Hiking Silver Peak near Snoqualmie Pass
Contents
Silver Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 9.30Km (5.80 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 593m (1,945 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,675m (5,496 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 12.75%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Silver Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°22’23.2″N 121°26’48.7″W
Silver Peak Overview
Silver Peak is a relatively popular hike located slightly south of Snoqualmie Pass, typically accessed via Forest Service Road 9070 from the small community of Hyak. Thanks to being able to drive to Windy Pass at almost 1,200m (3,900 Ft.), this is a relatively short hike that can be completed quickly. Silver Peak is actually a prominent mountain, with over 600m (2,000 Ft.) of prominence compared to nearby peaks, meaning the views from the top are panoramic in every direction.
On its own this a pretty short hike, but some parties will link Silver up with other nearby peaks, such as Abiel and Tinkham Peak, which would make this a fuller outing. While Silver sees plenty of traffic following a well defined trail, the latter two see far fewer ascents and require a bit more route finding and some scrambling (especially Tinkham). Since Silver is the most prominent of the three, it offers the best views and most people are happy sticking with just this one.
In terms of seasonality this is generally a summer hike thanks to the high elevation road. Snow will typically not thaw at these elevations until the summer, so June to October is the peak season, with early November possibly working as well, depending on the year.
The hike begins by following the well groomed Pacific Crest Trail, before turning off and following a fainter trail to a saddle between all three of Silver, Abiel and Tinkham. From here the route to the top is obvious, initially zig zagging up a talus slope before a small bit of hands on rock to reach the top. Calling it a scramble is a bit overzealous though.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is Silver Peak worthwhile?
Silver Peak is a decent hike if you’re looking for something short, straightforward and with nice views from the summit. Some parties may find it a bit too short to be worth the trip out (especially if you’re driving all the way from BC), in which case you may want to consider adding on Abiel and Tinkham Peak. Alternatively, there are other short hikes in the area that you could do on the same day, such as Mount Catherine or one of the peaks near Snoqualmie Pass, like Granite Mountain. That being said, if you’re happy with a short outing, Silver Peak fits the bill and does offer some good views from the top of the peaks in the Snoqualmie Pass area, as well as all the way out to Mount Rainier.
How difficult is the hike to Silver Peak?
At just 9.3km and 593m of elevation gain this is a short hike that should be suitable for most abilities. Technically speaking there aren’t too many difficulties either, it’s mostly just following a trail. You may find some reviews noting a scramble at the top, and while there are a couple of spots that you may use hands to help lift you up, it’s hard to consider it a scramble, and there certainly isn’t any exposure. Overall this is a simple hike.
Silver Peak Route Information
This hike begins from Windy Pass at the end of Forest Road 9070. This road is generally in good condition, but the last few hundred meters are a little rougher. You can either drive to the trailhead or park a little earlier and walk the last little bit.
After locating the trail on the south side of Windy Pass you’ll follow it in the open for a couple of hundred meters before entering the forest. The first couple of kilometers will climb gradually in the forest with little of note. After reaching a high point you’ll soon follow a few switch backs as you descend down a little.
You’ll soon begin climbing again, and shortly ahead you’ll want to pay attention as it is easy to miss the turn off for the Silver Peak trail. Just before reaching a pond in the forest you’ll want to look for a turn off. If you pass the pond it means you have missed your turn and are continuing on the Pacific Crest Trail.
After turning onto the Silver Peak trail the gradient now picks up markedly, with a relatively steep climb up to the pass between Silver, Abiel and Tinkham Peak. From the pass, if you are only doing Silver Peak you’ll continue to follow the main trail. The trails to Tinkham and Abiel are far less defined and, while there if you look for them, most people won’t notice them. Of course if you are planning on doing all three of these peaks you can decide which one to do first, as they all return back to this pass anyway.
Assuming you’re only going for Silver Peak, the forest now begins to thin out a bit as you follow a flatter section of trail, before you get your first sight of the summit push. You’ll soon reach the base of the talus slope where you should easily be able to follow a trodden path through. The views will now begin to open up as well, with Tinkham Peak to the south and the Snoqualmie Pass peaks showing up to the north.
After briefly ascending the talus slopes the trail soon passes over a narrow treed bench before the summit push. This push is simple, and the talus now gives way to actual solid rock. There will be a few moments where you need to use your hands to balance as you climb steeply, but at no point should you truly be scrambling, nor is there any exposure.
The summit is spacious with plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the now panoramic views. You should be able to see Annette Lake beneath the ridge of Humpback Mountain to the west, and Rainier will also now be visible to the south. The views overall are pretty sweet given this is the highest peak in the area south of the I90.
Once finished at the top you simply return back the way you came. If you are planning to add on Abiel and Tinkham Peak you would head back to the pass between all three then direct to those. Abiel is a straightforward climb to a mostly forested summit with pretty poor views, and Tinkham is a much steeper climb with some scrambling to reach the top, but does offer unobstructed views from the top.
When should I hike Silver Peak?
Due to the hike beginning from Windy Pass you will be fairly restricted in terms of timing as the road will only be snow free over summer and early fall. With that said, June to October will be the peak season, with a few weeks either side possibly working okay as well.
Top Tip
Bears aren’t uncommon around the pass between the three peaks, as well as deer.
If you intend on doing Abiel and Tinkham as well, note that the former is a simple scramble with no exposure to a mostly forested summit (minimal views), while the latter is much steeper with a short stretch of exposure traversing across a steep cliff.
