Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout — Attraction in Enumclaw

My daughter (10) and I hiked this trail Friday 8/8/25.

We arrived to the parking lot sometime after 9am and the parking lot was busy. There were spots available but not enough to be picky.

9:30 am we hit the trail. We took Sourdough Ridge Trail to Frozen Lake Junction then took the Mt. Fremont Trail. You could make this a loop by combining other trails but we chose the out and back option.

From the start you are met with amazing views of Rainier that is there the whole hike. You'll come across other view points that are also very impressive.

The Sourdough Ridge Trail to Frozen Lake: Immediately you're met with elevation gain that will level off and on. You get like 4 tiny shaded spots that help for the trek back. This part of the trail seems to be the busiest since it goes to the Frozen Lake Junction.

Frozen Lake Junction: Frozen Lake is a great break spot even though there is no shade. There are many big rocks to sit on and rest. You can't go into the lake, nor go on to the shoreline, nor fill water at the lake. It is literally roped off to aid in meadow restoration. This is a hub for many hikes acting as a 5 way intersection.

Mt. Fremont Trail: It's a steep climb that has no shade the entire way. The trail is narrow and passing people can be sketchy in some areas. The trail itself is a mixture of dirt pathway with rocks to flat loose rock making up the pathway. The rock parts were tricky for my daughter but completely doable. Would recommend good shoes with traction, poles are a plus.

Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout: The lookout has amazing 360 views! The mountain is the star but the landscape around is just as impressive.

The trek back: We started down the trail at 1pm. It was hot and the sun was beating down on us. We had hats on and neck fans. The trail was still busy. We took a break at Frozen Lake. The Sourdough Ridge Trail back to Sunrise Visitor Center was the hottest part.

Overall this is an amazing hike that is very busy. You will need sunscreen, bug spray, good traction shoes, a hat, and enough water to last the trek there and back. We spent about 5 1/2 hours out there. We took our time and...

Hiked up to the Fremont Fire Lookout on Friday 7/15/22. My wife and I had a great time on the hike with some very gorgeous views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding glaciers on it. Absolutely stunning. There currently is still some snow on the path, which is pretty fun to see in July. My wife used trekking poles, but they really aren’t needed. On the at up you pass the Frozen Lake which is glacially fed and the water is super blue.

Getting to the Frozen Lake is about the halfway mark. The second half is a not a steep incline, but it can be a workout if you are not in shape. That said, I’d say it’s still moderate and not challenging by any means, so don’t be afraid to go for this hike!

Getting to the top is absolutely worth it. When we went it was sunny with barely any clouds and 63 degrees out too. There are chipmunks at the top, but please do not feed them! We saw some people feeding them which is rather disappointing and they did jump on some people to try and get food. Not in an aggressive way, but it definitely wasn’t people welcoming them onto their lap.

Finally, the views are completely worth it, and I’d suggest getting up there before it gets too hot and the snow really melts from the mountain. We got to the trailhead at 10am and after visiting the visitor center started the hik around 10:45am. Got to the top around 12:45ish at a moderate pace with breaks. Not too crowded past the frozen lake, and at midday most people either aren’t there yet, or they’ve...

What an amazing hike. Have done this one a few times now and it never gets old.

First time was a sunrise hike. Started at 4am in the dark to be to the top for sunrise. Absolutely amazing. One of my most memorable hikes. Absolutely loved the view. There was a lot of people going up for the sunrise. So plan accordingly. The next time I did this hike was a later in the day hike. Less people. Both times people did good at social distancing and wearing masks. If you're doing this hike in the summer and planning a day hike. There is no tree cover. You will be out in the sun the entire time. The trail to the lookout is 80% up the whole way. Nothing terrible. Clocked around seven miles each time on this hike. Was fun going for the sunrise because you make a slight hurt once your almost to the top and you can see Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle lights. Was really amazing. Also you can see many other peaks as well on this hike. From southern WA all the way to Canada and even the Olympics. Trail is great. Some larger rocks in parts and sand at Frozen Lake. But all worth the hike to...