NOTE: This trail used to follow the below route, but after the Cougar Creek Fire in July 2018, the route has been lost, and strong route-finding skills are required to navigate to the ridge. There are downed/charred trees, the ground is loose and ash-covered, and there is no shade cover - please use caution when visiting.
Starting in what appears to be impenetrable windfall, locate tread and begin an arduous approach, crossing Miners Creek and then beginning short switchbacks up a shoulder littered with fallen timber. Stay vigilant. Think like a fisher or a pine marten, finding ways to clamber over, under, and around the woody mess. It gets better.
Leaving the shoulder, the trail turns southward, rounding a drainage and entering more open woods. Blowdowns diminish. Through small meadows, silver forest, and a countryside that looks remarkably like the Kettle River Range of northeast Washington's Columbia Highlands, gently crest the ridge.
Now on excellent tread through patches of green, saunter along the ridge, coming to a wide-open meadow just below a 5750-foot high point at 2 miles. Flowers! Views too! East to Tyee Ridge and the Waterville Plateau. South to Sugarloaf, Mission, Stuart, and Cashmere. West to the Chiwaukums and to Lake Wenatchee nestled beneath Nason Ridge. North to the snowy and craggy giants of Clark, Buck, and Glacier Peak.
Miners Ridge (Entiat)
47.8002,
-120.5724
Map & Directions
-
Length
- 4.0 miles, roundtrip
-
Elevation Gain
- 850 feet
-
Highest Point
- 5,750 feet
Navigate through a recently burned area to reach the top of Miners Ridge and enjoy views of the Stuart Range and Lake Wenatchee.
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Hiking Miners Ridge (Entiat)
Map & Directions
Trailhead
Before You Go
Parking Pass/Entry Fee
Northwest Forest PassWTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead.
Getting There
From Leavenworth, drive north for 2 miles on the Chumstick Highway (also known at Highway 209). Turn right onto County Road 112 (Eagle Creek Road) and continue for 6 miles. Then, make a left onto Forest Road 7520. After nearly 6 miles, come to a four-way junction at a saddle near the French Creek Sno-Park. Make a left onto FR 52 and proceed for 8 miles, arriving at the unsigned trailhead. Parking is available on the west side of the road.
Note that these roads are heavily utilized by motorcyclists during the summer months, so please drive carefully! A high-clearance vehicle is suggested to navigate the dirt bike hills.
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