North Cascades Nat’l Park: Heather-Maple Pass Loop

Date Hiked: 31 August 2019
Distance: 6.9 miles
Elevation: 2100 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead: Rainy Pass Trailhead, North Cascades Highway

The Heather-Maple Pass Loop transverses a craggy ridgeline that looks down into beautiful Lake Ann

The Heather-Maple Pass Loop doesn’t actually begin in North Cascades Nat’l Park, but parts of the trail pass through it and the views afforded by this hike are worthy of a national park designation. To get to the trailhead, we drove along the North Cascades Highway, traveling through the park, until we came across the trailhead for Rainy Pass. Driving this highway alone is reward enough for the 3 hour trip from Seattle. Along the way we were treated to mountain vistas and lakes dyed turquoise from glacial melt.

Driving through the nat’l park lends views to Diablo Lake

After arriving at the trailhead we were faced with the decision to hike the loop clockwise or counterclockwise. We (arbitrarily) chose the counterclockwise route, which some online guides claim is a little more gradual that the clockwise alternative. We were not wanting for views for too long as the trail opened up into lush alpine meadows with the North Cascades lurking in the distance.

Because the trailhead starts at such a high elevation, you quickly emerge above the tree line

The hike had a healthy amount of elevation gain and ascended steadily. There were no especially steep portions of the trail, but it was just enough to get us breathing a little heavier. The single track quickly leads you up to a ridge line that offers greater views of the North Cascades and looks down into Lake Ann. You hike along this ridge line for the remained of the ascent and the views are really unparalleled for a hike of this caliber.

Lake Ann glitters in beneath the craggy ridge

As you circle around the lake, you'll transition from the national forest to the national park boundary for a portion of the hike. The trail climbs over piles of rock and down through a meadow, marking the beginning of your descent. It was here that we were lucky enough to spot a little marmot scurrying over the rocks.

A sign marks the boundary between the nat'l forest and the nat'l park

The beginning of the descent features beautiful single track and another small lake below

We started this hike fairly early, but we noticed the hiking traffic started to pick up in the late morning. We passed several hikers climbing up as we were descending, but the trail was never too crowded. This is a popular hike and for good reason. 

Overall, the Heather-Maple Pass Loop was one of my favorite hikes in Washington, so far. You're treated to panoramic views of every alpine feature you could wish for, almost immediately. I'm certain I will venture out to this trail again soon.