Parking
Near the old Hozomeen Ranger Station off Silver-Skagit Road. No trail-specific lot, capacity or parking fee information was found. U.S.-side access to Hozomeen is by Ross Lake boat or the 31-mile East Bank Trail.
Overview
About Trail of the Obelisk
Why go
- A short loop mixes streamside forest, talus and abandoned beaver ponds.
Heads up
- Reaching Hozomeen requires a boat approach or a 31-mile hike from the south.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapElevation1,634–1,936 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active North Cascades alerts
- CautionDiablo Lake launch unusable for most powerboatsMentions Diablo Lake, referenced in this guideSilt accumulation makes the Diablo Lake boat launch at Colonial Creek South Campground unusable for launching most powerboats.Official details
- ClosureWildfire closures and Stehekin fire advisoryWildfire-related closures remain in effect; stay out of all closed trails, camps, and areas.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
North Cascades Tour Guide
Your drive to Trail of the Obelisk, 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
Hozomeen Campground and Hozomeen Lake0:00 / 0:32
“You're nearing Hozomeen Campground, a remote forest base near the northern end of Ross Lake.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf North Cascades Tour Guide.
- 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 Trail of the Obelisk
A short loop, deep in HozomeenTrail of the Obelisk is a 0.8-mile (1.
Trail of the Obelisk is a 0.8-mile (1.3 km) loop near the old Hozomeen Ranger Station, along the U.S.-Canada boundary. It passes streamside forest, talus slopes and abandoned beaver ponds. The trail is rated moderate, with a noticeable grade for such a short walk; allow about 30 to 45 minutes. It is a worthwhile small walk if you are already in Hozomeen, but reaching the trail is the larger commitment.
What the walk is likeThe appeal is the mix of wooded streamside ground, rocky talus and old pond country.
The appeal is the mix of wooded streamside ground, rocky talus and old pond country. A short stretch on the unpaved access road joins the trail's two ends to complete the loop. Leashed dogs are allowed.
Getting to HozomeenThe trail begins near the old Ranger Station, off Silver-Skagit Road, but no trail-specific…
The trail begins near the old Ranger Station, off Silver-Skagit Road, but no trail-specific parking lot, capacity or fee is described. From the south, the documented approach is by boat from Colonial Creek across Diablo Lake, a portage around Ross Dam, then onward on Ross Lake; the other approach is the 31-mile East Bank Trail. Hozomeen has no cell service or trash service, so plan to carry out everything you bring. Because the trail lies at the international boundary, enter through a designated port of entry.
The name HozomeenHozomeen comes from a Salish word meaning “sharp like a knife,” referring both to the sharp…
Hozomeen comes from a Salish word meaning “sharp like a knife,” referring both to the sharp peaks and to chert that Indigenous people worked into sharp-edged tools. Mosquitoes are especially numerous in August and September.
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.
