MOUNT CATHERINE
A short hike to a summit in Snoqualmie Pass with nice views of Rainier and surrounding peaks. There’s good payoff for this hike, but it’s pretty short for the long drive up a bumpy forest road, so it’s not my favorite!
Quick Facts:
Distance: 3 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 1400 feet
Location: Mount Catherine Trailhead, Snoqualmie Pass area, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
Season: Summer-Fall
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Parking Pass: None
Check the weather: mountain-forecast, weather.gov
Check for recent trip reports: WTA, AllTrails
Notes: Low clearance vehicles will need to park 1.5 miles from the trailhead, adding 3 miles roundtrip to this hike.
Getting there:
Click here for the TH location on Google Maps
The Google Maps directions are correct for this hike, and although it’s only a few miles off of I-90, those few miles are pretty rough. Once you hit NF-9070 (about 3.5 miles from the trailhead), you’ll encounter a lot of deep potholes. Any car should be able to make it through the first 2 miles if you take it slow and drive carefully. At about 1.5 miles from the trailhead there’s a large bend in the road, and right after the bend is a big washout that has left a lot of exposed rocks and deep ruts in the road. To get across this requires at least medium clearance (we made it across in our Honda CR-V), but sedans shouldn’t attempt it and instead should park at the pullout at the bend in the road (this will add 3 miles roundtrip to your hike). If you’re able to make it over the washout, there will be a few smaller washout areas before reaching the trailhead. There is a small parking area that can fit 3-4 cars, and if that’s full you can pull to the side of the road and park so that other vehicles can still get by.
View across I-90 from along the trail, July 2020
Final section of trail to the summit, July 2020
View of Lake Keechelus, July 2020
Hike description:
This is a fun, short hike. For the first 0.75 miles you’ll hike through a pleasant forest on a nice trail that heads steadily uphill with some peekaboo views of other peaks in the area. At about 0.75 miles you’ll gain views of the peaks across I-90 before heading back into the woods.
The trail continues to head up through the woods, past some massive trees that have fallen and brought up sizable root balls with them. The trail is easy to hike but somewhat steep through here and will give you a bit of a workout. Just below the summit the trail becomes incredibly steep. There is a cable to help you up the last 20 feet, and there are solid places to step so although it is quite vertical it’s easy to gain the summit.
The summit is a long, narrow flat area and the views are great in nearly every direction. There are amazing views of Mount Rainier, and Tinkham and Silver Peak in front of that. You can see most peaks across I-90, and on a clear day can see Mount Stuart, plus a great aerial view of Keechelus Lake and the gentle hills beyond it. Enjoy the views for as long as you can before making the short trip back to your car!