Church Mountain Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Lake · River/Creek · Spring · Views · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This trail starts out steep with lots of switchbacks through the trees, then opens up at three miles to a beautiful meadow with creeks, wildflowers, and amazing views of Shuksan and Baker on a clear day. Continue up above the trees for even better views of the mountains and Kidney Lakes on the opposite side.

Be advised that there is a narrow one-lane road that leads up to the trailhead. There is also a small creek crossing near the top of the road, so a vehicle with high clearance is recommended. The parking lot located at the trailhead holds approximately 25 cars. There is a pit toilet at the trailhead.

The trail starts with a moderate grade through the trees. After about a 1/2 mile, the grade picks up. For the first three miles it is a pretty steady uphill climb on many switchbacks. You are in the trees/shade which is very nice on warmer days. The trail is somewhat narrow. I used poles and had one consistently on the uphill slope.

After three miles, there is a small creek crossing, but this is quite easy and only a few feet wide. Then you are welcomed to a large meadow. Everything opens up, and depending on season there will be lots of wildflowers. With some luck, turn left and look through the trees for views of Mt Shuksan and Mt Baker. The trail is fairly flat here for a bit, which makes it a prime location to take in the views.

Cross a larger creek (several feet wide, few inches deep, some slippery rocks) and continue around the meadow. You'll start climbing again and the views just keep getting better and better. Near the top, you'll have a nice view above the trees of nearby mountains. This makes a good stopping point, or you can continue up the last scramble to the peak.

There are metal cables for holding on as the trail gets quite narrow and rocky with some loose gravel/dirt. At the top, you can see Kidney Lakes on the other side, panoramic views of the mountains and the meadow below. Note that once you get to the top of the climb with the metal cable that is the false summit, if you wish to keep going to the top there is another short section to the true summit.

Once you've taken in the view, return the way that you came to reach the trailhead and your vehicle.

Wildflowers galore (and unfortunately bugs).