Bearpaw Butte, situated near Snowshoe Butte by Tacoma Pass, overlooks the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the South Cascades. The nearby, historic Stampede Pass railroad tunnel, completed in 1888, was a vital connection between Puget Sound and the eastern part of the state.1 Interestingly, the pass name reportedly originated from an incident where workers fled their camp en masse.2
See more trip photos here.
Bearpaw Butte + Sleepover Peak at a Glance
Access: Tacoma Pass (Bearpaw), NF-5220 (Sleepover)
Round Trip: 6 miles (Bearpaw); 1.3 miles (Sleepover)
Elevation Range: 3450′-4895′
Essential Gear: none
Route Info: Scott Rice
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: yes
Playlist: Afrobeats, Beats, Hopeful
The Bumpy Road to Tacoma Pass
On the way to Tacoma Pass this time, I spotted new sno-park maps placed at the major junctions. The roadway had a moderate number of potholes, but thankfully, it felt much less like a washboard than before. Also, some brush reached into the road, but for the most part, the path was open and clear of debris.
Before crossing Cabin Creek, I noticed some old, clearly rotted boards over the bridge. I was unsure how much maintenance the Forest Service provides, given its limited resources. However, I believe the off-roaders were the main reason that kept many old roads here alive. Nonetheless, it is something I have always wondered about during our outings in this remote area.
Another Hike Near Bearpaw Butte
Many hills along the Pacific Crest Trail are easily accessible with short approaches from the trailheads. We arrived at Tacoma Pass, on the King-Kittitas county line, under a cloudy morning, just as a drizzle started. So Connor and I waited patiently in the car for the rain to stop and to refuel our motivation before starting our hike toward Bearpaw Butte.
It was our second time on this trail in a familiar area as we approached Blanket Mountain, also on the county line. I had misread the route beforehand, not realizing that by starting higher on Sheets Pass with a brief scramble, we could have bypassed the mountain. Nonetheless, it meant that we were getting a couple more miles of exercise from the long drive.
A Soggy Summit and New Discoveries
Along the way were some intrepid squirrels and some beargrass as we walked the quiet trail that held only a couple of downed trees. Visibly, the classic PCT signs on short signposts instead of trees looked more like survey markers. At mile 3, from the base of the west ridge on Bearpaw Butte, we soon dove into the dense undergrowth, completely saturated with water from the recent rain.
We were thoroughly soaked after the final push to reach the top. Judging by the many young trees, the summit seemed to have been logged at least once before. As anticipated, the sky remained cloudy during our brief visit. However, as a wooded summit, it likely would not have offered much even without the mist. Afterward, we descended the open south slope back to the trail.
The Drive Up Sleepover Peak
To save some time on our next objective, Sleepover Peak, we decided to skip starting from the PCT to avoid wet conditions off-trail. However, I still was not sure if the slower drive time on the rocky, narrow roads was worth the two miles saved on the trail. I even stopped to remove some rocks from a slide past the last junction and trimmed overgrown brush in two places.
We eventually stopped at the fork at 4600 feet to get some extra exercise. However, it was possible to continue for another quarter-mile to the end if not for the foot-tall young trees scratching the underside. The same went for the brush reaching into the road from both sides. Meanwhile, we tuned onto the wrong spur road, but spotted a potential viewpoint en route.
Views from a Surprise Vista
Like Bearpaw Butte, Sleepover Peak was situated on the county line, harboring a semi-wooded summit with fair views. From there, we continued northwest on a faint trail to where I had noticed a potential lookout. The spot offered great views from north to west, including some east vistas of Mount Stuart, Mount Daniel, and Three Queens.
After soaking in the scenery, we continued down the northwest ridge and stumbled upon an obscure, faint path. This trail, which I certainly would not have noticed on the way up, conveniently brought us directly back to the car. It was the perfect end to a day of exploration and unexpected discoveries.
- Historylink.org: Stampede Pass tunnel opens on May 27, 1888. ↩︎
- Ba-kground: Naming Stampede Pass, Bogue’s story. ↩︎