It’s wild how some of the best hikes are hidden in plain sight.
I’ve driven I-90 more times than I can count, always staring up at the jagged ridgelines and wondering what trails might be tucked into those mountains. One day, we finally ventured off into the trails to find out, and ended up at Dirty Harry’s Balcony.
The balcony is a rocky outcrop sitting high above the freeway. While sitting on the balcony, you’ll see sweeping views of the I-90 corridor and the surrounding mountain peaks. The hike itself is a solid workout, with a fantastic payoff at the end.
But the best part of the trail isn’t just the balcony. It’s everything you see along the way.
There is another viewpoint along the trail that, in my opinion, is better than the balcony itself.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can also make the side trip to Dirty Harry’s Museum. It’s an old, rusted-out logging truck stranded deep in the forest.
In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know before hiking to Dirty Harry’s Balcony, including how to get there, what to expect on the trail, how to find Dirty Harry’s Museum, and tips from our own experience to help you make the most of your hike to this epic viewpoint in Washington.
Dirty Harry’s Balcony Complete Hiking Guide
Dirty Harry’s Balcony is a popular day hike located about 1 hour from Seattle. It’s a moderately challenging, 4.4-mile round-trip hike with roughly 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The trail ends at Dirty Harry’s Balcony, a popular viewpoint located on a craggy rock face with views of the I-90 corridor.
The trail kicks off on a short path through the woods before linking up with a road. From there, you’ll cross a bridge over the South Fork Snoqualmie River.
Just past the bridge, the trail veers off into the forest, easing you in with a gentle incline. You’ll pass under towering evergreens and alongside giant moss-covered boulders.
Soon, the path starts climbing more seriously, up switchbacks and occasional stone staircases carved into the slope.
And just when the uphill starts to feel a little repetitive, the trail rewards you with its first viewpoint: a small opening on a rocky ledge with a view of the mountains beyond the freeway.
A little further up the trail is Winter Block, a massive rock climbing wall. You’ll see a sign and a side trail branching off to the base of the wall, but skip that.
Stay on the main path and you’ll soon reach the top of Winter Block. From up there, the views open wide to the I-90 valley below, with Mount Catherine in the distance.
By now, you’ve tackled most of the hike’s elevation gain. The trail levels out into a forest stroll.
Keep your eyes open for the Dirty Harry’s Balcony cutoff trail on your right. It’s a short final climb that ends at a rugged, rocky cliffside with an open view of the freeway corridor. Find a spot to sit, relax, and enjoy the view.
Optional Side Trip: Dirty Harry’s Museum
If you’re still feeling adventurous, take an additional 1.6-mile round-trip to Dirty Harry’s Museum. It’s an old logging truck, abandoned deep in the woods.
Backtrack to the main trail and continue uphill toward Dirty Harry’s Peak. After a steady incline, you’ll come to a stream crossing. Just before the stream, look for a narrow path cutting a hole in the bushes on your right. It’s extremely easy to miss because it has no signs. This is the trail to Dirty Harry’s Museum.
The side trail is not maintained. It is a little steep, has tons of loose rocks, and lots of overgrowth.
But if you’re up for the challenge, the payoff is a surreal scene: a rusted logging truck body quietly decaying in the forest.
Dirty Harry’s Balcony Hike Details
- Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike is about 4.4 miles, out-and-back. Add another 1.6 miles if you do the side trip to Dirty Harry’s Museum.
- Hike Duration: The hike takes about 3-4 hours total, including time spent hanging out at the balcony viewpoint.
- Hike Difficulty: The Dirty Harry’s Balcony trail difficulty is moderate. The trail is in good shape, well-marked, and easy to follow. The trail is mostly shaded, but you should bring at least 2 liters of water.
- Hike Incline: The total incline for this hike is about 1600 feet. The trail is uphill almost the entire way, and some sections have switchbacks. It’s not overly steep, but if you have bad knees, I recommend bringing a pair of hiking poles for the trek down.
- Viewpoints: In addition to Dirty Harry’s Balcony, there are a few other viewpoints on this trail. In my opinion, the view from the top of Winter Block is even better than Dirty Harry’s Balcony, and is absolutely worth the stop.
- Dogs are allowed on this trail, but must be on a leash. It is a popular trail, so you will likely run into other hikers with dogs.
- A Washington State Discover Pass is required to park at the trailhead for Dirty Harry’s Balcony.
How to get to the Dirty Harry’s Balcony Trail
Dirty Harry’s Balcony trail starts just off I-90 at SE Homestead Valley Road, near North Bend, Washington. If you’re coming from Seattle, take Exit 38 and continue down the road until you turn left under the underpass.
The trailhead has a parking area. But since the hike is extremely popular, the parking area tends to fill up on the weekends.
The map location below for the Dirty Harry’s Balcony trailhead is accurate and can be used to navigate there.
Dirty Harry’s Balcony: Our Experience
I had always marveled at the mountains surrounding this stretch of I-90. And one day, we finally went to explore them. In fact, Dirty Harry’s Balcony seemed appropriate. It’s a lookout perched over the very freeway I’d been staring from all along. Full circle.
We hit the trail in the afternoon, thinking we had plenty of time before sunset. We were wrong. The trail had other plans for us.
The hike started gently, winding through a wooded shortcut before crossing a bridge over the South Fork Snoqualmie River. We paused there, admiring the crystal-clear water and briefly debating whether we could swim in it (we didn’t).
After crossing the bridge, the trail cut into the forest. Moss-covered trees and giant boulders lined the path.
It turned out that boulders would be our theme of the day. We passed more and more until we reached Rhino Boulder, a climbing spot tucked in the trees.
Chloe didn’t hesitate to scramble up the boulder to show off her moves. I thought it was cute.
The trail continued uphill, steepening and turning to switchbacks. But even during the climb, we paused and took little moments to appreciate the trail.
And before long, a side path opened up to our first real viewpoint. It wasn’t exactly safe. The area was composed of loose rock, lined with small boulders, and had no flat spot to sit.
But the view was our first opportunity to poke our heads out of the forest, so that’s what we did.
We were already way higher than expected, and I was excited to see what else the hike had in store for us. And it didn’t take long.
Not much further, we reached the sign for Winter Block, another climbing area. But this massive rock wall formed its own cliffside. The Winter Block sign pointed to the base of the rock, so we kept going up the trail until we reached the top of Winter Block just above.
What we found next was incredible. We emerged from the forest to reveal an even better view.
The top of Winter Block jutted out like a stone patio, perfectly placed to sit and stare out at I-90 stretching toward Snoqualmie Pass, with Mount Catherine rising in the haze. That spot alone was worth the hike.
But we weren’t done just yet.
We wandered through a quiet stretch of mossy woods until we found the small turnoff for Dirty Harry’s Balcony. A short climb later, we were standing on the balcony itself.
I took a moment to look around. And honestly, it’s not much of a balcony. It’s more of a jagged rock face poking out through the trees. But that felt fitting. With a name like Dirty Harry, you expect something a little rough around the edges.
But it wasn’t until I sent the drone up that I got a true sense of the balcony’s scale. The rocky outcrop stretched farther than it looked, continuing down the slope, hidden by trees.
I imagine decades ago, during the logging days, the balcony was wide open. Now, the forest is slowly reclaiming it. So goes the path of nature.
Dirty Harry’s Museum
We backtracked to the main trail and hopped back on the Dirty Harry’s Peak Trail. Except we weren’t going all the way to the peak. Instead, our destination was Dirty Harry’s Museum, an old abandoned logging truck somewhere in the woods.
Just before a stream crossing, we found a faint trail disappearing into the brush. Calling it a “trail” was a little generous.
The route was overgrown, rocky, and unmarked. It looked like it was seldom used, and judging by the amount of brush and rocks in the way, it didn’t seem like it was a trail at all.
But we were determined. We anxiously followed the path through the woods, pushing plants out of our way, navigating around boulders, and slipping on loose rocks a couple of times.
For a moment, I was unsure if we were even going the right way. Chloe was skeptical the whole time.
But eventually, tucked deep in the woods, we found it.
The truck was just sitting there, rusting in silence. More of a relic than a museum.
And its setting was not what I imagined.
The terrain was steep and cluttered with boulders, with a stream running right in front of it. I later learned that a logging road once ran through this area. Less than a century later, the forest has swallowed it back up. It’s a reminder that it doesn’t take long for landscapes to drastically change.
The truck itself was covered in rust, which was appropriate for a piece of steel sitting in the forest. But one thing caught my eye: the radiator lying beside it. Its delicate aluminum fins were surprisingly mostly intact. It goes to show the corrosion resistance of aluminum. My favorite metal.
But between all our scenic stops and detours, the day had slipped away. We were running out of light fast.
We booked it down the trail but couldn’t resist one more stop at Winter Block to catch the sunset and fly the drone again. Sunset light is just too hard to pass up.
By the time we made it back to the parking lot, we were hiking by the last scraps of light. But we made it out. Barely. And we were still reeling with excitement from a trail that had totally over-delivered.
Dirty Harry’s Balcony Trail Photos
More Hikes Near I-90 in Washington
We’re based in Seattle and have done a ton of hikes all along I-90 in Washington. To help fellow adventurers, we’ve put together guides to the best trails we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.
- An alpine lake framed by granite cliffs and lingering snowfields: Snow Lake
- Trek through forests to two alpine lakes nestled beneath granite slopes: Talapus and Olallie Lakes
- Hike through forest and rocky slopes with views of Mount Rainier: Mason Lake
- Short hike to a rocky summit with panoramic views: Mount Catherine
- Hike to a frozen waterfall: Franklin Falls (Winter)
- A rocky ledge with sweeping views over I-90: Dirty Harry’s Balcony
I hope you enjoyed our guide to the Dirty Harry’s Balcony Trail in Washington. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions 🐸
