Hiking Wright Mountain in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness
Contents
Wright Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 17.70Km (11 Miles)
Elevation Gain: 985m (3,232 Ft.)
Highest Elevation: 1,631m (5,351 Ft.)
Average Gradient: 11.13%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~June to November
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Wright Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 47°26’41.3″N 121°25’25.3″W
Wright Mountain Overview
Wright Mountain is a relatively well trafficked summit accessed from the considerably busier Snow Lake trail. For those looking to escape the crowds of Snow Lake, extending your hike to the top of Wright Mountain is a worthy addition, offering very nice views from the summit of the nearby peaks of Mount Roosevelt, Kaleetan Peak and Chair Peak, as well as an aerial view of both Gem and Snow Lake below.
The trail begins on the busy Snow Lake trail, then continues beyond, passing by the less crowded Gem Lake. From the northeastern shores of Gem, a trail leads up to the eastern ridges of Wright Mountain, where there is some easy, albeit steep travel to the top. There is no scrambling required. The views from the summit are 360 degrees and mostly unobstructed.
Access to the trailhead is from an enormous parking lot at the Alpental Ski Area at the end of National Forest Road 9040, which is suitable for all vehicles. This parking can fill up very quickly on a weekend thanks to the popularity of the Snow Lake trail, but there is usually overflow parking available along the road itself. You will need a Northwest Forest Pass to park here.
In terms of seasonality, the best time to visit Wright Mountain would be between July and October to avoid any snow. Any earlier and you may have to deal with some snow around, but it should be manageable in June and possibly even late May with microspikes. Winter is not a great time to visit as the trail passes over significant avalanche terrain.
Dogs are allowed on the hike and you should expect to pass by many of them, as people love to bring dogs here. Camping is also feasible at Gem Lake, however this assuredly does not require an overnight trip.
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Is Wright Mountain worthwhile?
Wright Mountain is a nice addition for anybody looking for an easy peak to add on to Snow Lake. It’s also a good way to get away from any crowds, as the majority of people visiting the area stay at Snow Lake before returning. Even in its own right, Wright Mountain offers pretty nice views from the top thanks to the dramatic nearby peaks.
How difficult is the hike to Wright Mountain?
Wright Mountain is a largely straightforward hike that never really becomes too challenging. The hike up to Snow Lake is moderately steep but fairly short lived, then there’s a gradual descent down to the lake, before following its northern shores as you continue on towards Gem Lake. The ascent to Gem is simple, then continuing on to Wright Mountain is largely straightforward as long as you have a GPX to follow. There isn’t any signage indicating the way.
Technically speaking this is an easy hike with no scrambling or exposure of note. The final climb up Wright does involve some steep talus and simple route finding at times, but again with a GPX it’s very straightforward.
Wright Mountain Route Information
The trailhead for Wright Mountain is from the Alpental Ski Area at the end of National Forest Road 9040, which requires a Northwest Forest Pass. The road is suitable for all vehicles, and the parking lot is enormous, but fills up very quickly on a weekend, so get there early.
From the northern end of the parking lot there will be an obvious trail leading into the forest. The trail climbs steeply through the forest for the first few hundred meters before leveling off as you traverse across the base of the steep southwestern slopes of Snoqualmie Mountain.
The groomed forest trail soon gives way to a series of talus slopes that you must cross, climbing modestly in the process. After hiking for around 2.6km (1.6 Miles) you’ll reach a switchback in the forest. You’ll want to make sure you take the switchback. The trail now begins a series of switchbacks as you climb steeply.
While steep, this climb is thankfully fairly short lived, and after just 150m (500 Ft.) or so of climbing, you’ll find yourself at the viewpoint overlooking Snow Lake. The remainder of the trail now descends towards the lake, again covering some rocky terrain along the way.
You’ll eventually reach an inlet leading into the lake, where there’s a trail down to the lakeshore. The better views of Snow Lake are further ahead though, so hop over the rocks across the inlet and continue along the trail. You’ll soon reach a broad, rocky bluff overlooking the lake, with panoramic views in every direction.
The trail continues ahead, wrapping around the eastern shores of the lake before reaching a junction with the Gem Lake trail, which you’ll want to take. You’ll now cross a log over the Rock Creek outflow of the lake before beginning your next climb up to Gem Lake. This won’t take long, and the views of Snow Lake as you gain elevation will be rewarding.
At Gem Lake you will see Wright Mountain on the other side of the lake. Going counter clockwise around the lake, you’ll quickly see a junction ascending away from the lake which you’ll want to take. This will bring you to the base of the eastern ridge of Wright.
The trail will be intermittent at this point, but if you follow the GPX it should be obvious. As you ascend, you’ll soon reach some talus slopes where you’ll need to rock hop as you continue climbing. There shouldn’t be any need for scrambling though, nor any exposure. After around 150m (500 Ft.) of climbing you’ll break out of the trees and reach the top of Wright Mountain. The views will be excellent, especially of Roosevelt, Kaleetan and Chair Peak to the south, and Snoqualmie Mountain to the southeast. Both Gem and Snow Lake will be visible below too.
When should I hike Wright Mountain?
July to October is peak season to avoid any snow along the trail. You can go earlier in June but you may need microspikes. Once the snow returns, typically in November, you’ll want to leave this for next year.
Top Tip
If you want to avoid crowds either go midweek or begin your hike as early as possible (like, 5am – 6am) on a weekend.
This is a very crowded hike, with lots of large parties on the trail. Faster hikers need to be patient, however slower hikers need to practice good etiquette and let the faster groups through.
