Hiking Townsend Mountain in the Wild Sky Wilderness
Contents
Townsend Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 17.20Km (10.70 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 1,250m (4,100 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,810m (5,938 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 14.53%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 9 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 8 – 9 Hours
– Fast: 7 – 8 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Some very steep terrain to gain the ridge then a narrow ridge traverse to the summit
Townsend Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°47’33.1″N 121°27’32.8″W
Townsend Mountain Overview
Townsend Mountain is a rugged peak located in the Wild Sky Wilderness of Washington, a dramatic wilderness area situated east of Seattle on Highway 2, near the town of Baring. While these aren’t the highest mountains by any means, this region is scattered with numerous jagged peaks, offering incredible views for those able to access it.
Access is indeed the limiting factor, with none of the peaks here particularly easy to attain, and Townsend Mountain is no different. The standard route approaches from the Barclay Lake trail from the east end of the lake, at which point hikers will need to figure out where to go. While there is a rough route up through the forest here, there is so much deadfall lower down that any semblance of trail is difficult to find. You’ll most likely need to climb and duck under multiple trees while trying to ensure you remain on track. Thankfully this section is relatively brief, and eventually the deadfall subsides and a faint trail will guide you to Stone Lake and then Eagle Lake. From this lake you are entirely on your own to navigate to the summit, which is a mixture of nasty bushwhacking and very steep and slabby hiking. The final route to the summit involves scrambling along a ridge with some exposure to either side.
Despite its obvious challenges, Townsend Mountain offers exceptional views, as do most peaks in this area. Even if you only reach the ridge (as I did, the views from there are outstanding.
Accessing the trailhead is straightforward, with the Barclay Lake trailhead suitable for all vehicles with some careful driving. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park here.
In terms of seasonality, this is predominantly a summer only hike. Any snow/ice along this trail will make things incredibly difficult. As such I would suggest sticking to peak summer, likely meaning July to October is the best season.
While dogs are welcome in the area, this is a difficult hike even for humans, so bringing a dog will only add to the complexity.
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Is Townsend Mountain worthwhile?
Attainable peaks in the Wild Sky Wilderness are in short supply, with most requiring a difficult approach and some sort of scrambling, and Townsend is no different. That being said, the views from the ridge and no doubt the summit are exceptional once you get there, and I’m sure you will feel it was worthwhile in the end. For full disclosure I did not reach the summit, I stopped on the ridge and the GPX linked does as well. Reaching the summit from here is just a matter of following the ridge, which does involve some narrow scrambling and exposure.
How difficult is the hike to Townsend Mountain?
The average gradient indicated above is largely skewed as the first 3.5km (2 miles) of the hike to Barclay Lake are almost flat. The next ~5km (3 miles) ascends over 1,100m (3,600 Ft.) for an average gradient of over 22%, making this a very steep climb. Certain sections (such as the part between Eagle Lake and the ridge) touch on a 40% gradient.
All in all this is a challenging day and will likely take a bit longer than you would expect given the tricky terrain. The ascent from Eagle Lake to the ridge is very steep, so much so that if you slipped you would not be able to arrest a fall. I had to backtrack and find an easier way up through some trees and meadows at one point as the steep, slabby climb was a little uncomfortable. Once on the ridge, following it to the summit is narrow and somewhat exposed . I was satisfied just reaching the ridge, where the views were already fantastic, so stopped at that point. There was a lower bump on the western end of the ridge that still offered that “peak” feeling, albeit around 150m lower than the true summit.
Townsend Mountain Route Information
Parking for Townsend Mountain is at the Barclay Lake trailhead, which is suitable for all vehicles if you drive with care. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park here. This is a very popular spot on the weekend so try to get there early if you want to avoid having to park along the road.
From the parking lot you begin by following the Barclay Lake trail, which is easy to follow and mostly flat the entire way. After around 2.5km you will reach the west end of the lake, which you then just continue around to the far (west) end of the lake. Once at the western end of the lake it’s time to refer to your GPX as you will now basically dive into the deadfall mess.
While it looks like there is no route through this, there actually is a loosely defined route, and even though you’ll be climbing over and under various dead trees, you should be able to navigate through this while sticking to a faint footbed. If in doubt, refer to the GPX as it generally follows the correct route. Thankfully the deadfall maze is only lower down, and after climbing ~100m from the lake you will be out of it. At this point you should relatively easily be able to follow the trail again.
After around 400m (1,300 Ft.) of climbing from Barclay Lake you will reach the small Stone Lake. There’s not much of note here, but you will now start to see the steep slopes you’ll need to climb up ahead.
From Stone Lake you’ll follow an obvious trail through the open meadows below Townsend Mountain, crossing a few creeks and avoiding any mud as best you can. Shortly ahead you will reach Eagle Lake, with a few campgrounds and an old cabin on its shore. I’m sure this cabin was a great spot back in the day, but it’s now worse for wear. The view from here is very nice and peaceful, however. A great place to go boating or fishing, no doubt.
From the cabin you want to head counter clockwise to the NE edge of the lake, towards an obvious rockslide leading up to the trees and ultimately the ridge. The lakeshore is a little finicky to navigate with some light bushwhacking. Once at the base of the rock slide you ascend up it before hitting the bush. The next stretch is some pretty nasty bushwhacking for around 170 vertical meters (560 Ft.). If the bush is damp as it was for me you can expect to be soaked by the end.
Once you exit the bush you will find yourself at the steepest part of the route, a slabby ascent up to the ridge. SOme parties stick to the slabs, trending climbers right, which is the route I tried at first. Ultimately I found myself uncomfortable as a slip on these slabs would mean tumbling down in an unstoppable manner. I backtracked and looked for a different route, now opting to trend climbers left towards an open meadow. This was a much better option, not only because meadows are far more forgiving if you did slip, but also because it led me through the beautiful wildflowers as I climbed.
Eventually I reached the ridge where the views were now breathtaking, with Merchant Peak and Baring Mountain dominating the skyline, Eagle Lake down below and the beautiful meadows all around. Reaching the summit now meant following the narrow ridge east, but it looked quite narrow and I was already somewhat on edge just getting to the ridge. I decided to stop here as the payoff was already well worth it, and instead headed west to a bump on the other end of the ridge that offered great views.
After soaking it in, you can head back down through the meadows (taking plenty of photos as you do), through the bush and back to Eagle Lake. From here on out it’s just a matter of retracing your steps back to the car.
When should I hike Townsend Mountain?
July to October is your best bet for this one to avoid any chance of snow along the way. August and September would be the best timing. You’ll want to start this hike early if you want to ensure parking at the trailhead as the Barclay Lake trail is very popular.
Top Tip
While the slabby route to the ridge is more direct, the meadows are beautiful and well worth it.
Don’t get discouraged at the deadfall near Barclay Lake, it’s only brief and once you’re past it’s straightforward.
