Cutthroat Pass via PCT

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Features Commonly Backpacked · Fall Colors · Views · Wildlife

If you've ever wanted to day hike (or section hike) on the Pacific Crest Trail, Cutthroat Pass is one of the most accessible and rewarding sections in Washington. Climb 5 miles to the pass for wide-open North Cascades scenery, lake views, and fall colors.

A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking. Restrooms available at trailhead.

While Cutthroat Pass can be reached from the east via Cutthroat Lake, the most popular access for hikers is along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Hiking via the PCT is shorter and less steep than via Cutthroat Lake, and the trailhead is right off Highway 20 (no forest road driving required).

The well-traveled and maintained PCT takes off from Highway 20, climbing northeast at a steady, moderate pace. Much of the ascent is through shaded forest, with occasional creek crossings including Porcupine Creek (a good water source for backpackers) at 1.7 miles. The grade steepens a bit after Porcupine Creek, gaining steadily to the pass.

At 4 miles from the trailhead, switchbacks begin and you'll leave the evergreen forest behind. Scraggly larches, golden in the fall, attract flocks of hikers in early October. Views improve over this final mile until you reach 6,800-foot Cutthroat Pass. Wander at will up here. The PCT continues north (all the way to Canada) and the Cutthroat Lake trail drops several hundred feet into the lake basin. From the pass, views of North Cascades peaks are endless, with Silver Star Mountain and Hinkhouse Peak dominating much of the skyline.