Hiking Bean Peak in the Teanaway Region
Contents
Bean Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 9.70Km (6 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 906m (2,972 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 2,055m (6,742 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 18.68%
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: Easy scrambling, minimal exposure
Bean Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°23’22.0″N 120°52’21.2″W
Bean Peak Overview
Bean 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 Bean Peak is a mostly simple hike following the Bean Creek trail. The climb up to the summit is steep before a fairly straightforward Class 2 / Low 3 scramble to the top with minimal exposure. Many parties will combine Bean Peak with the nearby Earl 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 Bean 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.
Bean Peak is a dog friendly trail.
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Is Bean Peak worthwhile?
Bean 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 Bean and Earl Peak to make for a fuller trip though (starting on Earl). The ridgeline ramble between the two is straightforward and offers some fun terrain with great views throughout.
How difficult is the hike to Bean Peak?
On its own Bean Peak isn’t an overly challenging hike as it’s so short. While steep, most parties will likely be on the summit in just a few hours, after which the return is a straightforward affair. If you add on Earl 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.
Some parties may wonder about the scramble on Bean Peak as I did, as many parties note it as Class 3 scrambling. If you go the right way the scrambling is quite easy and any exposure is minimal. There are multiple ways up to summit via different routes, with others more challenging and more exposed. I would say to pay attention during your ascent, as it was very easy to confuse the route back down on the descent with other possible routes. I’m pretty sure I took a different route down as a result, but either way it worked out okay and the terrain is mostly forgiving.
Bean Peak Route Information
Parking for Bean 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 are planning on doing the Earl Peak / Bean Peak loop, you’ll want to cross over again here and begin working up towards Earl Peak.
Assuming you’re going straight for Bean Peak, you’ll want to stay straight on the Bean Creek Basin trail where the campsites are located less than a kilometer ahead. From the camping area you should now be able to see Bean Peak through the sparse trees, and there will continue to be a trail leading up to the SE ridge of Bean.
The trail now steepens towards the ridge, zigzagging its way up the now dusty slopes as you rapidly gain elevation. Poles might be handy to reduce slipping, particularly on the descent. Once on the ridge the route up to the peak is fairly evident thanks to a well worn footpath.
There should be a route wrapping around to the south of the summit where the majority of tracks will follow. It should be fairly easy to locate the scramble route, which won’t look too intimidating when you get to it. Most of the scramble is just simple ledges as you work your way up, with little exposure, if any. I managed it with one hand as I was recording most of it on my phone with the other.
You’ll soon top out on the summit block, where there will be a short and easy rock hop over to the actual summit. The views are now of course panoramic, with Mount Stuart and the Enchantment peaks looking particularly impressive. In the foreground you’ll see Volcanic Neck and Devil’s Head, which is a straightforward addition as well (Devil’s Head, not Volcanic Neck – that’s an exposed scramble). You’ll also see the ridge link Bean to Mary’s and Judi’s Peak to the southwest, and the southeast ridge (back the way you came) to Earl Peak.
If you are just returning back to the trailhead, you’ll simply go back the way you came. Take care on the scramble descent to ensure you are going the same way you came up, as it can be easy to lose the up route once you’re there.
Connection to Earl 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. Most parties will do Earl Peak first then follow the ridge to Bean, but you can just as readily do it in reverse.
Earl is just hiking so shouldn’t provide any complexities, then you can continue over Earl down the southwest ridge to a trail that descend back to the Bean Creek trail. Again, this should be on most maps.
When should I hike Bean 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
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 Earl Peak and possibly Mary’s, Judy’s or Devil’s Head.
