Mount Pilchuck Fire Lookout Hike near Seattle

This hike has it all; lush mature evergreen forest, granite boulder fields, and panoramic views of the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. On a clear day you’ll see two of Washington’s five volcanos towering over the Cascades; Mount Baker and Mount Rainier. While hard to believe one hike could have it all - this one does.

Mount Pilchuck is an old fire lookout built in 1921. In service until 1961, the lookout now serves as a popular destination for hikers. The trail is the perfect balance of distance (5.5 miles) and elevation gain (2,400’). The highest point on the hike is 5,344’.

You’ll find this hike both challenging and rewarding. Once we reach the top, we’ll rest and have lunch before heading back down the mountain. You’ll see remnants of the past along the way; an old cable is all that’s left of a cable car that used to haul supplies to the fire lookout and there are old timbers left over from ski resort lodge that operated nearly 60 years ago.