Originally Posted: March 2020
Updated: December 2022

Sun Top Lookout Ski Tour / Snowshoe Hike

Huckleberry Valley Overlook
Sun Top Saddle
Sun Top / Lookout (5271 ft)

Route Summary

Region: Southern Washington Cascades

Sub-Region: Clearwater Mountains

Area: Mt. Baker – Snoqualmie National Forest

Starting & Ending Point: Sun Top / Huckleberry Creek Sno-Park on Road 73 (Elev. 2240 feet)

Way Points: Road 73/7315 junction & Road 7315-310 junction & Huckleberry Valley Overlook & Sun Top Saddle & Sun Top Lookout (ski tour or snowshoe hike)

High Point / Summit: Sun Top (Elev. 5271 feet)

Approximate Stats: 11.2 miles round trip; 3050 feet gained & lost.

Typical Season: late December thru early April

Route Overview

Sun Top Lookout is a moderately popular ski and snowshoe destination in the Clearwater Mountains during the winter and spring months. The entire trek follows an ungroomed road that is closed to snowmobiles and other motorized vehicles. Because non-motorized recreation areas are in short supply along the Highway 410 corridor, this one is a real gem. With an elevation gain of 3000 feet, the ascent always provides a satisfyingly strenuous outing in its own right, but the grand reward can be gained only on a clear day, when nearby Mt. Rainier is visible from the summit.

Although the ascent and descent can be reasonably completed on either skis or snowshoes, the 5½-mile road is much more fun on skis when the mountain is blanketed by powder snow. On the other hand, a ski descent can be difficult—and perhaps even frightening—when the road is covered by icy or crusty snow. Under these conditions, I sometimes make the descent with skins on my skis in order to control my speed!

Timing for the ascent to Sun Top can be a little tricky. Although the mountain usually has enough snowcover by early or mid-December, it is common to encounter tire tracks going partway up road until late December. This area seems to be quite popular for Christmas tree cutting throughout early December. I’ve had some good ascents despite the tire ruts, but waiting until after Christmas gives you a better chance of good conditions. In the springtime, good snowcover often lasts well past March. I’ve personally made ski ascents as early in the season as December 3 (in 2022) and as late as April 3 (in 2010).

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Parking Comments

Parking can be found at Sun Top / Huckleberry Creek Sno-Park, located at the plowed end of Road 73 approximately 1½ miles west of Highway 410. A Washington State Sno-Park permit is required here, but a special “grooming sticker” is not required. Although the parking lot is fairly large, the plowing schedule seems to be somewhat inconsistent; it helps to have a four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle.

Route Description

Starting at the southwestern end of the sno-park, go past a steel gate (“lower gate”) and immediately turn left on Road 7315. Look straight ahead, and you might catch a glimpse of Sun Top’s summit through the forest corridor. Road 7315 starts with a gradual southward ascent through the valley, then it turns left (east) and continues climbing at a slightly steeper gradient until reaching a hairpin curve at the crest of a low ridge. In the early winter and late spring, as well as during low-snowpack years, this first mile of road commonly has a skimpy or patchy snowcover, so don’t be surprised if you need to carry your skis or snowshoes part of the way.

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From the hairpin, Road 7315 turns back to the south and traverses an east-facing hillside. Thankfully, the snowcover usually improves significantly through this area. In another mile, you will reach an obvious junction (2.0 miles + 1000 feet from sno-park). Ignore spur road #310, which branches off to the right. Instead, continue straight ahead on Road 7315, immediately passing through an open gate (“middle gate”).

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Farther up is another junction, where Road 7315 makes a sharp switchback to the right, and a spur road continues straight ahead. This switchback is easy to miss, so watch for it, lest you get misled by the spur road. Road 7315 becomes a bit steeper after this switchback.

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In another mile, you will arrive at a 4000-foot switchback overlooking Huckleberry Valley (3.2 miles + 1750 feet from sno-park). This overlook makes a worthy destination for people wanting a shorter trek, although the view has diminished as the trees have grown up.

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For the next mile, the road wraps around the eastern flank of Sun Top until coming to another switchback, then it climbs to a broad saddle at 4700 feet (4.7 miles + 2500 feet from sno-park). Up to now, the route has been virtually free from avalanche danger, but the next—and final—mile does cross some open slopes that could slide during periods of deep, unstable snow. Carefully assess the snow stability here before continuing upward. If in doubt, consider turning around at this saddle, as I have on several occasions.

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If snow conditions are stable, turn right at the saddle and continue northward on the road, passing through yet another gate (“upper gate”). Here, snowshoers have the option of either veering off to the left and ascending the south ridge of the peak or staying on the road as it makes a rising counter-clockwise spiral around the peak. Skiers will likely find the road more agreeable, and the terrain is actually more interesting.

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The lower portion of this spiral cuts across a forested slope and is fairly sheltered, but the upper portion crosses a wind-blasted slope on the western side of the summit dome. A small “wind wave” typically forms over the road here.

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After completing a full 360-degree spiral around the mountaintop, Road 7315 makes a final curve across the eastern side of the summit dome. The lookout cabin soon comes into view, along with a storage shed, restroom, and signboard.

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Climb up to the historic cabin, which sits squarely on the summit of Sun Top (5.6 miles + 3050 feet from sno-park). On a stormy day, it would be nice to take refuge inside the cabin, but the door is always locked and boarded up in the wintertime.

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If the weather is clear, you can relish the view of Mt. Rainier to the south, the Clearwater Mountains to the west, and the Chinook Mountains to the east. Far to the north, you can see the jagged peaks of the Snoqualmie Mountains and Stuart Range.

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The lookout cabin is a classic “D-6” hip-roofed structure, built in 1933 and still used during the summer months. Over my 20 years of quasi-annual Sun Top ski ascents, I’ve seen various little changes to the cabin. The wood-burning stove and chimney pipe have been removed, solar panels have been added, the shingle roof has been replaced, the steps have been rebuilt, and the exterior has been repainted. Curiously, the cabin’s nameplate shows an elevation of 5280 feet, whereas the USGS map shows a summit triangulation of 5271 feet.

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For your descent, you can simply follow your up-tracks all the way back down to the sno-park. When snow conditions are good, however, skiers can score a few turns on the eastern flank of the mountaintop until intersecting the spiral road. Expect the descent to take only one-half to one-third of your ascent time.

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Equipment Comments

Considering that snow conditions on Sun Top vary greatly from year to year, month to month, day to day, and bottom to top, I always use a versatile backcountry touring ski setup. My current gear consists of mid-width fish scale-base nordic skis, soft but supportive nordic boots, nordic touring bindings, and full-length climbing skins. It’s definitely a compromise in terms of comfort and control, but I’ve found that this setup will get me up and down the mountain without feeling ill-prepared.

For more information regarding the various equipment that I typically use for this particular ski tour and for other ski tours of this type, see my gear reviews on the following pages:

>>> Backcountry Nordic Ski Touring Gear

>>> Backcountry Ski & Snowshoe Packs

>>> Wintertime Comfort Accessories

Route Maps & Profile

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Photo Gallery

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