte Cristo Road Hiking 6.1 3200’/1300’ Enters Henry M. Jackson Wilderness Hiking Gold Basin Millpond Mountain Loop .10 1100’/0’ Short Interpretive Trail at site of old mill. Accessible Gothic Basin (Weden Creek) 724 Steep histoirc miners trail. Enters Morningstar NRCA. Mountain Loop Hiking 3.3 2300’/2700’ Hiking Heather Lake 701 FS RD 42 1.9 1400’/1000’ Glacier-carved lake in subalpine meadow. Fishing Independence & North Lake 711 Easy hike to Independence Lake. More difficult trail FS RD 4060 Hiking 3.2 3600’/500’ leads to North Lake.

Kelcema Lake 718 Short hike to small lake in the Boulder River FS RD 4052 Hiking 0.6 3011/100’ Wilderness. Forested trail to lake. Enters Lake Twenty Two Lake Twenty Two Trail 702 Research Natural Area. along trail. NO Mountain Loop Hiking 2.7 1000’/1500’ CAMPING. 4.5 to Mallardy (Walt Bailey) 706 Popular trail with many small tarns, large lakes and wild FS RD 4030, 4032 Hiking Cutthroat 3000’/1200’ mountain blueberries in fall. Enters Morningstar NRCA Lakes Marten Creek 713 Steep climb on rough trail. Mountain Loop Hiking 3.0 1400’/1400’ Hiking/ Monte Cristo Road Open to public with alt. access 1.0 mi. past Barlow Mountain Loop 4.0 - 5.0 2349’/450’ Pass. Bicycles Mount Dickerman 710 Switchback up forested slope to Mt Dickerman. Mountain Loop Hiking 4.3 2000’/3700’ Enters Mt. Pilchuck State Park. 360 degree view from Mt. Pilchuck Lookout 700 FS RD 42 Hiking 3.0 3100’/2224’ the fire lookout at . Perry Creek 711 Enters Perry Creek Research Natural Area. Mountain Loop Hiking 5.1 2000’/3000’

Poodle Dog Pass 708 Enters Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. Monte Cristo Road Hiking 8.4 2800’/2000’ Sunrise Mine 707 Hike to Headlee Pass. Enters Morning Star NRCA FS Rd 4065 Hiking 2.6 2200’/2400’

ROAD CLOSED AT CREEK . FS RD 41 - West of Three Fingers/Goat Flats 641 Hiking 6.7 3000’/3800’ WALK OR BICYCLE BEYOND Verlot PSC Length Befinning DARRINGTON TRAILS Description Access Trail Use 1-way Elev. (feet) (miles) Gain Hike through large timber, waterfalls at 1.2 miles. FS RD 2010 - West of Boulder River 734 Hiking 4.0 1000’/400’ Enters . Darrington Loop trail. Enters Henry M. Jackson Elliott Creek (Goat Lake) 647 FS RD 4080 Hiking 5.2 1900’/1300’ Wilderness. Hiking / Access to Squire Creek Pass and Steep, rug- Eight Mile Creek 654 climbing areas. Enters Boulder River FS RD 2060 2.5 1600’/2400’ ged trail, Wilderness. rock climb Harold Engles Trail 642 Short easy walk through grove of large cedars. Named FS RD 49 Hiking .25 1800’/0’ after Darrington District Ranger 1920’s – 1950’s.

Lost Creek Ridge 646 Steep trail to Bingley Gap, Round Lake and beyond. FS RD 49 Hiking 11 1800’/3900’ Enters Wilderness.

Mt. Pugh 644 Hike to Stujack Pass. Climbers scramble beyond pass. FS RD 2095 Hiking 3.5 1900’/3100’ Enters . Accesses and Glacier Peak Hiking / North Fork Sauk 649 FS RD 49 8.4 2100’/3900’ Wilderness. Stock

North Fork Sauk Falls Short viewpoint trail. FS RD 49 Hiking .25 1600’/0’ Gentle trail along the – a segment of the Hiking Old Sauk Trail 748 Mountain Loop 3.0 600’/0’ Skagit Wild & Scenic River System. Accessible 1000’/300’ Whitechuck Bench Trail 731 Pleasant hike along north side of the White Chuck FS RD 23 Hiking 6.5 River. Currently washed out at mile 2.5.

FEDERAL RECREATION PASSES A Federal Recreation Pass is required at posted trailheads and recreational sites in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Federal Recreation Passes honored are the Northwest Forest Pass, America the Beautiful Pass, the Interagency Senior, Access and Military Pass. Passes may be purchased online and in person at the Darrington Ranger District, Verlot Public Service Center and other local vendors. Info: http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/mbs/passes-permits. Northwest Forest Daily $5 Northwest Forest Annual $30 3400 Sauk Boat

S e g esl n R di g e Launch 3521

Tenas Deer Creek 3528 Pass 4004 Creek

Creek to Rockport

S.R. 20 m LEGEND e

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s y Forest Trails S MOUNTAIN LOOP HIGHWAY Recreation InformationR.

State Highways

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e Campground Paved County & Forest Roads v A NATIONAL FOREST SERVICE SCENIC BYWAY i Paved / Gravel County Buck R

River 530 Picnic Area & Forest Roads

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18 Interpretive Site Bridge d n a 42 Forest Road River Whitehorse guamish Road Universal Access Number Designations Stilla d Squire Creek Amphitheater and il Sauk 4032 Whitehorse W Campground Rodeo Grounds Raft Launch National Forest Park it (County) g 530 a Viewpoint National Forest Wilderness k Prairie S State Park Lookout to Arlington Darrington State DNR Ranger Station Sauk Baseball Fields State DNR - Natural Resources Conservation Area 24 Snow Play Area Skagit Wild & Scenic 2010 DARRINGTON River System 2030 Boulder Falls Backman Gold Mountain Bo uld County Park er Whitehorse Ridge MOUNT BAKER R ive Sauk Boulder r Tr ai l 7 3 SNOQUALMIE 4 Road Washed Out Lone T ree 22 Pass Clear Creek Campground River NATIONAL Whitehorse River Boulder Mountain 6852 Old Loop Highway Tr 728 FOREST Tupso Pass Mount Bullen Jumbo Th 5974 Mountain re 5850 Road e

Washed F 2060 24 ck Bench Trail 731 i Out u 41 n ch g hite e River W r s White Chuck White River Chuck T Three Fingers ain r River Access Mount a White Chuck dow il Mea 64 1 6854 Overlook Goat Flats Squire Creek 2081 Tin Pan Pass Gap Sauk Eightmile Creek Skagit Wild and Scenic River System Trail 654 Peek-A-Boo 2095 Trail 656 Stujack Pass Big Bear Mt Pugh Mountain Mount GLACIER 5604 Mountain LoopTrail Highway 644 Pugh 41 North Peek-A-Boo 7201 Lake Lake

Wilderness 2080 Leads to Harold Engles Trail, River North Fork Sauk Trail, and Independence Lake Lost Creek Ridge Trail Trail 712 Independence Lake Creek Kelcema Lake Lost Trail 718 Trail 632 North Fork to Granite Falls Sauk Falls Kelcema 4052 Coal Mountain M Lake Deer Creek Lake arte South Verlot Public n C r e Bedal 49 Fork Loop Service Center e 4060 Stillaguamish R. k Campground R. Highway (USFS) T Stillaguamish N.F. Sauk r Hemple Creek a Peak Wiley Ridge i l 5740 Picnic Area 7 River

Turlo Campground 1 Snow Play

Gold Basin 3 Perry Creek Sloan Cr Gordon Ridge Area Verlot Campground Campground Cr Trail 711 4096 Climbing Beaver Creek Route Wiley Boardman Black Chief Camp Sauk Creek Camp Mine Coal Creek 701 H. Engles 42 Campground Youth on Age Camp Mount Perry Fork Bedal Grove Tr Tr Trail Dick Sperry Dickerman 702 Heather Picnic Area 5723 Bedal Tr Esswine Lake Tr Gold Basin Mt Dickerman Cr Mill Campground Big Four Chokwich Tr Lake Marten Creek Trail 710 South Ice Tr 700 Twenty 4021 Red Bridge Campground Picnic Area Tulalip Trail 723 Monte Cristo 705 Two Campground 4080 Cr Bear Campground Lake Elliott Sloan 4020 Mount Lake 4032 Mount Dickerman Cl Peak Pinnacle ose W 7835 Pilchuck 703 Perry Creek d in in Loop Pilchuck Trail 4030 te Creek 5324 Lake Trailhead r State Park Barlow Point Trail Barlow Point Trail Big Four Trail 709 Elliott Mountain 4065 Ashland 6135 Pilchuck River M Cr a 647 Lakes ll ar Barlow Henry M. dy R Pass Ashland Lakes Trail 704 id g Sperry e Trail Peak Goat Boardman Vesper M Bald Mountain Ridge Trail Williamson Cr 6140 Lake Peak o Jackson Lake Sunrise Mine n Department of 6214 t Trail 707 e Natural Resources 6 C 0 Headlee ri 7 s Wilderness t Pass o l Morning Star Natural Resources i Weden Creek Ro a Conservation Area a r Morning d T Trail 724 Foggy ey River Peak ail an 6020 B lt 6810 alt u W S G in 7186 Monte Cristo lac as T 6610 ie B r r (site) 7 Cadet 0 .5 1 mi 1 Peak 9 0 .5 .1 2 km 6213 Spada Lake Tr 708 Cartography by Kulshan Cartographic Services Bellingham, WA Culmback 5683 Columbia 7227 7172 Glacier 5738 Sheep Gap Mountain Sheep Gap Olney Pass Kyes Red Gulch 5683Columbia Peak 5318 3080+ Mineral City Peak wHERE TO CAMP Twin Peaks North Crested 5338

South Crested Butte National Forest Campground reservations can be made online at www.recreation.gov or at (877) 444-6777. Group sites can be reserved a year in advance and family sites may be reserved six months ahead. Sites are also available at the campgrounds on a first- come, first-served basis. Dipsersed Camping is Forest Service Developed Campgrounds allowed in the National Forest. There are no Bedal 22 Tent/Trailer sites. Clear Creek 13 Tent/Trailer sites. toilets, garbage cans or Gold Basin CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE drinking water provided at Red Bridge 16 Tent/Trailer sites. undeveloped camps. Turlo 18 Tent/Trailer sites. Drinking Water. Verlot 26 Tent/Trailer sites. Flush toilets, Drinking Water. Overnight stays in the National Forest are limited to 14 consecutive days. Forest Service Group Campgrounds Beaver Creek 25 Maximum People Capacity. Tent/Trailer sites Please pack out your trash, ensure your site is clean Boardman Creek Tent/Trailer sites and make sure campfires are completely out before Coal Creek 25 Maximum People Capacity. Tent/Trailer sites Esswine 25 Maximum People Capacity. Tent/Trailer sites leaving the area. Tulalip Mill Site 60 Maximum People Capacity. Tent/Trailer sites Wiley Creek 20-24 Maximum People Capacity. Tent/Trailer sites. Visiting Carry Big Four the Ten Essentials Stop by Big Four and enjoy a 1. Food & water. piece of the area’s history. Hike 2. Extra clothing. for approximately one mile from 3. Map. the Ice Caves Trailhead or Big 4. Compass. 5. Knife. Four Picnic Area to view Big Four 6. Matches. Mountain. A shorter loop trip can 7. Fire starter. be made through the wetlands by 8. First aid kit. following an old railroad grade 9. Sunglasses. connecting the Ice Caves Trailhead 10. Flashlight. and the Big Four Picnic Area. This section of trail is designed for Recreation persons of all abilities. Ethics On a clear day, see magnificent 6,135-foot (1,870 m) Big Four • Plan Ahead and Be Mountain standing sentinel over Prepared. the area. Avalanches tumble BE SAFE - USE CAUTION • Pack it in; pack it out. down the steep rock face during Know the Facts About Big Four Ice Caves • Dispose of all waste the cooler part of the year and properly. accumulate in a bowl-shaped • People have been injured and killed at the Ice Caves • Respect wildlife. . Sheltered from direct • Camp on durable surfaces. sunlight, a glacier-like avalanche over the years – Please do not endanger yourself or • Minimize campfire debris pile at the base of the others, view the caves from a distance and stay on the impacts, use a stove. mountain creates ice caves that trail. • Leave what you find. shrink and grow from season to • Avalanches tumble down the steep-sided face of the Learn more about how to season. mountain creating snowfields at it’s base. minimize impacts and practice Leave No Trace ethics at: The snow and boulder field below • Do not walk on snowfields as they can hold dangers www.LNT.org or call: the mountain are extremely such as deep holes and crevasses. (800) 332-4100. dangerous. The ice caves that form are an incredible sight but should • Rock and ice collapse unexpectedly inside and outside only be viewed at a distance from the ice caves. the trail. • Do not enter the ice caves as they can collapse at any time, leaving you injured, trapped or killed. Points of Wilderness Travel Interest Many trails accessed from the Mountain Loop Highway enter designated Wilderness boundaries. Help preserve and protect valuable Wilderness resources designated by Congress over Mt. Pilchuck State Park 50 years ago for present and future generations. Observe the following Wilderness area regulations in effect within the Mt. From Verlot travel one mile east and Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest: turn right onto FS Road 42. Continue 6.9 miles to the trailhead. The trail • Obey all fire closures. begins at 3100 feet and winds 3 miles • Group size is limited to 12 heartbeats; this includes any through old growth forest, alpine combination of people, livestock and pets. heather and large rocks reaching the • Use of motorized or mechanized equipment is prohibited, including bicycles, hang gliders summit of Mount Pilchuck (5324 feet) and the take off or landing of drones. and an old fire lookout tower. The • Caching, leaving, or storing equipment, personal property or supplies unattended for more hike is strenuous, but offers incredible than 48 hours is prohibited. panoramic views of the , • Use processed feed for livestock. Unprocessed feed can introduce undesirable non-native Olympics and . The trail plant species into Wilderness environments. is usually covered with snow until • Grazing any pack or saddle animal within 200 feet of any shoreline is prohibited. midsummer. • Please do not hitch, tether, or hobble any pack or saddle animal directly to trees or within 200 feet of shorelines.

Old Sauk Trail Hiking Safety During Hunting Seasons

This easy 6 mile round trip trail is • Wear bright clothing, avoid blacks, browns, -tones and animal-colored clothing. located near the town of Darrington. • Make yourself known. If you hear shooting, raise your voice and let hunters know you are in There are two access points. The first is the vicinity. a small parking lot 3.6 miles southeast • Be aware of when hunting seasons are scheduled. Grouse and bear hunting season is typically of Darrington. 1.8 miles further is August - December, sometimes earlier. October hunting seasons, include deer and . the main trailhead with picnic tables, a toilet, an informational kiosk and • Discharging firearms within 150 yards of a developed and/or occupied area, or across a body access for the 1.0 mile gravel ADA of water is prohibited in National Forests. portion of the trail. This is a perfect • Hunting rules and regulations are governed by the Washington State Department of Fish and trail to take family and friends any time Wildlife. Check annually for updates to policies. of the year. *Publication produced in partnership with Discover Your Northwest Interpretive Association. Check out sale items at Forest Service outlets or on-line at www.discovernw.org