Chuckanut Mountain North + Raptor Ridge / 查克納特山北峯+猛禽脊

  • Reading time:6 mins read

After yesterday’s outing, today we came back in Puget Sound. Both Chuckanut Mountain North and Raptor Ridge are north of Chuckanut Mountain. So it’s doable to go up all three high points through Lost Lake. But I would have liked making it a one-way trip with car shuttles.

Chuckanut Mountain North from Raptor Ridge lookout
Chuckanut Mountain North from Raptor Ridge lookout

See more trip photos here.

Chuckanut Mountain North and Raptor Ridge at a Glance

Access: Pine and Cedar Lakes Trailhead
Round Trip: 6 miles
Elevation Range: 300′-1870′
Gear: none
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes

Pine and Cedar Lakes Trail

The last time we were here, we visited Cedar Lake. It was a spur of the moment plan. So we didn’t explore much of the area. I thought we would go back. Only this time, we would check out the high points instead.

The initially steep trail flattened after climbing 300′. Then the path wound its way through the old forest. Later, we made our way into the Larrabee State Park boundary. Then from there, it was only another half a mile to reach the three-way junction.

Moving forward
Moving forward

See more trip photos here.

Chuckanut Mountain North Summit

The flat trail continued through to Pine and Cedar Lakes. But we took the ridge trail and went uphill. Then we soon reached the top after going through a few short switchbacks. As I expected, it was another woodsy summit.

A register box marked the high point of this mountain. I forgot to open it and see the contents. Then about 100′ south on the summit ridge was an opening. But it was cloudy today so that we couldn’t see anything. Through the mist, I got a glimpse of Cedar at 200′ below.

Summit register on Chuckanut Mountain North
Summit register on Chuckanut Mountain North

See more trip photos here.

Onward to Raptor Ridge

Another hiker came up while we were on a break. They were from Virginia and were visiting family. Soon, we went back down to the junction. Then we took the Hemlock Trail and made our way over to Raptor Ridge. It was just a mile away.

On the way to the ridge, we met some mountain bikers down in the marsh. Then at the next junction, we made a left and went uphill. It was very muddy through here. Later, we walked past a family of four. Then we were up at the lookout below the top.

Stepping stones
Stepping stones

See more trip photos here.

Raptor Ridge Summit Plus Outro

The lookout area was narrow, with some people sitting across. So we left after a brief stop. There didn’t seem to be a trail leading up to Raptor Ridge’s high point. So we backtracked 100′ on the trail and then scrambled to the top next to a boulder.

It was another woodsy summit. So we went back down to the trail after staying for a few minutes. Soon, we made our way up to the junction and then back to the car.

Going home
Going home

See more trip photos here.

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