The Maple Pass Loop offers a little bit of everything…wildflowers, old growth forests, a visit to a lovely alpine lake, and (the best part) panoramic views of the North Cascades.
Although it is not located in North Cascades National Park, you bump right up against the park border. From the highest points along the trail, you will have spectacular views of the national park. The view over Ann Lake is lovely, but the whole reason for doing this hike, in my opinion, are for the high mountain views. They are truly breathtaking.
From this trail, you really get to appreciate just how vast and rugged and spectacular North Cascades National Park is.
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Maple Pass Loop Hiking Stats
Distance: 7.2 miles
Difficulty: Strenuous
Total Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet
Trailhead Elevation: 4,900 feet
Highest Elevation (Maple Pass): 6,950 feet
Length of Time: 3 to 5 hours
When to go: May through November, depending on the opening of Highway 20. Snow can linger on the trail through July. If you plan to do this hike early in the season, be prepared for lots of snow on the trail.
Note: These hiking statistics do not include the spur trail to Ann Lake. Adding Ann Lake onto the hike adds about 1 mile and 100 feet of elevation gain.
Elevation of the Maple Pass Loop in the counter-clockwise direction with the spur trail to Ann Lake.
Clockwise or Counter-Clockwise?
This trail is a loop and it can be hiked in either direction.
If you hike the Maple Pass Loop counter-clockwise, it is a gradual climb up to Maple Pass. For the entire climb, you have amazing views over Ann Lake and then out to the North Cascades. To get back to the parking lot, it’s a short but very steep descent through the woods that can be tough on the knees.
If you hike the Maple Pass Loop clockwise, you get the big climb over with early in the hike. The first 3 miles will be a steep trail mostly through the woods. The views will open up for the last half mile of the ascent. Then, as you hike the loop around the lake, you get to enjoy the views. It’s a gradual descent for most of the hike as you head back to the parking lot.
We chose to hike the Maple Pass Loop in the counter-clockwise direction. The amazing views over Ann Lake and the North Cascades took our minds off of the uphill climb. We stopped for a lot of breaks to take photos and then cruised down the downhill section in the woods. It worked great for us. But I also see the appeal in going the other direction.
If you like the idea of getting the hard part over with first, hike the loop in a clockwise direction.
Either way, it is a spectacular hike.
Please practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace: plan ahead, stay on the trail, pack out what you bring to the hiking trail, properly dispose of waste, leave areas as you found them, minimize campfire impacts, be considerate of other hikers, and do not approach or feed wildlife.
Hiking the Maple Pass Loop
Step-By-Step Trail Guide
This trail description is for hiking the Maple Pass Loop in the counter-clockwise direction.
Getting to the Trailhead
The Maple Pass Loop starts at the Rainy Lake picnic area on Highway 20. This is a fairly large parking lot but it does tend to fill up by mid-morning. There are toilets here.
You will need a National Forest Pass. The cost is $5 per day. Fill out one of the day use passes (bring a pen!), insert your $5 cash, and deposit the envelope in the payment box. Display your pass on your dashboard. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass you do not need to purchase the National Forest Pass. Display your America the Beautiful pass on your dashboard.
The trail starts on the west side of the parking lot. Look for signs directing you to Rainy Lake.
If you do this hike counter-clockwise, the trail starts right behind this trail sign, next to the start of the paved trail to Rainy Lake. Look for the dirt trail that wastes no time climbing up through the forest.
If you choose to hike the Maple Pass Loop clockwise, you will take the paved trail to Rainy Lake. At about 0.4 miles, look for the dirt trail that switchbacks up into the forest. There will be a small sign directing you to Maple Pass but it can be hard to miss.
Detour to Ann Lake
For the first 1.25 miles of the hike, it’s a gradual climb through a forest. It’s quiet, it’s shady, and it feels very peaceful.
At the 1.25-mile point, you reach the spur trail to Ann Lake. You have the option to add on the short walk to Ann Lake.
Round trip, it is a 1-mile hike out-and-back to Ann Lake, adding roughly 100 feet of elevation to the entire hike. This is optional. From the lake, you do get a nice view of the ring of mountains that surround the lake and it gives you some perspective as to high how you will hike today.
If you choose to hike to Ann Lake, make sure you bring mosquito repellent. There are lots of mosquitoes here!!
Heather Pass
Past the Ann Lake detour, the trail continues to gain elevation. Once you clear the trees, you get to see the amazing views that makes this hike so popular.
At first, you get a wonderful view over Ann Lake and the trail that snakes along the ridgeline.
Then you come to Heather Pass, where fields of wildflowers color the hillsides.
Maple Pass
As you continue on the trail, you hike up to a ridgeline for one of the best views of the day. Now you are standing next to the North Cascades National Park boundary. Out to the west are layers and layers of jagged mountain peaks.
It is here that we realized that this is a park where you really need to hike, and hike high, to see the majesty of this national park. The drive along Highway 20 is beautiful, and the shorter hikes to other lakes are nice, but for views like these, you really have to hike high.
The trail tops out at Maple Pass. This upper part of the trail can still be snow-covered well into the summer, so be prepared to hike on the snow if you will be here in July. We did this in early August and there were still a few patches of snow lingering on the ground.
At the pass, take in one last view of the North Cascades. From here, it’s a massive descent back to the Rainy Lake picnic area.
Finishing the Hike
From Maple Pass, it is a 3-mile descent to get back to the Rainy Lake picnic area. At first, the trail switchbacks through fields of wildflowers.
Once you enter the forest, you will hike down steep, rocky trails that can be hard on the knees. Through clearings of the trees, keep a lookout for a view over Rainy Lake to get a sense of how high you are right now (and how far down you still have to descend).
The dirt trail ends at the paved trail to Rainy Lake. Turn left to return to the parking lot. If you want to make the detour, turn right and it’s about a 0.6 mile walk one-way to the lake.
Rainy Lake
Tips to Have the Best Experience
Get updates on the road status and trail closures on theofficial National Park Service websitebefore you go.
Leave No Trace. When you are in the park, practice the seven principles of Leave no trace. This includes packing out what you bring into the park, be considerate of other hikers, stay on the trail, and do not remove anything from the park.
Do not expect your cell phone to work.We had zero cellular service on this hike. There is also no cellular service along most of Highway 20, which means you won’t get reception for most of the drive to the Rainy Lake picnic area. Don’t depend on your phone to call for help, talk to friends, or to send photos to friends and family.
What to Bring on the Hike
Hiking shoes. We recommend hiking shoes. When we did this hike (August 2020), we hiked through patches of snow and large sections of muddy trail. You can get by with a sturdy pair of walking shoes, but I would leave the Converse sneakers and flip flops at home.
Water and snacks. At least 2 liters of water in the summer.
Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses. For approximately half of the hike there is very little shade.
Camera. Even a smartphone will do.
If you are new to hiking or are curious about what you should bring on a hike, check out our Hiking Gear Guide. Find out what we carry in our day packs and what we wear on the trails.
If you have any questions about hiking the Maple Pass Loop, let us know in the comment section below. Happy hiking!!
More Information for Your Trip to North Cascades National Park:
BEST OF THE NORTH CASCADES: Don’t miss the beautiful Maple Pass Loop and hiking from Cascade Pass to Sahale Arm for stunning views across the park. Get the full list in our article Best Things to do in North Cascades National Park.
NATIONAL PARKS IN WASHINGTON: In our guide to the Washington National Parks, we give an overview on all three parks, Mount Rainier, Olympic, and the North Cascades. Learn how to visit all three national parks in our Washington Road Trip Itinerary.
THINGS TO DO IN OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK: Hiking one or more of the trails is one of the best things to do in Olympic National Park. See the full list of must-have experiences in our guide to the Best Things to Do in Olympic National Park.
BEST OF MOUNT RAINIER: While in Mount Rainier, top experiences include hiking the top trails in the park and visiting Paradise and Sunrise. Get the full list in our article Best Things to Do in Mount Rainier.
VISIT THE US NATIONAL PARKS: Looking for your next big adventure? Read our article about the 15 Best National Parks, where we narrow down the long list into 15 must-see parks. You can also learn more about the national parks (and get the full list) in our Guide to the US National Parks.
If this is part of a bigger road trip through the USA, visit our United States Travel Guide and our Washington Travel Guide for more inspiration and travel planning tips.
All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, etc.), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited.
Comments 20
Hey there! This is an awesome write up! I’m about to be heading to North Cascades in a couple weeks to do the Maple Pass Loop and it seems like you did this hike around the same time we will be doing it. I was wondering how the mosquitoes were for you on this hike? I’ve heard they can be be pretty awful. Thank you!!
Author
I don’t recall mosquitoes being an issue on this hike. I’d still bring repellent, just in case, but I don’t think we needed to use it (and I’m a mosquito magnet). Have a great hike! Cheers, Julie
Hello! I’m planning on driving up to the area in the evening and hiking the following morning. Do you have any advice on where I might be able to camp near the trailhead? Thank you 🙂
Author
The closest campground that I know of is the Lone Fir campground. There are others located in NCNP as well but it would be a longer drive. Cheers, Julie
I could not be happier that I have stumbled across this the night before my first attempt at this loop! It is too late to wait for a reply but I am so unsure of which direction to take. My 20 y.o. daughter wants to take counter-clockwise as that is what is most recommended, however at 46 and dancing my entire life, my knees are nearly kaput! I worry that the descent would be OUCH! I am voting for clockwise. We shall see in the parking lot which we choose…. Thank you very much for the DETAIL and the photos!! I often worry about getting lost, online trail maps can be so sketchy…as can the ones at the trail heads…if they are there…and readable….I know that it will be STUNNING and I am so exited as this year I became an empty-nester (sob, sob) and this is the last big hoo-rah of the summer…
Your website is phenomenal and has been bookmarked! I am a fellow Terrapin, tho I attended the extension campus in Augsburg Germany, that has now closed…thank you so much again for sharing the love for adventure!!
Author
Hello Katie. I recommend that you do this clockwise, because that last descent is hard on the knees. Tyler just started his first year at UMCP last week and I literally just watched Kara step onto the school bus to start her senior year in high school this morning. In one year, we will be empty nesters too. I miss Tyler like crazy but am excited about where they both are heading. Have fun in the North Cascades and wherever you are headed next! Cheers, Julie
Thanks for the informative write up! We’ll be in Northern Cascades next week, and I was wondering what you remember about the weather in early August. I’ll look at the forecast before we go, but I wondered if the temperature will go down significantly as we hike up. Should we plan for layers, or dress like it’s summer? The combination of snow and shorts in your photos is throwing me!
Author
It was cool enough at the start of the hike that we needed a light jacket. But we quickly shed that once we were climbing and warmed up (which happens right away). There is some snow on the trail but it can still be surprisingly warm in this part of Washington in the summer. It’s not enough of an elevation gain that it gets a whole lot cooler at the highest parts of the trail. So, check the temperatures, but I think shorts and a T- shirt with some kind of jacket should be perfect. Cheers, Julie
Thanks for answering my question! It was very helpful. We just got back and had a wonderful time. It was a tough hike for our experience level (mostly hiking in the Midwest, not on mountains), but the views blew us away and we all agreed it was well worth it. We were visiting relatives and only had time for a day trip but hope to return and see more of the park someday. Just beautiful.
Author
Thanks for writing back in! I hope you get back to Washington soon. Cheers, Julie
This hike is insanely stunning and so varied in the scenery. Your site has been so helpful thank you 🙏
Author
You’re welcome!
Would the trail be passable to hike this week due to weather conditions? Or would you avoid hiking it in May if you don’t have snow gear?
Author
I think snow gear would be very helpful. I just looked at weather conditions on the links on this page and it looks like there is still a lot of snow at the higher elevations. But it’s hard to really know how much snow is on the trail. Good luck! Cheers, Julie
If you could only do 1 would you do Cascade Pass (and maybe go to the Diablo Lake overlook) or Maple Pass Loop?
We will not continue on to Sahale Arm or Glacier camp.
Author
If you wouldn’t go all of the way to the Glacier Camp, then I would recommend doing the Maple Pass Loop. The Maple Pass Loop has great views for most of the loop (the beginning and the end, near the trailhead, is just so-so since you are in the trees). But for most of the hike, you are looking out over Lake Ann and the Cascade mountains. Plus, it’s easier to get to the Maple Pass Loop trailheadd. To hike to Cascade Pass, it’s a long, uphill climb through the trees without much of view. It would just be the last little bit, just before and at Cascade Pass, that you would have great views. And it’s a long drive to get to the Cascade Pass trailhead. Cheers, Julie
Can you camp on Maple Loop and if so, without a permit?
Author
No, you cannot camp on the Maple Pass Loop. There is a sign at the trailhead that says no camping.
Can you camp along this loop?
Author
Not that I am aware of. This is a relatively short loop and there are no campsites along the trail.