Mailbox Peak Old Trail
North Bend, Washington
Details
Distance
4.96 miles
Elevation Gain
3898 ft
Route Type
Out-and-Back
Description
Added by Mikaela Tangeman
Mailbox Peak Old Trail is an extremely tough 5-mile roundtrip hike. Once you make it to the summit, the view is simply incredible.
Note this adventure covers the old route. For the updated route, check out Hike Mailbox Peak New Trail.
Take exit 34 from I-90. Head north on 468th Ave SE until the intersection with the SE Middle Fork Road. Turn right onto the Middle Fork Road. Follow SE Middle Fork Road 2.2 miles to the stop sign at the junction with SE Dorothy Lake Road. Head left onto SE Middle Fork Road. Take the turnoff to the trailhead on the right and continue a short distance to the parking lot.
The greatest reward is the joy of the effort itself and of digging deep within yourself to find the strength to conquer the mighty Mailbox and be able to place your name in the summit register. The register is contained – appropriately enough – in a mailbox someone installed at the top. The views and scenery along the way are few to none, mostly forest trekking. But once you break to the infamous Mailbox scramble the views of Rainier and the valley are UNREAL.
The way down is worse than the way up. Bring trekking poles. This is not an easy hike, it seems short but the elevation gain is 4200 ft of straight vertical trails. Put your name or a memorable note in the Mailbox at the top, there is a designated hiker who collects everything in the Mailbox and places it in the King County Library Archive :)
It is important to note that this adventure features the old Mailbox Peak Trail. The new trail is approximately 11 miles roundtrip. If you choose to hike the old trail, remember to follow the white diamonds (trees marked). The old and new trail meet approximately 1 mile from the peak. The last 1/2 mile gains about 1000 ft altitude, and is a light scramble to the actual mailbox.
Download the Outbound mobile app
Find adventures and camping on the go, share photos, use GPX tracks, and download maps for offline use.
Get the appFeatures
Mailbox Peak Old Trail Reviews
I recommend taking the old trail up & the new trail down. Hiking poles are helpful - and mosquitos were biting me...so bug spray for sure:) I wouldn't start too much later than 1pm or so..
5.0
Beautiful hike. It's around 9.5 miles round trip. There's lots of mud on the trail so get ready to be dirty. The most challenging section is one mile from the top. Bring lots of water and determination.
4.0
Such a good hike, missed out on the 360 view but hiking in the clouds made it worth while.
5.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
Nearby
Mailbox Peak New Trail
Hike Mount Washington
Twin Falls Trail
Sport Climbing at Exit 38, Deception Crags Area
Drive Along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River
Teneriffe Falls (Kamikaze Falls)
Community
© 2024 The Outbound Collective - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy