Mt Pilchuck Trail is a challenging 5.4-mile roundtrip hike with 2,200 ft elevation gain near Granite Falls, Washington. We hiked the steep trail to Mount Pichuck fire lookout tower and we were completely blown away by its 360-degree summit views. As far as we’re concerned, it’s one of the best hikes in the Cascade Mountains, so you shouldn’t miss it if you’ll be visiting the area.
In this guide we walk you through hiking Mt Pilchuck Trail in Washington for the first time, based on our own experiences. Read more about us.
We spent 6 months living near Seattle in the summer of 2021 and we fell in love with hiking in the Pacific Northwest. After hiking dozens of trails in the three famous national parks, we decided to hike as many trails in between the parks as possible. We’d already hiked nearby Lake 22 Trail in July, but we left Mt Pilchuck until the fall because we knew it would be crowded in summer.
So, we set an early alarm and drove to Granite Falls in the dark, before taking on the dreadful 7-mile pot-hole laden road to Mt Pilchuck Trailhead as day was breaking. We took our time on the short but steep trail and finally summited at the fire lookout tower around 10:00am on a Tuesday morning in October. And we definitely made the right call leaving it until fall because we had it all to ourselves. Okay, let’s begin!
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Trail Information
- Distance: 5.4 miles roundtrip
- Elevation gain: 2,200 feet
- Time: 3-6 hours
- Difficulty: Hard
The steep hike to Mount Pilchuck fire lookout tower shouldn’t be taken lightly. You’ll be gaining 2,200 feet elevation in just 2.7 miles, so it’s a bit of slog on the way up. It took us 2 hours to reach the tower and 1 hour 45 minutes to descend, so including the 45 minutes we spent enjoying summit views, our total time was 4 hours and 30 minutes.
After hiking hundreds of trails in Washington, the US and around the world, we’d personally rate Mt Pilchuck Trail as being on the harder side of moderately difficult. As long as you’re a regular hiker and you’re happy with steep elevation gain, you shouldn’t have any problems.
The Fire Lookout Tower
Mount Pilchuck lookout tower was originally built in 1918 for detecting wildfires, before being rebuilt in 1990 by the Everett Mountaineers. Today, it’s the summit landmark at the end of an immensely popular hike, and you can even sleep in the fire tower on a first-come, first-served basis.
To access the fire tower you must climb a tall and steep metal ladder from boulders to the wooden structure. From experience, we can tell you that looking down through the rungs is enough to bring on a sudden bout of vertigo, so if you have a fear of heights we recommend you don’t look down!
A fenced-in boardwalk wide enough for two people runs around all 4 sides of the lookout tower. So you can soak up far reaching views in all directions from the tower. Finally, to get inside the tower you need to take your daypack off and crawl through a small doorway.
Mt Pilchuck Trailhead Parking
The trailhead parking area for hiking Mt Pilchuck Trail is located 19 miles from the small city of Granite Falls along the Mountain Loop Highway in northwest Washington State. You’ll turn off Mountain Loop Highway and onto Mount Pilchuck Road near the Blue Bridge.
- Set your Google Maps destination for Mount Pilchuck Trail parking area and hit directions.
There was only one other car parked the morning we arrived at the trailhead. And by the time we returned to the trailhead around lunch time there were only 4 cars in addition to ours, so it was a really quiet day. The parking area is large and has room for lots of vehicles, but we know it fills early in peak hiking season and especially on weekends, so plan accordingly.
Driving To The Trailhead
When we hiked Mt Pilchuck, the trail itself wasn’t the hardest part of the day, it was navigating the truly awful 7-mile Mount Pilchuck Road from the highway to the trailhead. When we lived in Washington we had to drive pot-hole roads all the time to reach trailheads, but this was one of the worst.
But the good news for you is that Mount Pilchuck was closed in 2023 so the roads could be repaired. So from 2024 onwards, you won’t have to deal with driving 5mph up and down the road, or your car’s suspension taking a beating. So all the historic hiker comments you’ll see on All Trails about the road won’t concern you any longer!
Passes And Fees
Mt Pilchuck Trailhead is located within Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, so you need to display either a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass, otherwise known as an Interagency Pass.
- Northwest Forest Pass – Includes access to all National Forest land in both Washington and Oregon. You can buy day passes for $5 or annual passes for $30.
- America the Beautiful Pass – Includes entry to all US national parks, national monuments, national forests and more for 1 year for $80.
It’s important to know that you cannot use your Discover Pass because they’re not valid at USDA forest service trailheads. Even though the summit is located within Mount Pilchuck State Park, the trailhead is within the National Forest, so it’s subject to federal fees rather than state fees.
Mt Pilchuck Trail Walkthrough
We’re going to walk you through the hike exactly as it was for us and with our photos, so you know what to expect:
1. Park, Pay + Display
After driving up the pot-hole road we parked and hung our America the Beautiful Pass on our mirror. Then we grabbed our day packs and filled them with snacks and water, before quickly using the vault toilets and reading the information boards.
2. Climb Through Old Growth Forest
We began walking on a rocky path through old growth forest, reached a fork, took the right turn and crossed a stream. A sign stating “entering Pilchuck State Park” told us we were on the right path, and before long we were gaining gentle elevation on puncheon bridges and a rocky trail.
3. Switchback
Around 1 mile into the hike we reached our first major directional change as the trail entered a scree slope filled with large boulders. We followed two orange poles with arrows pointing the directions to turn sharply left like a switchback, then followed the next orange pole with directions to turn again.
4. Leave The Forest
The trail narrowed and became steeper as it arced gently around to the right. After another 0.5 miles we left the forest entirely and enjoyed amazing views over the valleys below. And we could see Mt Pilchuck fire lookout tower perched on the edge of a cliff above us from the clearing.
5. Rocky Area
We navigated our way through a small boulder field via a series of short switchbacks to gain elevation and pass a handful of false summits. The trail was still very attractive and the views were getting better by the step. Next we passed over The Saddle and began a long and gradual curving ascent to reach the lookout tower. This section was slow going and felt like it was never going to end, but trust us it does!
6. Mount Pilchuck Lookout Tower
And then all of a sudden we reached the summit! We climbed up and over the steep boulders to reach the ladder, and then climbed the ladder rungs carefully to access the fire tower. Looking down gave us a bit of a knee wobble, but once we were up it was awesome and we had it to ourselves the whole 45 minutes we were up there. We walked around each side, took lots of photos and then crawled inside to take a look around.
7. The Descent
After we’d had enough of the views and filled our SD cards with photos, we took the exact same route back down to the trailhead. In truth, we enjoyed the views more on the descent because we were looking out rather than towards the mountain peak. It was pretty hazy when we hiked but on a clear day you’ll be able to see Mt Rainier, Mt Baker and Puget Sound.
Pros and Cons
Here are our pros and cons to hiking Mount Pilchuck Trail in Washington:
Pros
✅ Fire lookout tower at the summit
✅ Mixed terrain trail keeps things interesting
✅ Sensational summit views
✅ Short trail so you don’t have to spend all day hiking
✅ Trailhead road has been resurfaced
✅ You can hike Lake 22 before or after
Cons
❌ Trail can become extremely crowded
❌ It’s not suitable for beginners
❌ Very rocky and uneven throughout
Sunrise + Sunset Hiking
Mt Pilchuck is a popular sunrise and sunset hiking destination in Washington, and the next time we’re in the area we’ll probably do one of them ourselves. But if you’re thinking about a dawn or dusk hike, or you plan to stay in the fire tower, you need to be prepared with headlamps, flashlights, warm gear, plenty of food, snacks and emergency first aid equipment.
Check sunrise and sunset times for Granite Falls and allow 3 hours hiking time to reach the summit before sunrise or sunset, so you have enough wiggle room and you can get settled in a good spot. Remember, the summit has 360-degree views so you’ll be in for a real treat.
Hiking Tips
Here are our best quick tips for the Mount Pilchuck hike:
- Begin very early or much later in the afternoon to avoid crowds
- Hike in late spring or fall to avoid the summer rush
- Robust shoes are essential to help with gripping on slickrock and boulders
- No specialist gear is required for this trail in good weather
- Don’t forget your poles if you typically use them to hike
- Can be bad for bugs in summer months so don’t forget repellant
- Mt Pilchuck is a dog friendly trail but bear in mind it’s a steep hike
- Bring plenty of water and snacks or a light lunch for the lookout tower
Where To Eat And Stay Nearby
FOOD: Granite Falls is a small city but it’s the closest place you’ll find any places to eat, and there’s actually a decent range of cuisine options.
Top rated eateries include:
- Thai – Eat Thai
- Italian – Omega Pizza & Pasta
- Mexican – Playa Bonita
HOTELS: You’ll be fine for eating out but hotels are another story. Lodging options near and along Mountain Loop Highway are sparse. Lake Stevens is closest, but Marysville or Everett might suit you better.
Top rated hotels include:
- Lake Stevens – Mansion Inn
- Marysville – Holiday Inn Express
- Marysville – La Quinta Inn & Suites
Best Time To Hike Mt Pilchuck Trail
We think September and October are the best times to hike Mount Pilchuck Trail to benefit from comfortable hiking conditions, fewer crowds, misty mornings and fall colors. But May is also an excellent month to hike because the spring air smells amazing and the trails are just opening after a long winter.
Personally, we would avoid the busy summer months of July and August, but the warmer weather and longer days might appeal more to you. If you do visit between June and August, we recommend avoiding weekends and particularly holiday weekends if possible.
READ: The best hikes in the US
The Morgan Conclusion
All Trails has the trail at 4.7/5 with over 3k+ ratings, and it’s hard for us to argue with those 3 thousand hikers. Now that the road leading to the trailhead has been resurfaced, we imagine that rating will rise because it’s a fun hike and it leads to magnificent views.
We don’t mind short and steep mountain peak hikes because they almost always lead to great viewpoints and it means we’re not out hiking all day. And after hiking lots of trails in Washington, we’d say Mt Pilchuck was right up there with our favorites.
More From Washington
- How to hike Lake 22 Trail
- Top hikes in Mount Rainier
- How to hike Chirico Trail to Poo Poo Point
- How to hike Rattlesnake Ledge Trail
- Hiking Wallace Falls State Park Trail
- How to visit Snoqualmie Falls
Want more Washington content? Head to our Washington Travel Guides to explore National Parks, popular day hikes and best things to do around Seattle.
We hope our guide to hiking Mt Pilchuck Trail helps with planning your visit to Washington!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.