Maple Pass and Heather Pass Loop

North Cascades National Park, WA Cascade Mountains

Trip stats

Distance
6.6 mi
Net Gain
2,200 ft
Time
2-4 hrs
YDS Rating
Class 1
Route
Loop

Ratings out of 10

Effort
3.1/10
Personality
5/10
Beauty
6/10
Solitude
1.8/10
What do these mean? →

Route map + Trailhead

Trailhead Coordinates

48.516005, -120.736444

The directions link below drops a pin on the trailhead coordinates and lets Google Maps pick the route. If the drive has rough roads or access issues that GPS nav might get wrong, I cover that in my trip report.

Trip report

Sep 26, 2015 — The Maple Pass and Heather Pass Loop was my first hike in the Cascades, and the colorful larches and ground flora had me dumbfounded. A few of the photos might seem repetitious, but I couldn't help myself – this was among the most gorgeous days of hiking I've ever had to date. Though there were lots of people, I kind of didn't mind the crowds. The loop I took ascended above Rainy Lake as it headed to Maple Pass, then continued along the ridge heading north to Heather Pass, before descending back to the trailhead. The hike is well-signed and makes for a great easier outing.

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Photos

44 photos

  1. Ann Lake. The hike goes to that lower ridge above Ann Lake.
  2. Close-up of Rainy Lake from above
  3. Larches!
  4. Maple Pass Loop Trail in fall
  5. Autumn colors overlooking the Cascades
  6. It started to get too foggy to see, so I stopped taking pictures about halfway down the northern section of the loop.

Photo 1 of 1

Hire me or show some love!

Hire or refer me as a web developer, or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I'm not sponsored, so it's funded by yours truly. It also takes a ton of work to edit photos and write these reports. I really appreciate it!