White Chuck Bench Tr731

Glacier Peak Wilderness Hiking

Easily accessible from the metro Seattle area, the Glacier Peak Wilderness is very popular for day hikes and backpacking.

The Area Topo Map shows the hiking trails in the White Chuck and Sauk River valleys.

Mount Pugh Tr644 ascends 1300' to the 3 acre Lake Metan at 1.4mi, then switchbacks to the sharp-ridged Stujack Pass at 3mi. Expect steep snow into August and plenty of loose talus, making the upper section of this hike somewhat technical.

From FR2086, the Peek-A-Boo Lake Tr656 doubletrack narrows to a singletrack trek through old growth forest, traversing a ridgeline to the lake. The lake has some camp sites on the NE side and is surrounded by boulders and marshy terrain.

A major PCT connector, White Chuck River Tr643 gets the most use of all the Glacier Peak Wilderness trails, and can be combined with the 15.7mi Meadow Mountain Tr657. Kennedy Hot Springs has a few campsites, a base camp for a day hike to Lake Byrne. At 5x5, the 95 degree springs are relatively small.

From Kennedy Hot Springs, Lost Creek Ridge Tr646 passes Lake Byrne then follows the ridgeline to Bingley Gap, before descending to FR4900. There are a few camp sites at Round Lake and expect deep snow along the steep ridgeline through July, requiring some technical hiking skills, stamina and pathfinding abilities.

Further south, North Fork Sauk Tr649 is another major PCT connector, gradually ascending through cedar forest, with camp sites along the trail, before steeply switchbacking the flank of White Mountain. Can be combined with Pilot Ridge Tr652 into a 26mi loop.

To the north, the PCT connects to the steep, wet Milk Creek Tr790, which leads to the FR26 Sulphur Creek CG, a White Chuck River Tr643 shuttle option.