NORSE PEAK
A nice hike with lots of wildflowers through a burned forest up to a great viewpoint of Mount Rainier. This one is definitely worth a visit!
Quick Facts:
Distance: 9 miles roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 3100 feet
Location: Halfcamp Trailhead, Norse Peak Wilderness, Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest
Season: Summer-Late Fall
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Parking Pass: Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass
Check the weather: mountain-forecast, weather.gov
Check for recent trip reports: WTA, AllTrails
Getting there:
Click here for the TH location on Google Maps
This trail is on paved roads the entire way, so any car should be able to make the trip. When you get to the location linked above, you’ll want to take a left onto the gravel road and park in the pullout area so that you’re not blocking any traffic.
View of the ridge below Norse from the summit, June 2020
Wildflowers & burnt trees along the trail, June 2020
A view of the very top of Rainier from the summit of Norse, June 2020
Hike description:
You’ll start this hike by walking up the gravel road you parked at the beginning of for about 1/5th of a mile until you reach the signed start to the Norse Peak trail on the left. About the first 1.5 miles on the trail are switchbacks that take you steadily up through dense woods. This area is very pretty with all of the moss-draped trees but there aren’t really any views to be had so you can cruise uphill as fast as your legs will allow. You’ll notice a few signs at the end of switchbacks saying that certain areas are closed. These are to discourage people from using an older version of the trail, and as long as you stay on the largest path you’ll end up in the right place.
Suddenly you’ll emerge into the burn zone from the 2017 Norse Peak fire. Hiking through an entire forest of burnt trees is a very interesting experience; the skeletons of burnt trees lend a spooky feel to the area, especially if it’s foggy, but the abundant sunshine allows many wildflowers to flourish in this area. It’s a surreal landscape, so be sure to take it all in as you hike through this area. It also lets you see more of the surrounding landscape, and you’ll now have a nice view of the Crystal Mountain Ski Area and the subpeaks of Crystal Mountain.
Burnt trees along the trail, June 2020
View to the east from the Norse Peak summit, June 2020
Trail along the ridge below Norse Peak, June 2020
A quick safety note: when trees burn in a forest fire, many times the fire will hollow out the base of the tree while leaving the upper parts of the trunk solid (you can see this in some of the trees that have fallen in this area). Because of this, the burnt trees can be very topheavy and unstable, and you should never lean against or hang something from burnt trees!
Anyway, back to the trail. You can now get a nice view of where the trail is headed as it zig-zags up a burnt slope before traversing over to the ridge beneath Norse Peak. This area is full of wildflowers and is such a unique, beautiful trail to hike on. Because there are almost no trees in this area, shade can be hard to come by and on a hot, sunny day you’ll have almost no escape from the heat so be sure to bring and drink lots of water.
At about 3.8 miles you’ll emerge onto the ridge that carries you to the summit of Norse Peak. This is such a pretty area with dramatic views to the valleys on either side, nearby peaks, and on a clear day Mount Rainier. The trail drops to each side of the ridge so you can really enjoy the sights on both sides. Before long you’ll reach the summit of Norse Peak, a flat, rocky summit with a small windshield of rocks in the middle. Pick a good spot and enjoy some lunch, and hopefully some beautiful views of Mount Rainier (it was cloudy the day I went but I’ve heard they’re great!).
View from the ridge below Norse Peak, June 2020