Miller Peak Tr1379
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#MillerPeakTrail
Overall: 9
Aerobic: 8
Technical: 7
Steepness: 8
Flow: 5
Singletrack: 100%
The Cle Elum Washington Miller Peak Trail is a challenging ascent to the county line, awesome views of the wilderness ranges to the north, and some extreme downhill.
Type
Loop
Length
Avg: 11mi
Ascent
Intense
Elevation Change
TH:3200'
Avg Ascent:4000'
Ascent Incline
14%
Duration
Avg: 4hr
Weather
Forecast
NOAA
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USFS
Trail
Review
The 15% technical, switchbacking descent to Miller Creek demands attention and is the featured attraction of the Miller Peak Tr1379 loop.
Hill climbers seeking extreme terrain will also enjoy the challenge of the Teanaway Ridge Tr1364 ascent.
The spur trail to Miller Peak is a scramble of a hike, but offers a great view of the always impressive Stuart Range and nearby Three Brothers peaks.
Ding: The ride has just enough hike-a-bike to keep it from being a 10, but otherwise, this is one to check out.
The usual 17.5mi, 6100' ascent CCW loop starts with Iron Bear Tr1351, then 3.9mi (1550' ascent) of FR9714/FR113, followed by a 2550' climb over 5.4mi on County Line Tr1226 to Miller Peak, descending 3.2mi (2500', 15% descent) on Miller Peak Tr1379.
Suggested route: The loop can be shortened by eliminating the forest road excursion, ascending Teanaway Ridge Tr1364 to County Line Tr1226, trading a 7.8mi, 3200' ascent for a tough 1.6mi, 1185' (14%) ascent.
Intermediate option: combine Iron Bear Tr1351 with the southern section of Teanaway Ridge Tr1364 in an 11mi, 3200' ascent OAB ride.
Teanaway Ridge Tr1364 continues along Teanaway Ridge for 2.3mi (970' ascent) to FR111, which connects to FR9738.
The other Cle Elum area 'Teanaway Ridge' trail, just north of Rat Pac, is featured on the Sandstone Creek page.
Mt Goat ride: Nearby Stafford Creek Tr1359 and Standup Creek Tr1369 combine into an 11mi, 3600' ascent CCW loop, with a 14% grade ascent of the Earl Peak southern ridgeline saddle.
Accessed from SR97, FR111 Hovey Creek, FR112 and FR9714 Iron Creek get some XC Ski use.
Directions: NW Forest Pass required right at the TH. Go on SR970 for 6.5mi, then turn left onto Teanaway Rd and go 13mi to the gravel road at 29 Pines CG, bearing right onto gravel North Fork Teanaway FR9737. Go 1.2mi to the fork then turn right onto FR9703 (Stafford Cr Rd) and go 3.3mi to the end of the road. The Iron Bear TH is directly ahead, with the Miller Peak TH to the left. View Larger Map. No Map?.
Loop Directions
hike-a-bike is not an option
- TH: Go on Iron Bear Tr1351, immediately crossing Miller Creek and another small creek, then cross North Fork Bear Creek at 1.4mi, as the trail follows South Fork Bear Creek to the Teanaway Ridge headwaters. Cross a small creek at 1.9mi, then the trail bends to the left at 2.4mi, to follow a tributary to the ridgeline across increasingly steep terrain. Except for the strongest climbers, expect to hike from 2.7mi to the ridgeline, crossing the steepest terrain of the ride.
- 3.3mi: Go left onto Teanaway Ridge Tr1364 and (likely) hike-a-bike to the ridgeline summit at 4.5mi, which marks the end of the really serious ascent.
- 4.9mi: After a brief descent, go left on County Line Tr1226, climb a bit then descend to the FR7322 intersection at 5.6mi. Just past the intersection, the trail merges with doubletrack. Climb the doubletrack, still riding along the county line ridgeline, then bear to the left onto the trail and hike-a-bike to the ridge. See the summit graphic above to get a better idea of this sketchy terrain.
- 6.3mi: Descend sharply to a ridgeline saddle, then ascend to the eastern Miller Peak ridgeline at 6.9mi, followed by a traverse along the barren southern flank of Miller Peak and the ride summit at 7.4mi.
- 8.2mi: Crest the southern Miller Peak ridgeline, then go left onto Miller Peak Tr1379, with an option to hike .6mi (735') to the Miller Peak summit.
- 8.8mi: After a ridgeline descent, drop off the ridge into a very steep, switchback descent to the 9.6mi Miller Creek crossing. Cross several other creeks in a more gradual descent to the TH, passing through the fir and pine forest alongside the fern-lined Miller Creek.
Stafford, Standup CCW Loop
The nearly vertical, 18% grade Standup Creek earns it's name, descending 3125' in 3.2mi.
- TH: Park along FR112 and descend to FR9703.
- 2.8mi: Go left on Stafford Creek Tr1359 and ascend the increasingly intense terrain to the Stafford Creek headwaters.
- 6.3mi: After a few switchbacks and a traverse, go left onto Standup Creek Tr1369. Cross Stafford Creek at 6.5mi, then ascend/hike-a-bike to the Earl Peak ridgeline saddle at 7.8mi. It's all downhill from here..
- 8.2mi: After a steep, switchback descent, including some hike-a-bike, pass the Bean Creek Tr1391.1 intersection on the right, then criss-cross Standup Creek and descend to a ridgeline.
- 8.9mi: The trail drops off the ridgeline in a .5mi switchbacking slide, before plunging across the creek. The descent then moderates and the trail crosses Standup Creek several more times before reaching the TH.
Trail Index
This Ride
County Line Trail 1226, Iron Bear Trail 1351, Miller Peak Trail 1379, Stafford Creek Tr1359, Standup Creek Trail 1369, Teanaway Ridge Trail 1364
Wilderness
XC Ski
Campgrounds
29 Pines Campground, Beverly Campground, De Roux Campground, Teanaway Campground
Trail Rankings
Ranking consistently applied to all of the listed trails.
- Overall Rating: Ride quality and challenge
- Aerobic: Ascent challenge
- Technical Difficulty: Terrain challenge
- Steepness: Average incline
- Flow: Uninterrupted riding
- Elevation Change: Total elevation gain
- Ride Difficulty: Terrain challenge
