Pacific Crest Trail Section Hike: White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass Washington
Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington as a Section Hiker gives you the ability to not be so dependent on timing the weather! Unlike thru-hikers you can pick your beautiful few days of summer to adventure out through White Pass, Chinook Pass in Mount Rainier National Park, and finally to Snoqualmie Pass. In this article I share a 98.2 mile section hike of the trail that runs through this gorgeous area in the state of Washington. I am slowly section hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT for short) that is 2,650 miles in total. In this series we are covering each section I hike and hopefully providing tips and insights into how you can spend an afternoon to a few days at a time on this trail that stretches from Mexico to Canada! Or for several months as a thru-hiker!
PCT sign near Chinook Pass.
IF HEADING NOBO (NORTHBOUND) ON THE PACIFIC CREST TRAIL white pass is at mile marker 2297.5. THIS 98.5 MILE STRETCH IS typically COVERED IN five DAYS with good summer washington weather. THERE IS AN OPTION TO explore more of mount rainier national park and to hike snow lake at snoqualmie pass. THERE IS PARKING at all three passes (white, chinook, and snoqualmie). THE TOWNS are sparse until you reach snoqualmie but the staging of cars on this section is fairly easy. if you had someone meeting you for a day hike chinook pass will be likely on your second day and an easy spot to meet up at. this section ends at snoqualmie pass at mile marker 2395.7
Lunch Break on the PCT in Washington. The above pic is one of thousands of enchanting views on the PCT! Our hike led us 2 miles down through the Rainier border before a long ascent and flat grade to the Baker Lakes.
White Pass to Snoqualmie Pass Pacific Crest Trail Section Hike Need to Know’s:
This section of trail is best completed in late summer and early fall. You’ll avoid the harshest of mosquito season, the snow, and receive the best temperatures. Winter is impassable unless you are a mountaineer, Spring is muddy, and later in autumn here can be the fall!
If you are hiking with someone else staging your cars at the beginning and the end is relatively easy here. One of the easier sections of trail to do so. If hiking by yourself you could go out and back and move your car up to Chinook Pass. Then you would likely need 4WD for the next two or so car spots until making it up to Snoqualmie Pass.
Adding a few extra days on going off the PCT would be a great idea to me in this section. We camped at the Ohanapecosh Campground in Mount Rainier (we had multiple cars.) There is a nice trail leading to some hot springs and a waterfall. Other section of the park are farther away but worth a day or two to also explore if this is your one chance to adventure in the area.
Camping is available along the PCT and there’s even a shelter/outhouse option at Ulrich Cabin at Mile Marker 2349.
If you want to stay in Snoqualmie Pass for an extra day to end or before you start this section hike (and do it SOBO) then I highly recommend the Snow Lake Day Hike. Dru Bru is also closeby and has good food options in the summer as well.
WHAT GEAR DO I USE AND LIKE THE MOST ON MY PCT SECTION HIKES?
Hoka One Kaha’s and Hoka Two GTX’s are my trusted shoes.
I use my REI 40 Liter Backpack.
Darn Tough Vermont and Merino Wool Socks from REI and SmartWool are my go to’s. Microspikes may be necessary on this section.
Osprey Water Bladder and Lifestraw Collapsible Filter for hydration.
I wear New Balance running shorts mainly and much prefer that to more typical hiking shorts.
The PCTA and PCT Water Reports in addition to the Half Mile Maps and Trail Notes are outstanding resources (and could save your life…!)
I carry a Garmin GPS and if I were to thru hike the PCT I would also use the Farout (used to be Guthook) App.
Ohhhh it sounds like you guys have a bear bell. Isn’t that sweet?! This was muttered with extra sarcasm by a 60 year old solo female hiker as she whizzed by us near Chinook Pass on this section of the PCT.
No we didn’t see a bear but we did have funny and engaging encounters like this one along the trail. This is a fairly accessible section of the PCT. I saw more day, section, and thru hikers on the day heading NOBO from Chinook Pass than I did for 80 miles of a section I did in the SoCal Desert.
This section of trail begins at 4,400 feet at White Pass and moves slowly up and down to Chinook Pass. It then weaves in and out of the Mount Rainier park boundaries and the neighboring National Forest leading up to and past Chinook Pass. Finally you finish at Snoqualmie Pass which is a popular ski area. We tacked on a day hike up to Snow Lake which I loved doing. (This was also a great day hike I used to do when living in Seattle.) When living in Seattle I typically needed micro spikes to reach Snow Lake until sometime in early July.
This was the first section I did on the PCT or the AT. It definitely gave me the “Scenic Trail Energy. That energy became addicting enough to want to spend a summer on the AT in a van and Sundays in the winter on the PCT in the SoCal Desert. Once you realize you are heading to Mexico or Canada it’s hard to turn around!
And yes if I hiked this section alone again I would probably carry my bear bell even if it meant getting heckled and called a wimp by an old lady. However she is right. Odds are good a black bear won’t eat you on this section of the trail.
This 98.2 mile stretch is typically done in five to seven days. You can also tack on time in Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Pass for other great day hikes. You can also continue past Snoqualmie towards Stevens Pass and the North Cascades/Canada or head home!
Have fun, prepare, and welcome to a beautiful stretch of the PCT in the Pacific Northwest!
Thanks for reading and happy trails to you! Whether you are planning a thru, section, or day hike…or are a trail town local, trail angel, or just someone wanting to learn more about the Pacific Crest Trail…I hope the PCT gives you what you need! Don’t forget to Leave No Trace and pack your 10 Essentials!
Comment below with questions or your experience on hiking the PCT in this section.
Because Adventure Feeds the Soul,
Mike R