Heather Maple Pass Loop: One of Washington’s Best Fall Hikes

Maple Pass Loop

Maple Pass Loop is easily one of our favorite fall hikes in Washington. This trail brings its A-gamealmost from the moment you leave the parking lot, with alpine lakes, rugged North Cascades peaks, some of the best golden larch color in the state if you time it right.

This post was updated after repeating this hike in 2026

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Maple Pass Loop Trail Details

Distance: About 7.2 miles round trip

Elevation Gain: About 2,000 feet

Difficulty: Moderate to challenging

Trailhead: Rainy Pass

Location: North Cascades Highway, Washington

Best Time to Hike: Summer through early fall

Best Season: Fall larch season

Route: Loop

Recommended Direction: Counterclockwise

Wandering Washingtonian Trail Rating:  86/100

To view our full ratings for all hikes in the Pacific Northwest visit our Best in the PNW trail rating list

This is also part of our PNW bucket list

Should I hike Clockwise or Counterclockwise

We recommend hiking the loop counterclockwise. Either direction is beautiful, but we think counterclockwise gives you the best progression of views as you climb toward Maple Pass, with the North Cascades scenery getting better and better along the way.

Heather Maple Pass in peak color

Is fall the best time of year to hike the maple Pass Loop

If we had to choose one time of year to hike Maple Pass, it would be fall.

When the larches turn gold, the mountainsides completely change.

The bright yellow trees against the gray North Cascades peaks make this one of the most memorable fall hikes in Washington.

There is a reason Maple Pass becomes so popular during larch season.

The downside is that the crowds can be intense.

If you have the flexibility, we strongly recommend hiking on a weekday. If you are visiting on a weekend, arrive as early as possible.

Even with the crowds, though, we think Maple Pass is worth it.

Starting From Rainy Pass (Counter Clockwise)

The hike begins from the Rainy Pass trailhead along the North Cascades Highway.

There is a fairly large parking lot here, but Maple Pass is extremely popular and the lot often fills on weekends, especially during peak larch season. Cars can end up lining the highway, so an early start is a very good idea.

The beginning of the hike travels through the forest and is relatively mellow compared with what comes later

Beginning the Maple Pass Trail

Is the Lake Ann Detour Worth It?

We think so.

The side trip to Lake Ann adds only about 0.6 miles round trip, making it one of the easiest additions you can make to the Maple Pass Loop.

Lake Ann sits below the surrounding mountain slopes and gives you a completely different perspective than the views higher on the trail.

For such a small amount of extra distance, we think it is well worth doing.

The Views Begin Above Lake Ann

After returning to the main trail, Maple Pass begins to show you why it is so popular.

The trail climbs above Lake Ann and gradually opens up into increasingly impressive views of the surrounding North Cascades.

This section is one of our favorite parts of the hike because the scenery continues getting better as you gain elevation.

You are not simply hiking several miles through the trees waiting for one big viewpoint at the end.

The views become part of the hike itself.

Heather Pass

Eventually, you will reach Heather Pass.

From here, another route heads toward Lewis Lake, Wing Lake, and Black Peak.

Adventure Option: Lewis Lake and Wing Lake

If you want to turn Maple Pass into a bigger adventure, consider taking the route from Heather Pass toward Lewis Lake and Wing Lake.

We took this detour to Lewis Lake and thought it was well worth the extra effort as Lewis Lake has become one of our favorite in 10 years of hiking and is a stunner in the fall. Just know that this is very different from the maintained Maple Pass trail.

From Heather Pass, the route becomes rougher and requires crossing a large boulder and talus field. There isn't a nice, smooth trail through this section, and picking your way across the rocks can be slow and tiring. Good footwear and comfort traveling over uneven terrain are important here.

Traversing the talus field to Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake

Lewis Lake makes a great turnaround point if you want to add some adventure without committing to the full trip to Wing Lake.

The lake sits beneath the dramatic surrounding peaks and feels much more remote than the busy Maple Pass Loop. We LOVED this side trip, but the boulder field made it take considerably longer than the mileage alone would suggest.

Our detour to Lewis Lake added roughly three miles round trip to our day.

Lewis Lake

Continuing to Wing Lake

More adventurous hikers can continue beyond Lewis Lake toward Wing Lake.

The terrain remains considerably rougher than the main Maple Pass Loop, and this should be treated as a backcountry side trip rather than simply an extra couple of trail miles. There is camping at Wing Lake, but we had to turn around as it was threatening rain.

Wing Lake sits in an incredible alpine basin below Black Peak and is a beautiful destination, but reaching it requires more effort, route finding, and time

Should You Add Lewis or Wing Lake?

If this is your first time hiking Maple Pass, we think the standard loop with the short Lake Ann detour is already an incredible day.

But if you are comfortable traveling over rocky terrain, have plenty of daylight, and want something a little more adventurous, Lewis Lake is a fantastic addition.

For experienced hikers looking for an even bigger day, continuing to Wing Lake takes you deeper into some spectacular North Cascades scenery.

The Ridgeline and Maple Pass

Continuing beyond Heather Pass, the trail climbs toward the high ridgeline.

In the summer, this section can be filled with wildflowers.

In the fall, the larches become the star of the show.

As you gain elevation, the views stretch across the surrounding peaks and valleys, and eventually

you reach the boundary of North Cascades National Park.

North Cascades Boundry

This entire section is spectacular.

Keep an eye on the surrounding slopes as well. Bears are not uncommon in this area, and the open terrain makes it possible to spot wildlife from quite a distance.

The Descent

After reaching the high point of the loop, the trail begins its long descent back toward Rainy Pass.

The upper portion stays open for a while, which means you continue getting good mountain views even after you have started heading downhill.

Eventually, the trail drops back into the forest before reconnecting near the Rainy Lake area and returning to the parking lot.

By the end of the hike, you have seen alpine lakes, mountain passes, wildlife habitat, wildflowers, larches, and some of the classic jagged scenery that makes the North Cascades so special.

Permits Required:

Northwest Forest Pass

Distance:

Seattle: 3 hours 5 minutes

Vancouver: 3 hours 20 minutes

Portland 5 hours 45 minutes

Useful Links:

US Forest website with up-to-date trail information

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/okawen/recreation/natureviewing/recarea/?recid=59285&actid=64

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Photo Report

Early views with lots of fall color

The fall colors were stunning from the get go

First view of Lake Ann

About to break into better scenery

Lake Ann

We decided to take the off shoot trail to Lewis Lake at Heather Pass

The larches were near peak color and very dense in this section

A lonely larch just before the talus field

Starting the large boulder field. This would be challenging in slick conditions.

The trail to Lewis Lake now follows the edge of the Talus field

Enjoying a well deserved break at Lewis Lake

Our favorite lake in Washington

Lewis Lake

Headed back to Heather-Maple Loop

There was actually a bear in the distance in this photo but is hard to spot

Unbelievable Peak Colors

The popular instagram view

Starting the descent down