Hiking to Heybrook Lookout, Stevens Pass, Washington

In search of more great Stevens Pass hikes?
Check out nearby Bridal Veil Falls or the Iron Goat Trail.

CURRENT INFO

General information about Heybrook Lookout is available on the U.S. Forest Service website. You can read trail reports on the WTA (Washington Trails Association) website. This hike is also included in the excellent guide Best Hikes with Kids: Western Washington by Susan Elderkin. To reserve the lookout for an overnight stay, visit the recreation.gov website.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Parking is free at the Heybrook Lookout trailhead, just off the north side of Highway 2.
• There are no amenities at the trailhead other than a small sign that includes a trail map. Be sure to pack everything out with you.
• Dogs are allowed on leash.
• There is no toilet at the trailhead, but there is a vault toilet in the woods not too far past the lookout. I had a little trouble finding it at first!
• At the lookout, visitors can climb 82 steps to reach the viewing platform and take in expansive views of the surrounding Cascade Mountains. If you find you really like it up here, you might consider renting the lookout for an overnight stay. Reservations can be made on the recreation.gov website for $75 per night.
• Keep in mind that while Heybrook Ridge is at a relatively low elevation of 1,700 feet, it can be snowy in winter. Depending on snow levels, the trail is typically open from roughly March through December.
• We started our hike around 3:30 in the afternoon and were back at the trailhead by 6:00. Avid hikers can easily complete the hike in well under two hours, making it a wonderful option for a summer evening hike when the days are long.

HIGHLIGHTS

The hike to Heybrook Lookout is best done on a clear day to experience the superlative mountain views, including Mt. Baring and Mt. Index. It’s perfect for early spring when most mountain trails are still covered in snow. Getting to experience those snow-covered peaks from a clear trail in March — wow!

THE KIDS’ TAKE

This is an awesome hike for kids! Our kids tore up the trail as if they’d just been let outside after a long winter captivity. While it’s steep, they had no difficulty navigating the rocks and roots; that just added to the fun. The older ones felt a little anxious climbing the stairs on the lookout, but my five-year-old loved it. He made it to the top more than three times! As a bonus, in March there was still some snow on the ridge. What kid can resist a little play time in the snow?

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

Since Heybrook Lookout is a short hike, it can easily be paired with other trails in the area, and Stevens Pass offers a wealth of hiking opportunities. Keep in mind that many mountain hikes are closed during winter and open much later in the spring or summer. One option for year-round hiking is Wallace Falls, an incredibly popular trail near Gold Bar. From late spring through fall, other hikes open up.

Deception Falls is a great option east of Heybrook Lookout. Stop here for a picnic and a beautiful half mile loop through the woods and past thundering Deception Falls. The Iron Goat Trail is another favorite, and can easily be adapted for a shorter or longer hike. West of Heybrook Lookout, try Bridal Veil Falls.

If all this hiking makes you hungry, Zeke’s Drive In, located a short drive west of the trailhead on Highway 2, is the place to go. Zeke’s offers good burgers and sandwiches (especially the delicious patty dip), excellent shakes, and so-so fries (not bad, but could be crispier). They have plenty of outdoor seating, offer free mini-ice cream cones for dogs, and your kids can watch the trains scream by on the opposite side of the highway. It’s a win for everyone!

In need of caffeine? Stop by the Espresso Chalet, known for its Harry Henderson Sasquatch statue. More than just a roadside curiosity, the Chalet sells good coffee and has outdoor seating with mountain views.

Have you ever felt the mountains calling? Here in the Pacific Northwest, we live with mountains on the horizon (when they’re not shrouded in clouds, at least), but there is nothing quite like going to the mountains. In winter, that may mean skiing, snowshoeing, or treacherous driving along a mountain pass. But as beautiful as the snow is, by March I find myself longing for the summer hiking season, when fields of snow give way to fields of wildflowers.

Thankfully, there are hikes like Heybrook Lookout to give us a taste of the mountains when the higher elevations are still blanketed in white. Lucky for us, Heybrook is also a short hike, which meant we could squeeze it in after J’s Saturday baseball practice. We pulled up to the trailhead at 3:15 and were on our way up by 3:30.

The trail to Heybrook Lookout climbs steadily uphill, which was no problem for the kids. They leapt around rocks and roots, clambered onto boulders, and scaled diagonal rock faces. On our way up, we passed numerous hikers on their way down. This is a popular trail, and I hoped our late start meant there would be fewer people at the summit. With the coronavirus still ongoing, we try to avoid especially crowded trails, and this was a little busier than most of our recent forays. Not everyone was wearing a mask, either. Still, it was manageable, and easy to stand to the side to give others space to pass.

As we neared the top of the ridge, the views started to open up. I caught a glimpse of snow-clad mountains to our right. Then, rounding a corner, I turned my focus back to the steep rocky steps ahead of me, when suddenly I looked up and saw:

We had arrived! I was, frankly, a little shocked by how quickly it was upon us. True, we had hiked for an hour by this time, but sometimes it takes the better part of an hour for the kids to hike a mile on level ground, let alone manage 850 feet of elevation gain. Still bursting with energy, the kids immediately took off for the tower. I made my way more slowly, and met them coming down as I neared the top.

“My stomach feels a little weird,” J told me.

“Are you anxious about the height?” I asked.

“Yeah, a little… I think we’re done,” J replied as he and his friend hurried down, heads lowered.

Above me, a small voice called, “Mo-o-o-m?”

“You OK?” I asked, looking up to see T. “Is it a little scary?”

“Yeah,” T looked a little downcast, but suddenly brightened. “I’m feeling better now! I can go down by myself!”

Confident that the kids were fine, I continued up to the viewing platform. The Heybrook Lookout is solidly built, its sturdy rails lined with wire fencing that make it impossible to slip through the slats. Those with a fear of heights may feel a bit queasy, but it’s a safe place to explore. After overcoming his initial fears, T agreed. As I took in the marvelous mountain views, he appeared again at the top of the stairs. Before I made it back to the ground, he was on his way up for a third time. And who could blame him? It isn’t every day you get a view like this:

From high above, we saw our family and friends below, the adults relaxing while the kids played in the snow. Here, at an elevation of 1,700 feet, the trail was clear, but patches of snow remained in the shade of the forest. It was a delight to enjoy it under the warmth of the late afternoon sun.

Back down on the ground, I decided to check out the toilet. A small wooden sign not far from the tower pointed down a snow-covered dirt road that approached the lookout from the other side of the ridge. I made my way down the gently sloping road, where a second sign also pointed the way. It appeared I needed to continue further along the road.

“Where is this toilet?” I wondered silently as I followed the road further into the forest and deeper into the snow. There was no outhouse in sight. Eventually, I came to a fork in the road, but no sign. Huh. Had I missed something? Puzzled, I turned around and hurried back. By this time, I’d walked about a quarter mile past the lookout. I was certain the others were wondering what had become of me, when I spotted my friend just ahead, approaching the sign I’d passed earlier.

“I think you follow the blazes here,” he said, as I confirmed I’d gone too far. Sure enough, the sign was angled just enough to indicate a hidden trail into the forest marked with hanging strands of orange tape. We followed the trail as it wound tightly through the trees. There, hidden in the woods, was the toilet. I couldn’t help wondering if this is the latrine used by those spending the night in the lookout. If so, all I can say is that would be a night to skip the bedtime tea!

We spent a little more time in the snow, enjoyed some snacks, then started back down the trail. It was after five, and we wanted to be back at the trailhead before dark. No one was much interested in repeating our Iron Goat Trail adventure of last fall! We made it in good time with T, as usual, first to arrive back at the car.

At the trailhead, we agreed it had been a wonderful hike. The beautiful views were well worth the climb. Not only that, but the trail through the forest offered its own rewards, and felt a world away from noisy Highway 2. For a trail to kick-off to spring hiking, we really couldn’t have asked for more.