Red Top Lookout east of Snoqualmie Pass

The Red Top Lookout near the intersection of I-90 and Highway 97 is an amazingly fun experience!  While it is a rather steep trail, it is only a half a mile from the parking lot to the lookout, so even with lots of breaks every 3 to 5 minutes, it took us just under 30 minutes from the parking lot to the lookout.  We will definitely return!

From the parking lot, we started up the trail, and within one minute we saw the tower.  It was encouraging to see our destination from the start!


After stopping for some photos, I realized I had forgotten to put my NW Forest Recreation Pass on my dashboard.  Oops.  We returned to the car to take care of that and then started on our way again.


It was exciting to see the lookout tower so quickly and kept us motivated up the trail (this is a zoomed photo taken about 50 feet from the trail head.)

In a minute or two, we came to a fork in the road.  Although I would have guessed that we would have needed to take the uphill trail to the tower, signs are always appreciated.  We didn't have time to check out the agate fields this day, but it could be interesting to investigate another time.

Almost immediately, we felt the trail going up.  Jake wanted to take a break every 3 to 5 minutes, which is unusual for him.  Since these outings are all about fostering a love of outdoors, I didn't push him.  Since I felt the steep trail at 5,000' of elevation, this pregnant mamma didn't exactly mind the breaks, either. 

About halfway up, which was only about .25 miles or 15 minutes, we emerged from the trees and into a field that borders the forest and the rocky summit.  Our legs were burning, but seeing the lookout tower emerge back into view kept us going.

In a couple of minutes, we climbed out of the field and reached the rocky area just below the lookout.  We started feeling some wind gusts and the cool breeze felt nice on the hot day.  The trail kept heading up relentlessly, without any real flat areas to give our hamstrings & quads a break, but when we saw an unexpected triangular building, our curiosity propelled us up.  I thought it might be a storage shed of some kind for the lookout tower, with a steep roof to handle snow in the winter.

It turns out it is a composting potty with an incredible view!  (We didn't use it but we did peek inside.)

Just past the surprising outhouse, the path became a little extra steep and rocky.  Jake is actually a very safety-conscious hiker, so while I kept him close and uphill from me, I didn't worry too much.  We did go slowly and carefully, though, especially since we felt the wind more and more as we climbed higher.

Almost there!

Just before the final leg up to the lookout, we saw an interesting rocky outcropping to the left/north.  I had read that there was some sort of trail over there, but because there were sheer cliffs on either side of a narrow, rocky path, we didn't even try going over there.  I bet it would be really cool to stand on that outlook, but it would not be safe with any kind of kid, especially with the wind whipping around.  You can kind of see the outcropping on this map, too: https://goo.gl/maps/TmZ3E

We finally went up to the lookout and were so excited to meet a volunteer who let us inside!  If you look at how straight that flag is flying you can get an idea of how windy it was.  We were getting pretty chilly out there, even though we had only been out of the trees for about 10 minutes!

"WELCOME TO REDTOP L.O. VISITING HOURS: 9A.M. 6P.M. NOTICE TO VISITORS PLEASE COMPLY WITH LOOKOUTS INSTRUCTIONS NO PETS ON TOWER MAX 6 PEOPLE ON TOWER NO RUNNING ALLOWED. THANK YOU U.S.F.S.

When we entered the lookout, we appreciated the shelter from the wind almost as much as we enjoyed the view!  We sat down and enjoyed a little picnic while checking out Mount Rainer, which is about 100 miles to the SW.

The NE side of Mt. Rainier, as seen over the Teanaways:

Here is a link to a video I uploaded to facebook of this adventure: https://www.facebook.com/jennbot/videos/10153002434571361. 

After our picnic and some pictures, we headed back down to the car.  The hike back down required some stable ankles, but it went much more quickly than the hike up since we didn't need to take any breaks.  We had such a fun time that we'll be back for sure!

If you'd like to spend more time at the lookout the US Forest Service, here is a link to learn about volunteer opportunities: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/workingtogether/volunteering/?cid=stelprdb5447866.


BEFORE YOU GO

1. Make sure you have a NW Forest Pass.  If you plan on going on 5 or fewer hikes this year in National Forests, you can order a 1 day e-Pass for $5 that you print out at home before you go: http://www.discovernw.org/store_national-forest-recreation-epass-national-forests-in-washington-and-oregon-only_20281.html.  If you plan on going on 6 or more hikes in National Forests, it makes sense to purchase an annual pass.  There isn't a print at home version, but lots of places like REI sell them.  Here are more details: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r6/passes-permits/recreation/?cid=fsbdev2_027010

2. Read recent trip reports at WTA to check out current conditions: http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/red-top-lookout

3. There is a sanican facility in the main lot.  However, places like that are never guaranteed to have TP.  Pack a roll with you, along with hand sanitizer, just in case.

4. Make sure to pack water.  It's only a 1/2 mile up to the lookout, but it has some steep parts.  It's always a good idea to pack enough to drink as well as some extra to flush an owie in case someone scrapes a knee.  In fact, it's wise to always pack the "10 essentials" on any hike, big or small: http://www.wta.org/hiking-info/basics/ten-essentials.

5. Pack a jacket.  Even on a 90 degree day, the wind really whipped at the top of the tower and we got goosebumps because there is nothing to slow down the wind between Mt. Rainier and the lookout.  Luckily it's only a little above the tree line so we weren't exposed for too long but we were sure missing our fleeces that were sitting in the 90 degree van below.

6. If you have hiking poles, this may be a good hike to bring them.  The trail is short - only 1/2 mile up.  However, it is steep, and with the wind at the top, poles could help with stability.  We don't have any and it wasn't an issue for us, though.

7. Note that the lookout tower isn't always open.  If a volunteer is staffing the tower, it should be open for visitors (unless they have briefly left the tower for some reason.)  If no one is volunteering that day, it will be closed.  There is no way to know for sure if someone will be on duty.  You can try calling the Cle Elum Ranger District at (509) 852-1011 ahead of time to see if anyone knows the volunteer status for the day of your outing.

8.  Budget time to allow for a slow drive on the forest service roads.  My Honda Odyssey had no troubles on the roads, but we took them slowly.  It took about 45 minutes from Highway 97 up to the trailhead and another 45 minutes back down.  It took us about 30 minutes up to the lookout and 20 minutes back down, so plan for 2 1/2 hours of driving and hiking from the point that you leave Highway 97 to the time that you return to the highway.  We also spent about 30 minutes in the lookout so it took us 3 hours from the time we left Highway 97 until the time we were back on that road.

9.  There is no cell service.  Make sure to download maps and directions before you go.  This is a copy of what I made and printed out:

GETTING THERE

*GPS* - I couldn't find an address for the Red Top Lookout trailhead, but here are some options to help get you there.  Make sure you search for the address on your GPS before leaving so that you know that your device can find it.  Fortunately, there are well marked brown & white signs along the way.

1. The lat & long coordinates for the trailhead are: 47.2970, -120.7596

2. I tried entering "Mineral Springs Campground" into my GPS, but it couldn't find it.  After getting home I found the official address for the campground is this: 27481 SR 97, Cle Elum, Washington. If everything else fails, you can enter that address into your GPS, then make your way .2 miles north and follow the directions below. The turnoff is just past the Mineral Springs Campground so that could get you most of the way there.

3. Try entering in the road name "National Forest Service Road 9702".  Also try variations "National Forest 9702", "NF-9702" or "NF 9702" or "FS-9702" or "FS 9702".  Take NF-9702 to the end of the road to find the trailhead.

*Directions* - If you don't have a GPS device that can find the trailhead, don't worry.  Everything is well signed along the way.  Directions from Seattle:

1. From Seattle, go EAST on I-90.

2. At exit 85, take ramp towards WA-970 North toward Wenatchee.

3. At the end of the off-ramp, turn LEFT (the only option that doesn't go back to I-90.)

4. In .5 miles, at the "T" in the road, turn RIGHT onto 1st St/WA-970.

5. In 9.8 miles, stay on main road as it turns into US-97.

6. In about 4.5 miles, notice the Mineral Springs Campground on the LEFT.  Keep going straight on US-97.

7. In about .2 miles, turn LEFT onto Forest Service Road 9738 / FS-9738.  It is a well-maintained gravel road that my Honda Odyssey drove with no problems.

8. In 2.6 miles, go left on NF-9702.  This road is a little bumpier, but there were no large potholes or anything that made this cautious driver worry.  The road was in great shape when we went.

9. Drive 4.5 miles to the trailhead and turn RIGHT at the signed entry.

10. There is a pit toilet (sanican) at the first part of the lot.  Note that it may or may not have TP, so it's a good idea to pack a roll and some hand sanitizer for any hike.  Continue past and there's a 2nd small lot where you can park a little closer to the trailhead.

11.  After parking, remember to place the NW Forest Recreation Pass on the dashboard.

12. Walk a little further up the road and just around the 1st bend the tower will pop into sight. 
13.  On the way back down the mountain, I plugged in our next destination: Slidewaters water park in Lake Chelan.  There are several Forest Service roads on the mountain, and my GPS plotted out a different route back down.  Not all Forest Service roads are in as good of shape as FS-9738 and FS-9702, so I ignored my GPS and retraced the steps on my map.  Other roads may have been just fine, but I didn't want to risk getting myself into trouble by taking my mini-van on a back road that I hadn't researched ahead of time.

*Map* -  https://goo.gl/maps/6Utqf