Parking
Follow Twisp River Road to the signed parking area 0.4 miles before Road’s End Campground. Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass required.
Overview
About Twisp Pass Trail via Twisp River Road
Why go
- Shallow Dagger Lake and open views from the pass reward the climb.
- The eastern access is the park’s day-hiking approach to Twisp Pass.
Heads up
- The 9.4-mile return and 2,464 feet of climbing take most of a day.
- Mosquitoes can be intense during bug season.
From the signed Twisp River Road access, this is the eastern day-hiking approach to Twisp Pass: 4.7 miles one way, 9.4 miles out and back, with about 2,464 feet of climbing. Allow roughly seven hours for the full walk. The park rates it moderate, but the distance and steady climb make it a full-day outing. The longer Bridge Creek approach from State Route 20 is 7.6 miles one way and is usually a backpacking trip.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the route for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the North Cascades map
Full mapElevation3,707–6,079 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Twisp Pass Trail via Twisp River Road, 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Washington Pass 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 Twisp Pass Trail via Twisp River Road
The lake and the passThe forested valley climb reaches shallow Dagger Lake beneath a backdrop of peaks, then…
The forested valley climb reaches shallow Dagger Lake beneath a backdrop of peaks, then continues toward Twisp Pass at 6,064 feet. The lake is a popular fishing spot. At the pass, the views open toward Lincoln Butte, Twisp Mountain, and Stiletto Peak. Informal paths continue to other viewpoints and climbs, but those are extensions beyond this mapped hike.
Access and rulesUse the signed parking area on Twisp River Road, 0.4 miles before Road's End Campground.
Use the signed parking area on Twisp River Road, 0.4 miles before Road's End Campground. This is a Forest Service trailhead, and parking requires a Northwest Forest Pass or an America the Beautiful pass. Pets are prohibited in the national park. Overnight camping at Dagger Lake requires a limited backcountry permit.
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.
