Foggy Dew Ridge

This irregularly maintained trail follows Foggy Dew Ridge on its forested eastern half and traverses on the south side on its western half. When not recently maintained, the views and wildlife viewing opportunities are the highlights of this ridge run, with a downside of hearing the motorcycles 2000 feet below on the Foggy Dew Creek Trail. When maintained, this trail is accessible to all users – horse, hiker, mountain bike, and motorcycle.

The trail can be accessed on the east end from the Pasayten Drive Trail (open to motorcycles) and on the west end from the Martin Creek Trail. Because the trail can be lightly traveled, some sections are more cross-country travel than trail. Navigation is made more difficult by the fact the actual trail is 100 to 300 feet higher on the ridge on the western half and the junction with the Pasayten Drive Trail occurs 300 feet lower than depicted on the maps.

To reach the eastern end of the trail, start from the unmarked trailhead for the Pasayten Drive Trail on the Foggy Dew Road and go generally northwesterly on the Pasayten Drive Trail for 1.2 miles, gaining 1280 feet, to reach its unmarked junction with the Foggy Dew Ridge Trail, at elevation 4300 feet. From the junction, the trail climbs to a forested pass at 0.2 mile, where it turns and switchbacks up the end of the ridge, reaching the first viewpoint at 0.6 mile and elevation 5040 feet. 

The trail remains on or near the ridge crest as it continues to climb. Between one and 1.5 miles, downed logs can present a challenge to hikers when not recently maintained and will stop stock, mountain bikes, and motorcycles.

The trail continues to climb the forested ridge, with a few views across Hunter Creek to the north and Foggy Dew Creek to the south. At 3.8 miles and elevation 7080 feet, the trail leaves the crest and starts a traverse on the south side of the ridge. 

At 4.2 miles and elevation 7300 feet, the trail enters a meadow area with expansive views, where the trail is difficult to precisely follow. Cut logs are the only indication of a trail in many places, as the meadow grasses and flowers have overgrown the trail. Cross-country travel is easy through the basin, although in fall hikers may accumulate a large collection of burrs. 

At 4.8 miles are a couple of camps and a mud-ringed spring, the only water on the ridge in late summer.

The trail does a climbing traverse out the basin and onto a secondary ridge, where it enters the forest on a more obvious trail at 5.0 miles and elevation 7080 feet. The trail traverses and then starts a descending traverse, marked along the way with a few cairns in rocky areas near the end. It reaches the unmarked junction with the Martin Creek Trail at 6.0 miles and 6850 feet of elevation. 

In 2018, the only indication at the junction was a white tag zip-tied to a branch next to the Martin Creek Trail.  The Foggy Dew Ridge Trail is the boot path / drainage that takes off up the hillside opposite the white tag.

WTA Pro Tip: A 15.2-mile loop trip with 4500 feet of elevation gain can be completed, starting at the Foggy Dew Creek Trailhead. Hike 1.2 miles back down the road to the Pasayten Drive Trailhead. Hike the Pasayten Drive and Foggy Dew Ridge trails as described. Take the Martin Creek Trail down to the Foggy Dew Creek Trail and follow it back to its trailhead.