Mount Margaret

Mount Margaret sits just outside the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and mostly follows an old logging road. It has incredible views to north and east and a bounty of berries in the late summer and fall.

The trail starts with a short (500 feet) walk along Forest Road 4934. Turn left onto the decommissioned road and continue for about half mile. In this section, you'll gain almost 500 feet but the way never feels that steep. Turn left off the road to follow the direction sign for hikers.

The next half mile slows the gain, gaining elevation quickly, as you pass through a recently logged area and encounter a junction with another decommissioned road one mile from the trailhead. Continue on the trail, and you will enter mature second growth forest at 1.5 miles. The logged area is full of blueberries and is on its way to recovering fully.

As you climb higher, views of the South Cascades open up and Mount Rainier rises above the horizon. The last half a mile of climbing to the ridge is on beautiful trail with well-planned switchbacks. At two miles, the trail meets the Lake Lillian Trail.

Follow the Lake Lillian Trail for another half mile, gaining and losing only a hundred feet of elevation. At 2.5 miles from the trailhead, once you pass the boulder field, look for an unmarked trail or bootpath on the right. It is easy to miss it. Sometimes, there is a cairn of rocks there to help you spot it.

Follow the steep uphill trail for a quarter mile gaining 250 feet and arrive at the Mount Margaret summit with a steep drop on three sides and views to the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.