The Maple Pass Loop is easily the most popular hike for larches in Washington. But what most people don’t realize is that the golden larches only serve as a frame for the incredible backdrop of jagged granite mountain peaks of the North Cascades.
Maple Pass sits at an elevation of about 7000 feet and delivers a true 360-degree panoramic view of the entire area, from Washington Pass and Highway 20, and back into North Cascades National Park.
And even if you’re not hiking during larch season, the hike is still absolutely worth it. Maple Pass Loop has views of lakes, ridgelines, dramatic drop-offs, and panoramic mountain vistas. It’s one of the most incredible hikes you can do in the entire state of Washington.
In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know before hiking the Maple Pass Loop in the North Cascades, including how to get there, what to expect on the trail, and tips from our own experience to help you make the most of your hike to this incredible mountain pass in Washington.
Maple Pass Loop: Complete Hiking Guide
The Maple/Heather Pass Loop hike begins at the Rainy Pass Picnic Area along Highway 20.
From the trailhead, you’re immediately faced with a choice: hike the loop clockwise or counter-clockwise. Both directions will get you to the place, but your experience will be slightly different depending on which way you go.
We chose to hike the Maple Pass Loop in the clockwise direction, and that’s what we recommend. Yes, the incline up is steeper on this side, but you get the hard work out of the way early. Hiking up steep terrain is much easier and safer than hiking down it.
Maple Pass Loop Clockwise Walkthrough
Once you’re on the trail, take a left at the first fork to start your hike on the paved Rainy Lake Trail. It’s smooth and flat at first, which is a nice warm-up. But don’t get too comfortable because after about half a mile, you’ll turn right onto the Maple Pass Trail, and from there, the real climb begins.
The Maple Pass Trail immediately ascends the ridge in a series of steep, rocky switchbacks through the forest. This section gets your blood pumping, which is actually great on a chilly autumn day.
Once you emerge from the forest, the switchbacks stop, and the trail opens up to a scenic ridge ascent. Stop and look behind you to catch views of Washington Pass, Cutthroat Peak, Whistler Mountain, and the Liberty Bell Group. Awesome views, and you’re not even at the top yet.
Moving forward on the trail, larches begin to dot the landscape. If you’re here in late September to early October, you’ll catch them as they change from green to a glowing golden-yellow color.
The incline continues until the trail tops out at Maple Pass, the high point of the loop. Take a break here and soak in the full panorama. You’ve climbed roughly 2,000 vertical feet, and the hard part is officially behind you.
As you hike along the rim trail, the landscape opens up even more. To your left, Corteo Peak looms over the trail. The mountain here is wide and dotted with boulders. Find a spot to rest, snack, and take some photos.
This stretch of the loop is one of the most scenic and exposed, with mountains stretching out in all directions.
From there, the trail drops steadily as you make your way past Heather Pass. You’ll find views of Lake Ann far below. Eventually, you’ll curve around and descend through larch-covered meadows and then back into thick forest. The trail gently winds downward until it ends right where you started at the Rainy Pass Picnic Area.
Maple Pass Loop Hike Details
- Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike is about 7 miles for the entire loop trail.
- Hike Duration: The hike takes about 5 hours total, including time spent hanging out at Maple Pass to enjoy its incredible views.
- Hike Difficulty: The Maple Pass trail difficulty is moderate/hard. The trail is in decent shape and easy to follow, but parts of it are steep and rocky. Its distance and elevation gain make it even more challenging.
- Hike Incline: The total incline for this hike is about 2000 feet. If you hike the loop clockwise, the incline is steeper, with a more gradual decline on the way down.
- Larches: The Maple Pass Loop is one of the best spots in the North Cascades to see golden larches in the fall. These alpine trees turn golden yellow in late September through early October. Expect more crowds during larch season.
- Dogs are allowed on this trail, but must be on a leash.
- A Northwest Forest Pass is required to park at the trailhead for Maple Pass.
How to get to the Maple Pass Trailhead
The Maple Pass Loop Trailhead is located just off Highway 20 in the North Cascades.
There’s parking for the Maple Pass Loop at the Rainy Pass Picnic Area. However, during larch season in early October, the parking fills up quickly, especially on weekends. If that happens, park along the road to the trailhead or Highway 20 instead.
The map location below for the Maple Pass Trailhead is accurate and can be used to navigate there. Don’t forget your Northwest Forest Pass to park at the trailhead for Maple Pass.
Maple Pass Loop Hike: Our Experience
Our adventure to the Maple Pass Loop started the night before our hike. We rolled into the Rainy Pass trailhead around dusk and managed to snag a parking spot right near the trailhead.
We slept in our car to make sure we got an early start to our hike. Getting an early start on our hikes is always super helpful, not just for parking, but also to make sure we can take our time and not feel rushed on the trail.
So when we woke up on the day of our hike, we hit the trail before the sun was even poking out. It was cold, probably in the low 30s. But once we made a left at the fork to start the Maple Pass Loop clockwise, the trail wasted no time going up. Within minutes, our jackets came off. My heart was racing, and I was hiking in a single layer despite the cold air.
We chose to hike the loop in a clockwise direction on purpose. We’d rather power through the steeper climb early on and cruise down the loop on the descent later. And steep it was.
But not long after we started hiking up, the sky began to glow. The sun crept out just in time for our first glimpse of the larches. The golden-yellow trees stuck out in the landscape and were impossible to miss.
We paused to catch our breath and take in the scenery. Below us, the walls of the valley were lined with golden larches, and we had finally hiked up high enough to see Lake Ann peeking out through the trees.
And going that steeper clockwise route was starting to pay off as well. The switchbacks ended, and we crested onto the ridgeline. The terrain opened up into wide alpine slopes filled with grasses, low brush, and more larches.
As we climbed higher and got closer to Maple Pass, the terrain gave way to the mountains. Jagged peaks across Highway 20 came into view, with the Liberty Bell Group towering above Blue Lake in the distance. We could finally look back and clearly see just how far we’d hiked.
Once we got to Maple Pass itself, the trail finally flattened out. We had panoramic views in both directions, with nearby Corteo Peak looking massive next to us.
This section of the trail between Heather Pass and Maple Pass was undoubtedly the most scenic. As we continued along the rim, views of the North Cascades stretched miles into the distance.
We found a boulder to sit down on and ate our lunch with one of the finest views we’ve ever had. What a way to enjoy a meal, surrounded by jagged granite peaks and looking straight down at Lake Ann tucked into the valley.
But all good things come to an end, so we packed up and started heading down the trail. I was glad we had done the climb first because the descent was gentle.
The north side of the loop, which we hiked down, was incredible in its own right. I can see why some people hike it counter-clockwise instead. The ascent that way is more gradual, and you’re surrounded by open views dotted by larches on the way up.
But for us, the clockwise route made the most sense because we got the hard part out of the way early.
And better yet, now was our time to relax on the hike down and enjoy views of larches and mountains. The trail slowly wound down toward Lake Ann, and it even seemed like the trail might go right up along its shore, but that was a separate trail.
By the time we made it back to the parking lot at the Rainy Pass parking area, we were ready to continue on to our next adventure.
Maple Pass Loop Photos
Here are more photos of our adventure on the Maple Pass Loop to give you an idea of what the hike is like.
Are you following our Washington blog series?
We’re based in Seattle and have done tons of things all over Washington. To help fellow adventurers, we’ve put together guides to the best places we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.
- Our ultimate Seattle guide: 29 Incredible Things to Do in Seattle
- Our Seattle hiking guide: 11 Incredible Hikes Near Seattle
- Best things to do in Mount Rainier: 12 Unique Things to Do in Mount Rainier
- Our ultimate Mount Rainier hiking guide: 20 Incredible Hikes in Mount Rainier
- Best day trip from Seattle: 11 Awesome Things to Do on Bainbridge Island
- Best winter weekend trip in Washington: 8 Amazing Things to Do in Leavenworth in Winter
I hope you enjoyed our guide to hiking the Maple Pass Loop in the North Cascades, Washington. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions 🐸
