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 Reporter |
Summary: The trail switches back and forth through forest 2.1 miles to a rocky hilltop that has 360 degree views which include the Skagit River Valley, and Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier on clear days. In summer the area is covered with wildflowers. You can take a side trip 1000 feet down to Sauk Lake 1.5 miles away. Trailhead: From I-5 north of Mt. Vernon, go 40 miles east on Hwy 20 (North Cascades Highway). Just before Rockport State Park, turn left onto Forest Road 1030 (also known as the Sauk Mountain Rd.) . Follow this gravel road 8 miles to the trailhead parking lot. (Lat:48.52117 Lon:-121.607) Trail Guides for Sauk Mountain: Pacific Northwest Hiking by Ron C. Judd & Dan A. Nelson (Foghorn Press) Day Hike North Cascades by Mike McQuaide (Sasquatch Books) Best Seasons: Fall, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Mount Baker Ranger District Info Center (360) 856-5700 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Robbie Hochreiter, who has posted 24 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 6 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by dl on 2/4/2010 beautiful views, watch for hunters 
Reviewed by am on 9/4/2009 hiked for the first time when i was five. taking my son for the first time on sunday. i hope the weather holds and we have great views!
Reviewed by RT on 8/5/2009 Views from the top of the mountain are spectacular, well worth the hike to the top. However be aware that Sauk Mountain Road is not well maintained and does have large pot-holes - higher clearance vehicles are a must. Other than that inconvenience this is one of the best hikes in Skagit County.
Reviewed by KHA on 7/2/2009 Great hike- the road does most of the elevation work for you. The parking lot yields great views up the Sauk Valley, down the Skagit, and towards The Sisters. I don't know this deal about switching back through forest and ending on a rocky hilltop... it actually switches straight up a pretty steep, heavily vegetated meadow and ends on top of a mountain. If you choose, some scrambling yields a great top out on some exposed crags. Plenty of place to rest at the top though, and great 360* view of Glacier Peak, Baker, Sisters, Pilchuck, Whitehorse, Olympics, Rainier and others. A bit buggy, which is odd because there isn't much water or vegetation around the top, and some snow on the backside to trek across. 45-70 min up.
Reviewed by Olive on 6/16/2009 I love Sauk and will admit that I only take a select few people up this favorite trail of mine. The first time I went, it was at sunset on a warm summer day. There were wildflowers everywhere- the Indian Paintbrush flowers are my favorite! And the views from the switchbacks alone was really pretty. I love when you walk around the tip of Sauk to the other side and have views of the lake below and usually one will see a few marmots sunning themselves on the rocks. You might come across some residual snow too (it's always fun to walk over some snow in a tanktop in the summertime!). The view from Sauk of the Skagit Valley, the distant San Juans, and Baker and Tabletop (right there!) are breathtaking.
Reviewed by Diane on 6/9/2009 My husband and I hiked it two summers ago. It was a very different hike. We had never seen plants like that. It was rather warm, and I would say, it was not an easy hike. Lots of switchbacks. The views were outstanding. Didn't know about the hunters. We'll hike it again when we visit WA soon. Thanks from Bama 
Reviewed by BC on 2/7/2009 Just a note - the warnings about wearing bright colors are very important. Seems odd no one mentioned that a woman was killed by a young hunter last summer on this trail.
Reviewed by Ang on 11/1/2008 Even in early November with all the wild flowers gone and moderate cloud cover it was still an incredible view from the top! ...And the cooler temps were great while climbing the hill with no bugs in sight. It took 1.5 hrs round trip and that's with stops for photo ops. While it's a short distance I wouldn't call it an "easy" trail as it is still a climb and a very narrow path. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: Washington Hiking, Washington Trails, Washington Hikes, Skagit County Hiking, Skagit County Trails, Skagit County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||