Sauk Mountain — Local services in Sedro-Woolley

Pushing 70 years of age, this hike was on my bucket list, located only 5 miles from my home in Concrete. I’d heard the views were beautiful all the way up beginning at the trailhead, and it’s so true. It was stunning. 4.2 miles up and back with just under 1,200 feet of elevation gain. At the summit, you have a 360 degree view that will take your breath away. I saw marmots, grouse, and fields of wild flowers throughout the hike. Some important precautions: cover yourself in bug spray and sunscreen. You are exposed to the sun 95% of the hike and the bugs can be horrendous. If you have a fear of heights, this hike is not for you. The trail is narrow and the switchbacks have no guardrails. To reach the summit, I had to hike over a snowfield and scramble over rocks. Many turn back at this point, but it’s worth it to press on to see the 360 view at the summit. Take plenty of water and snacks and many photos. It’s so amazing....

This was an unplanned hike for us and we didn’t even finish the hike because we were worn out. The short hike that we did do was amazing though and the views were quite nice once the fog lifted. Bring lots of bug spray and make sure to use the restroom before you head up because the drive up the road is soooo long and the vault toilet is not well maintained. There’s a small picnic table at the top for a lunch and parking for around 15-20 cars, the drive up is brutal and I do not recommend for a small car. An SUV or truck is preferred but we made it up just fine with a sprinter van and rode the brakes all...

This was a great moderate hike with high payoff for relatively little effort.

Getting to the trailhead is an adventure. The gravel road up is full of potholes, so you'll want either a high clearance vehicle, or a rental car (our Mazda3 was able to handle it).

The trailhead has parking for maybe 15 cars, tops.

The start of the trail is quite a few switchbacks that is in direct sun in the afternoon/evening. You go up and around the backside of the mountain and get some shade and views of Sauk Lake before the rocky summit.

We measured this hike at 3.8 miles and 1,130 ft of...