Fuller Mountain by Hancocks Comb in North Fork Snoqualmie / 福樂山

Home > Trips > Fuller Mountain by Hancocks Comb in North Fork Snoqualmie / 福樂山

Fuller Mountain by Hancock’s Comb sits inside the North Fork Snoqualmie River Valley. Like the nearby places, it is on private property used mainly for logging. However, with a day pass, most are accessible off the beaten path.

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Fuller Mountain at a Glance

Access: NF-5700 @ Gate 10 (permit info)
Round Trip: 4 miles
Elevation Range: 1040′-1880′
Gear: none
Route Info: Mike Black, Rich P
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes

Snoqualmie Recreation Permits

A portion of North Fork Snoqualmie River has undergone several logging ownerships. Hancock Natural Resource Group (HTRG) first acquired the land from Weyerhaeuser before Campbell Global took over in late 2015. Then, last year, J.P. Morgan acquired Campbell Global from its parent company, BrightSphere Investment Group.

Snoqualmie Permits
> MOTORIZED RECREATION ACCESS PERMIT
> NON-MOTORIZED ANNUAL PERMIT
> NON-MOTORIZED ONE-DAY PERMIT FOR INDIVIDUALS
> NON-MOTORIZED ONE-DAY PERMIT FOR FAMILIES

It’s our first time visiting the area. So I followed Rich P’s notes to email Campbell Global and printed a recreation permit for $10. The process was straightforward, but I needed to specify a precise entry date.

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North Fork Snoqualmie River Valley

This area doesn’t see as much traffic as Middle Fork Snoqualmie. The roadway past the last houses has many big potholes. But people still come for notable places like Bare Mountain and Dog Mountain farther up the road.

I was glad to find a new place to visit while recovering from a minor foot issue. But for now, the pups and I are sticking to lower elevations and shorter hikes. But I hope to heal soon so we can snowshoe again.

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Lower Forest to Ten Creek Crossing

Soon, we walked past Gate 10, a few hundred feet down from the main road. But instead of going straight through the hidden entrance, we turned left onto Tolt Reservoir Road. We backtracked a few minutes later.

The old-growth forest was full of moss and ferns. The ground remained flat to Ten Creek, a quarter mile from the trailhead. Then we went several yards north and found the narrow, chicken-wired log to cross.

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Fuller Mountain West Route

In half a mile, we went out into the open by the gravel pit. Then, we had our first view of Fuller Mountain above us. Shortly afterward, we turned left and walked 500′ to the next fork before turning right slightly uphill.

It was another 200′ of walking the old road before we reached the discreet entrance. But of course, we briefly overshot the trail before turning around to find it. Soon, the path took us west of the mountain in the lush forest.

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The Final Stretch

It was a more defined path than expected, making for a pleasant walk. En route, there were a few places with spotty views out to the western plains. We soon reached the first switchback half a mile from the hidden entrance.

The trail was decent through the switchbacks up to the northwest ridge at 1640′. After losing the path to tree debris, we scrambled south the rest of the way to the flat top. I didn’t see anything marking the high point.

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Fuller Mountain Summit Views

The summit itself didn’t boast views. Soon, I briefly followed Mike’s GPS track east through more trees to the opening above the buttress. From the rocks, I immediately saw the long ridgeline to Mount Si and Rattlesnake Mountain.

What a glorious day in the neighborhood! At under 2000′, the mountain had more to show than the credit I gave it beforehand. After a 45-minute visit in warm temperatures, the pups and I returned to the shade.

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Outro

It didn’t take long before we were back at the gravel pit. Since it was still early, we dillydallied through the trees and enjoyed the immense solitude. Then, we stopped by the creek before going out onto the road.

Perhaps it’s the $10 permit that turned people away. But I expected to see many folks here since it’s right off the beaten path. Then again, the bumpy road we took to come here wasn’t exactly what I’d call “enticing.”

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