Hannegan Pass and Peak Trail

Hannegan Pass and Peak is a hard 10.4-mile out-and-back from Hannegan Trailhead: four miles to Hannegan Pass, then a steep branch up to 6,186-foot Hannegan Peak. Allow about seven hours for the whole outing. The pass is a good shorter choice at roughly eight miles round trip, but the extra climb buys a wide-open summit with views in every direction. Do the peak if you have a full day and like a real uphill finish; turn around at the pass if the weather, snow, or your legs make that last push a poor bet.

The first mile is fairly gentle through patches of forest. The path then climbs gradually across the open Ruth Creek valley, with the white dome of Ruth Mountain appearing after about a mile and views toward Mount Sefrit and Nooksack Ridge. The creek stays below the route, and small waterfalls cross the trail. Short shady glades break up the open stretch, though biting flies can be a nuisance where the lower vegetation is dense.

Around mile three the grade picks up. Switchbacks climb toward Hannegan Camp and then through subalpine forest to the pass. About half a mile below the pass, a signed right-hand branch leads to camp; stay on the main trail to reach the pass.

At about four miles from the trailhead, the pass opens the view into the Middle Creek drainage and the national park beyond. The pass sits around 5,050 to 5,100 feet, depending on the source. This is the turnaround for the pass-only hike. If you continue, look for the signed Trail 674.1 branch to Hannegan Peak; it is a different, much steeper climb from the valley approach.

The peak branch rises through forest and alpine meadows on tight switchbacks, gaining about 1,200 feet in roughly a mile. It is the hardest part of the day and can feel like a second hike after the long approach. Snow can cover the high switchbacks in a late-snow season; check current conditions and be willing to stop at the pass if the upper slope is unsafe. The summit is 6,186 feet high and has room to walk around and take in the view.

From Hannegan Peak, Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, Ruth Mountain, East Nooksack Glacier and Nooksack Tower fill much of the southern view. Copper Ridge and Mount Redoubt are to the east, peaks in British Columbia and Silesia Creek valley lie north, and Goat Mountain, High Divide and Nooksack Ridge stretch west. For a panorama, keep a little of the rocky summit foreground in the frame; it gives the huge mountain horizon a sense of scale.

The Hannegan Trailhead has a vault toilet and picnic tables, but no potable water; food service along the route was not found. Black bears frequent the area, so store food securely. Leashed dogs are allowed on this Forest Service route. Trail 674.1 is for hikers, and the northbound trail beyond the pass enters North Cascades National Park, where pets are prohibited.

The trail begins at Hannegan Trailhead at the end of Forest Service Road 32. Parking requires a Forest Service day-use fee or an accepted Forest or interagency pass; the Washington Discover Pass is not accepted. The access road has been reported as narrow and pothole-strewn, so take it slowly.