Parking
Small parking area at SR 20 milepost 134, with about four standard spaces and two accessible spaces; vault toilet nearby.
Overview
About Ross Dam Trail
Why go
- Ross Lake and Ross Dam views along the descent.
- Full route crosses the dam.
- Shorter turnaround available at the dam approach.
Heads up
- The return climbs about 500 feet to the highway.
- Trailhead parking is limited.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapElevation1,575–2,116 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active North Cascades alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures and Stehekin fire advisoryWildfire-related closures remain in effect; stay out of all closed trails, camps, and areas.Official details
- CautionCampfires banned across the park complexCampfires and other ash-producing fires are banned throughout the North Cascades National Park Service Complex.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Your drive to Ross Dam Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for North Cascades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the North Cascades audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Ross Dam and the Floating Resort0:00 / 0:31
“You're nearing Ross Dam Trailhead, the walking access to Ross Dam and Ross Lake Resort. For the dam, allow about two hours for the two-and-a-half-mile round trip, with a steep climb back to the highway.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Happy Creek: Short Forest Loop or Falls Hike
- Ross Lake Overlook: A Quick View Through the Trees
- A Squirrel's Cone Store
- Diablo Lake Overlook
- 83 audio storiesacross North Cascades’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Mule Deer, and 10 more
- Works offlinemaps, 88 trails, 76 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Ross Dam Trail
The full routeRoss Dam Trail is an out-and-back from State Route 20 at milepost 134.
Ross Dam Trail is an out-and-back from State Route 20 at milepost 134. This entry covers the full 2.5-mile round trip, including the walk across Ross Dam; the path descends about 500 feet to the lake before the return climb. The shorter walk to the dam approach and back is listed at about 1.5 miles. The stored route follows the full crossing and returns on the same corridor.
Down to Ross LakeFrom the highway, the trail drops through forest and crosses Happy Creek on a footbridge.
From the highway, the trail drops through forest and crosses Happy Creek on a footbridge. As the slope opens, views take in Ross Lake and the curved dam below. The downhill start can make the return feel deceptively easy, so keep some energy for the climb back to the road.
Across the damThe dam is the destination that sets this walk apart.
The dam is the destination that sets this walk apart. The full route continues over its crest, with water and steep, wooded slopes on either side. Ross Dam is part of the Skagit hydroelectric system. Follow posted access directions around the structure; if the crossing is restricted, turn around at the approach instead.
The climb backAfter the crossing, retrace the trail to the highway.
After the crossing, retrace the trail to the highway. The return is the same roughly 500 feet of elevation in reverse, including the forested climb from lake level. Allow about two hours for the full walk and time at the dam, and take the shorter turnaround if that climb or the crossing is not right for your group.
Trailhead detailsThe trailhead is beside State Route 20 near milepost 134.
The trailhead is beside State Route 20 near milepost 134. Its small parking area has about four standard spaces and two accessible spaces, with a vault toilet nearby. Leashed dogs are allowed. Check current posted notices before setting out because access onto the dam can change.
Wildlife
Wildlife in North Cascades
101 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
20 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
77 sightingsSooty GrouseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
23 sightingsWhite-tailed PtarmiganMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
75 sightingsWestern ToadMost seen around 8 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across North Cascades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
