Like Mt. Si but hate the crowds? How about a hike that’s a bit more difficult, better views, and very few people?
Trail Stats:
7 miles round trip, 3050 ft elevation gain
Directions:
From Seattle, take I-90 east to exit 45. At the end of the off ramp, turn left on to Forest Service Rd 9031. Continue on this road approximately 3.5 miles until you get to the trail head at the end. Note that a NW Forest Pass is required to park in the lot. Be sure to also fill out a permit at the trail head.
Trail:
Before you pack your bags and head out to climb Bandera Mountain, be sure to dress appropriately. In mid-may when we went, there was plenty of snow left and you even had to cross a snow field or two lower down to continue along the path. We happened to see kids in tennis shoes attempting to cross the snow. This isn’t safe, and you shouldn’t put yourself or others at risk for a day hike. Additionally, be prepared for a pretty rough dirt road on the way to the trial head. It’s 3.5 miles of dodging pot holes at 15-20mph.
Nagging aside, this is now one of my favorite hikes in the Seattle area. The views are fantastic and unlike Mt Si, the trails aren’t packed. As an additional bonus, there’s some pretty nice views along the walk, not just at the summit.
The trail starts at the end of the parking lot, just left of the outhouse. Be sure to pick up a hiking permit at the box on the left side of the trail head. As you can see from the route profile, the hike starts out pretty flat. It’s mostly a stroll through the woods at this point along an old logging road. Along the way you’ll pass two somewhat picturesque waterfalls. At approximately 2 miles, the real fun begins. You will pop out of the woods and in the middle of a moraine, strewn with boulders. The trail is still very well marked and if it’s a clear day, the views will open up. To the south you’ll see across the highway and a bit of the top of Mt. Rainier. Keep hiking and you’ll come to a fork in the road. The left takes you to Mason lake, and the right takes you up to Bandera mountain. Take a right and keep following the trail.
This is when it starts to become a more difficult hike. There’s a few switchbacks at first, but the trail will eventually start heading directly up hill. Trekking poles help immensely at this point. If you’re hiking before mid-June, you can expect to encounter snow at this point in the trail. The path continues roughly along the ridge up to the summit of little Bandera. As you can see on the map, this is where we ended up stopping. The snow was too soft to continue along safely.
If you want to continue on to the true summit of Bandera Mountain, continue along the exposed ridge up to the summit. Enjoy the stunning views for as long as you like, the trail back is the same way you came.
[...] hike itself uses the same trail head and about half of the trail to Bandera mountain. As with Bandera, the trail starts at the end of the parking lot, just left of the outhouse. Be [...]