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Area 2 - I-90 South Trails
Trail 2000
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail South
Open to Hikers and Horseback
Length: 34.4 miles
Low Elevations: Snoqualmie Pass; 3020 feet; Rockdale Creek 3100 feet; Tacoma Pass 3440 feet; Srirrup
Creek 3450 feet; Yakima Pass 3575 feet; Stampede Pass 3650 feet.
High Elevations: Top of ski area 3500 feet; Divide near Rockdale Creek 3100 feet; Snowshoe Butte 4650 feet;
Blowout Mountain 5680 feet.
Trailhead Access: From I-90 exits at Snoqualmie Pass exits, drive south of the freeway into the overflow parking
lot for Summit West. Slightly on the King County (west) side of the pass.
Setting: Clearcut, plantation, Old-growth timber, mountain, ridgetops, meadows, open hillsides, roads, lake.
Description: This part of the Pacific Crest Trail begins climbing immediately from the parking lot, switchbacks
through the ski area to Beaver Lake and begins a descent to Lodge Lake through old-growth timber. The trail
contours to the south, intersecting a closed road, stays on it for 100 yards and then resumes as a trail on the
low side of the road. It continues through and then resumes as a trail on the low side of the road. It continues
through a talus field, crosses Rockdale Creek and climbs to another road. The trail follows this road for 0.25
mile, leaves it to the high side, and goes through a small stand of timber and enters a large clearcut (1985).
The trail then goes past Olallie Meadows and intersects Road 9070. This road is also used as a trailhead.
After crossing the road, the trail soon leaves the clearcut and enters a park-like stand of timber. It gradually
climbs around the side of the Silver Peak, then below Tinkham Peak and onto Mirror Lake. From Mirror Lake,
the trail shortly enters another large clearcut (1980), descends to Yakima Pass and then climbs through the
clearcut and into a stand of old-growth timber. There it enters the Meadow Creek Drainage. At the crossing of
Meadow Creek, the trail enters a mediem size clearcut, runs through some timber, and into timber and crosses
Stirrup Creek, and junctions with the Stirrup Lake Trail. The trail the enters a large, older clearcut. It climbs,
crossing several spur roads, then descends to near Stampede Pass and Road 54. From Road 54 the trail
passes Lizard Lake, climbs past major powerlines, and passes the edge of a newly developed handicap
accessible parking lot with toilet and picnic facilities. It then goes past the Stampeded Pass weather station
where well water is available.
The trail follows along the ridgetop, under another powerline, and climbs through old-growth timber, entering
another large clearcut. It stays in this clearcut for over one mile, enters heavy timber for a short distance, and
then into another large clearcut. The trail descends through this clearcut, into old-growth timber, climbs around
the side of Snowshoe Butte, enters another large clearcut (1984) and stays in it to Bearpaw Butte. The trail then
goes into another stand of old-growth timber, descending to Sheets Pass. At Sheets Pass it enters another
large clearcut (1985), and stays in it to Tacoma Pass. The road at Tacoma Pass (5200) is used as a trailhead.
The trail climbs through old-growth timber for the next mile, then gradually descends through a large clearcut
(1982). It then climbs through dense timber for the next mile, passing the edge of one medium clearcut. It then
sidehills through a large clearcut (1985) for 0.25 mile, back into the timber, and climbs to the junction with
Blowout Mountain Trail #1318. It continues to climb, getting into meadows and an ancient burn, continues
around the side of it and climbs to near the top of Blowout Mountain. Southwest from Blowout Mountain, the trail
is administered by the White River Ranger District. The large clearcuts (mentioned several times above) vary in
size from 100 to 640 acres. The older ones now have young trees up to 30 feet tall and are returning to a
forested state.
The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail South
Open to Hikers and Horseback
Length: 34.4 miles
Low Elevations: Snoqualmie Pass; 3020 feet; Rockdale Creek 3100 feet; Tacoma Pass 3440 feet; Srirrup
Creek 3450 feet; Yakima Pass 3575 feet; Stampede Pass 3650 feet.
High Elevations: Top of ski area 3500 feet; Divide near Rockdale Creek 3100 feet; Snowshoe Butte 4650 feet;
Blowout Mountain 5680 feet.
Trailhead Access: From I-90 exits at Snoqualmie Pass exits, drive south of the freeway into the overflow parking
lot for Summit West. Slightly on the King County (west) side of the pass.
Setting: Clearcut, plantation, Old-growth timber, mountain, ridgetops, meadows, open hillsides, roads, lake.
Description: This part of the Pacific Crest Trail begins climbing immediately from the parking lot, switchbacks
through the ski area to Beaver Lake and begins a descent to Lodge Lake through old-growth timber. The trail
contours to the south, intersecting a closed road, stays on it for 100 yards and then resumes as a trail on the
low side of the road. It continues through and then resumes as a trail on the low side of the road. It continues
through a talus field, crosses Rockdale Creek and climbs to another road. The trail follows this road for 0.25
mile, leaves it to the high side, and goes through a small stand of timber and enters a large clearcut (1985).
The trail then goes past Olallie Meadows and intersects Road 9070. This road is also used as a trailhead.
After crossing the road, the trail soon leaves the clearcut and enters a park-like stand of timber. It gradually
climbs around the side of the Silver Peak, then below Tinkham Peak and onto Mirror Lake. From Mirror Lake,
the trail shortly enters another large clearcut (1980), descends to Yakima Pass and then climbs through the
clearcut and into a stand of old-growth timber. There it enters the Meadow Creek Drainage. At the crossing of
Meadow Creek, the trail enters a mediem size clearcut, runs through some timber, and into timber and crosses
Stirrup Creek, and junctions with the Stirrup Lake Trail. The trail the enters a large, older clearcut. It climbs,
crossing several spur roads, then descends to near Stampede Pass and Road 54. From Road 54 the trail
passes Lizard Lake, climbs past major powerlines, and passes the edge of a newly developed handicap
accessible parking lot with toilet and picnic facilities. It then goes past the Stampeded Pass weather station
where well water is available.
The trail follows along the ridgetop, under another powerline, and climbs through old-growth timber, entering
another large clearcut. It stays in this clearcut for over one mile, enters heavy timber for a short distance, and
then into another large clearcut. The trail descends through this clearcut, into old-growth timber, climbs around
the side of Snowshoe Butte, enters another large clearcut (1984) and stays in it to Bearpaw Butte. The trail then
goes into another stand of old-growth timber, descending to Sheets Pass. At Sheets Pass it enters another
large clearcut (1985), and stays in it to Tacoma Pass. The road at Tacoma Pass (5200) is used as a trailhead.
The trail climbs through old-growth timber for the next mile, then gradually descends through a large clearcut
(1982). It then climbs through dense timber for the next mile, passing the edge of one medium clearcut. It then
sidehills through a large clearcut (1985) for 0.25 mile, back into the timber, and climbs to the junction with
Blowout Mountain Trail #1318. It continues to climb, getting into meadows and an ancient burn, continues
around the side of it and climbs to near the top of Blowout Mountain. Southwest from Blowout Mountain, the trail
is administered by the White River Ranger District. The large clearcuts (mentioned several times above) vary in
size from 100 to 640 acres. The older ones now have young trees up to 30 feet tall and are returning to a
forested state.
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