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The Route |
Road and trailhead: Trail: In the summer, getting to the lookout is a quick and easy trail hike, but in the winter getting to the lookout requires skiing or snowshoeing, often part of the way up the Pilchuck Road too. Depending on how much snow there is, you can head up through trees where the summer trail is, or ascend the old ski area slopes just east of this (more avalanche prone). |
The Lookout |
| Mount Pilchuck Lookout (elev. 5324 ft) has been a U.S. Forest Service lookout since 1921. The present wooden L4 14x14' groundhouse was built in 1943 and staffed until 1957. The site was transferred to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and in 1989 that agency cooperated in a reconstruction of the lookout by the Everett Branch of The Mountaineers. Reached only by trail, it is used as an interpretive site. This lookout is available for public use on a first-come, first-served basis. Besides for some benches, it is not furnished. |
The views |
| The 5,324-foot summit has tremendous views of the Cascades, Olympics, and Puget Sound. If not obscured by clouds, you can see Mt Baker to the north; Three Fingers, White Chuck, and Glacier Peak to the East; Mt Rainier to the South; and several peaks on the Olympic Peninsula to the West. |
My Photo Trip Report from a Winter Trip to the Lookout
 | The Lookout on top of Mount Pilchuck. |
 | The outer deck of the Lookout. |
 | Some rime on the lookout. Can only imagine what kind of weather this place gets during a rough winter storm! |
 | Another photo of the outer deck, black and white. |
 | Warming up with some hot chocolate inside the lookout (basically just a seating area inside, with some interesting historical photos and articles around the edges). |
 | The summit area to the north of the lookout. We didn't see any peaks because of the clouds, but the fog and clouds gave some nice wintertime photos. |
  | Two trees (black and white and color versions). |
 | Rime on icicles. |
 | More cool ice formations. |
 | Snowy pine cones. |