Hiking Earl Peak in the Teanaway Region
Contents
Earl Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 10.10Km (6.30 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,013m (3,323 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 2,099m (6,886 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 20.06%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 4 – 5 Hours
– Fast: 3.5 – 4 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~May to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Earl Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°23’22.0″N 120°52’19.7″W
Earl Peak Overview
Earl Peak is a relatively popular summit located in the Teanaway region of Washington. Located around 90 minutes from Seattle (4.5 hours from Vancouver), the Teanaway region is east of the Cascade Crest, and as such is a drier, more arid region that typically receives less snow, making for a wonderful late spring option especially. Much of the terrain here is open, allowing plenty of off trail exploration, with a number of quality scrambles and ridge traverses in the area for adventurous parties.
As a standalone option Earl Peak is a simple trail as it’s merely a steep hike to the top with no scrambling necessary. Many parties will combine Earl Peak with the nearby Bean Peak via a ridge that connects the two, with plenty of options for even further exploration for those wanting a longer day. Indeed, many of the peaks here can be linked together, with Devil’s Head, Mary’s Peak and Judi’s Peak all optional additions. The nearby Volcanic Neck is another possibility, however it does require some very spicy exposed scrambling.
The views from Earl Peak (and for most of the Teanaway region) are excellent, with clear sightlines to most of the Enchantments Peaks, Mount Stuart, Mount Rainier and even Mount Adams on a clear day.
The Teanaway area makes for a good option in the late spring/early summer as snow tends to melt away here earlier than most other areas. It’s also a fine summer option as well, however you should be prepared for high temperatures and constant sun exposure as the trees here are sparse and offer little shade. Water sources can also dry up in the summer once the snow has fully melted.
The Bean Creek trail to the basin below Bean Peak is also quite a popular choice for anybody wanting to explore the area over a longer period. If traveling from BC you may want to consider staying a night in the Teanaway area due to the long drive. There are plenty of car camping options along the forest roads, and finding a spot shouldn’t be an issue. The roads are all 2WD friendly thanks to being well groomed gravel.
Earl Peak is a dog friendly trail.
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Is Earl Peak worthwhile?
Earl Peak is a pleasant hike in a beautiful region of Washington, especially in the spring when you’re trying to escape snow in other areas. I’d sooner recommend combining Earl with Bean Peak to make for a fuller trip though. The ridgeline ramble between the two is straightforward, and while Bean Peak is a more technical scramble at the end, it’s still relatively benign and most parties should be fine with it.
How difficult is the hike to Earl Peak?
On its own Earl Peak isn’t an overly challenging hike as it’s so short. While steep, most parties will likely be on the summit in 2-3 hours, after which the return is a straightforward affair. If you add on Bean Peak the total stats increase to around 13km (8.1 Miles) / 1,200m (3,937 Ft.), which is still only slightly more and adds a fun element of a ridgewalk / scramble.
Technically speaking Earl Peak is simple, with no scrambling and a trail the whole way to the summit. The biggest challenge some parties may face is the heat if they don’t time it well and go on a hot summer day.
Earl Peak Route Information
Parking for Earl Peak is from the Bean Creek trailhead at the end of Forest Road 9737. The forest road is a little potholed but should be suitable to drive in any vehicle. There were no indications that a NW Forest Pass was needed to park here, possibly because it’s not a maintained road / trailhead unlike others in the area.
From the trail you will immediately cross a bridge over Beverly Creek before beginning a steady climb parallel to the creek. After a brief time on the trail you’ll reach a fork where you’ll want to keep right to join the Bean Creek trail (the initial trail is the Beverly Turnpike trail).
The trail will now run parallel to Bean Creek, and shortly ahead you’ll have to cross this creek on a few logs and rocks. Most of the time this is easy, but it may be a little tricky in the late spring/early summer if the creek is fast flowing.
The next mile or so of the hike continues to climb while remaining close to Bean Creek, but after ~3km (1.85 Miles) you’ll want to keep an eye out for a junction leading you to cross back over Bean Creek. If you stay straight you’ll continue on towards Bean Creek Basin where the campsites are located, and where the direct route to Bean Peak is found (you’ll come back via this route if you do the traverse over Bean Peak from Earl).
On the other side of the creek you should pick up an obvious trail that now climbs away from the creek (might be wise to fill up on water if you need it). Shortly ahead a series of switchbacks will commence as the terrain steepens. The views will now begin to open up fully as the trees begin to thin out, with Mount Stuart coming into view behind Bean Peak.
After the switchbacks you’ll eventually reach the pass below Earl Peak, where there is a junction with another trail that descends towards the Stafford Creek trail to Navaho Peak. Ignoring this descending trail, you’ll instead turn your attention towards the ridgeline leading up to Earl Peak.
The trail now steepens again, but at no point should you really need to scramble on the way to the summit. The forest will now be left behind as you finish the climb on the usual rocky terrain found in the Teanaways. From the summit you’ll have excellent views of the Enchantments, Mount Stuart, Mount Rainier and most of the Teanaway peaks. If you are just doing this hike as an out and back you’ll simply descend back the way you came.
Connection to Bean Peak
On most maps you will see an unofficial route connecting Earl and Bean Peak via the ridge between them. This ridge is very straightforward, requiring basically no scrambling and no exposure. It’s definitely a worthwhile addition. Even if you don’t fancy Bean Peak itself you can just follow the ridge and descend back via the dusty trail that connects the ridge to Bean Creek Basin shortly before the Bean Peak summit block (again, on most maps).
That being said, the scramble up Bean is quite fun and pretty straightforward, with little exposure at all if you go the easiest way. There are lots of routes up Bean, but the most trafficked is a simple Class 2 / Low Class 3 scramble with no real exposure. From the Bean Peak summit you can simply descend back to the Bean Creek Basin via the aforementioned dusty trail before hiking out.
When should I hike Earl Peak?
The Teanaway area in general is a good option in late spring (mid-May) to October. If you don’t mind snow you can go earlier in the spring as well. In the peak summer you will want to prepare for long, hot days with little shade and a lack of water sources. You should definitely start early if you can in July and August especially.
Top Tip
The Teanaway region is a great spot to visit in late spring and early summer, as the snow melts off here early, plus the temperatures are reasonable and there’s usually still running water.
Bring plenty of water and solar protection as this hike is exposed to the sun for the majority of the trail. Start early in the day in the middle of summer to avoid the worst of it.
If you like longer outings, add on Bean Peak and possibly Mary’s, Judy’s or Devil’s Head.
