Heather - Maple Pass Loop
North Cascades
As of July 25, 2026, the Heather - Maple Pass Loop is largely snow-free. Reports from mid-July indicate only a few small, easily navigable snow patches remain near the summit. Wildflowers and marmots are abundant.
Parking at the trailhead is competitive; arriving early is recommended, as the highway often becomes lined with cars. Bugs, particularly mosquitoes, are prevalent, making bug spray essential. While the trail is generally in good condition, some find the final ascent strenuous, especially when hiking counter-clockwise. Some reports mention muddy spots and water running on the trail. The detour to Lake Ann is considered worthwhile by many.
generated from 91 reports
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Trailhead is easy to get to, and I was lucky to find a parking spot in the lot at noon, the highway was lined with cars on both sides for this one. Get here early if you don't want to walk on or cross...
Did the loop counter-clockwise, and thought it was probably a better choice as you seem to get the highlights in first. Mosquitos were pretty bad. In hindsight would have taken the detour paths to the...
We did Maple Pass, counterclockwise, and did not take the little jaunt to the lake. Trail in great condition, just a couple small snow patches left and easy to go around. Bugs are annoying when you st...
Maple Pass Loop was a great bang-for-your-buck hike - views were stunning and changed along the route so they never got boring, we saw lots of marmots, and it was not overly strenuous. We started earl...
If you're using AllTrails, search for ‘Maple Pass Trail’. It doesn't find the route if you add 'Loop' to the search terms. Several spaces left in the highly organized parking lot at 7:45am but by the ...
First time on this trail and it was amazing. Took the loop counter-clockwise and so glad we did. It was a manageable trek up and a fairly quick hike down. Went on a clear day and the views could not h...
Getting there:The parking lot had about 20 cars when we arrived at 9:15 a.m. The restrooms were open and stocked with TP.Trail:We were not sure how much snow we would encounter near the top of the pas...
As others have shared, be prepared for snow conditions! One member of my group was grateful to have trekking poles; the rest would have benefited but fared ok without. I would have most benefited from...
As ever, an iconic hike.Trail conditions on Monday 6/22 - snow is melting fast, but still abundant and worthy of respect and preparation. I went clockwise, hitting snow about 2.5 miles up. At first in...
TLDR: Doable. Still a lot of snow starting from Heather pass counterclockwise. Route finding and hiking poles needed.Started at 8am with the parking lot 1/3 full. Mud and streams running on the trail....
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