Hike Washington: Maiden Peak from Deer Park Campground

We set out for the Trailhead at 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning and I knew it was going to be a cold day in the mountains.

Snow had fallen as low as 5,000 feet the Friday before and it was forecast to stay below freezing all weekend. I’d been at Lake Angeles the day before and it was definitely pretty frosty.

But since less than an inch of snow had accumulated, I was almost certain the trail would still be perfectly fine for me and my dad, so I tried to stay optimistic about the winter weather conditions.

The road to Deer Park Campground can be a bit squirrely even on a dry summer day, and it was a bit of a nail biter as we got higher. The road was icy and snow-covered and we were rolling uphill at a snail’s pace.

At the top of the hill the road forks – access to the Maiden Peak trail is to the right and you’ll find a small parking lot, ranger station and outhouse waiting for you.

The trail begins with a swift half-mile descent before transitioning to a relatively moderate incline the rest of the way up. The first bit of uphill is the steepest, and after that it’s really a pleasant walk up to Green Mountain with plenty of flat sections to rest your legs.

The trees finally give way to a spectacular meadow with dramatic views of Mt. Baker, the Cascades and Olympics, and Port Angeles with Canada beyond – it’s really unbeatable.

Keep climbing as you skirt around Green Mountain and on to Maiden Peak. A rough trail branches off the main trail and leads you up to the Maiden Peak geological survey marker, but be careful of loose rocks and avoid stepping on the fragile vegetation.

It was cold and windy when we made it to the top, but the sun was out and we were the only two people around for miles.