Stegosaurus Butte by The Pulpit overlooks Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. Garfield Ledges sit north across the river below Mount Garfield. Meanwhile, The trail off Pratt River goes straight to the top in one mile.
See more trip photos here.
Stegosaurus Butte at a Glance
Access: Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trailhead
Round Trip: 3.8 miles (including 1.7 miles to Nordrum Lookout)
Elevation Range: 1040′-2120′
Gear: none
Dog-Friendly: yes
The Preface
The three consecutive sunny days this week all fell on weekdays. But I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful afternoon on the last day of sunshine. So the pup and I went to Stegosaurus Butte in Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Valley.
I planned on combining this hike with The Pulpit in February. Then I decided to save the short outing as an after-work trip. It’d also be an excellent place to snowshoe, especially in winter when the going is usually slow.
See more trip photos here.
Getting up to Stegosaurus Butte
We stumbled upon the hidden path after walking briefly on the Pratt River Trail. Then we followed the trail into the trees. But what I had assumed was a scramble was a relatively mild hike on a defined path.
Soon, the trail took us through the lush old growth as it slowly weaved through the higher ground. But the views were spotty on Point 2037, so we didn’t stay long. Then we dropped 50′ to the saddle below the top.
Stegosaurus Summit Plus Nordrum Lookout
The butte stands just over 2000′, so it isn’t tall by the Cascades standard. It was also below the tree line to harbor a clearing. But surprisingly, the tiny south opening viewed Preacher Mountain and The Pulpit.
I also saw the ridgeline from Mount Teneriffe to Moolock Mountain. But the dense, tall trees had blocked Mount Garfield from seeing anything in that direction. North views were nonexistent on this modest butte.
The short outing also let us briefly visit the Nordrum Lookout north of Middle Fork Road. No views; we only saw the trees enclosing the former site. I could only imagine the magnificent vistas across the valley in the mid-1900s.
See more trip photos here.