Copper Mountain Lookout

Land Management: North Cascades National Park

Region: Mount Baker area

Pass required: Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful (parking)

Permit required: Visit recreation.gov to obtain the permit required for all overnight stays within North Cascades National Park boundaries.

Mileage: 20 miles (minimum)

Elevation gain/loss: 7000’ (minimum)

Max elevation: 6260’

Road access: From Glacier, head east on Highway 542. Shortly before Silver Firs Campground, turn left onto FR 32. Follow FR 32 to it’s end at 5 miles where you will reach the Hannegan Pass trailhead.

Trail description: Starting in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, begin on the Hannegan Pass trail #674 and cross through the Mount Baker Wilderness for 4 miles before coming to a trail junction just below Hannegan Peak.

*This is an excellent side summit if you have time, with views of the Copper Mountain lookout atop Copper Ridge. I opted to climb Hannegan on a separate day trip the week before my backpacking trip to Copper Mountain, this way I could scout the trail a little bit and bring my dog along while remaining entirely in the National Forest.

Follow the Hannegan Pass trail straight at the junction below Hannegan Peak. Drop into the valley, filling your water if needed at the creek crossing just before the National Park boundary (I didn’t see easily accessible water at Boundary Camp). At 1 mile from the pass, you will reach Boundary Camp; there is a toilet and a bear vault here. Remember, camping is sparse at this point or beyond, and requires a permit (https://recreation.gov). The environment in this area is fragile, and campsites are built for a specific amount of usage.

Take the left fork, starting the climb up the Copper Ridge trail and arriving at Silesia Camp after 3 miles. The views open up on this section as you near Silesia. I stayed here for the night, before continuing to the lookout and the summit of Copper Mountain the next day. Water is not available at Silesia, but is available at nearby Egg Lake (1 mile roundtrip). There are toilets and bear vaults at both Silesia and Egg Lake camps.

Day 1: 9.5 miles, 3700ft of gain- Hannegan TH to Silesia Camp (including a side trip to/from Egg Lake for water).

The next day, I left Silesia and continued on the Copper Ridge trail for 2 miles before reaching the lookout. It was secured for the upcoming winter season, but the surrounding foliage boasted bright reds, oranges and yellows in the sunlight while I admired the long ranges of mountains visible on all sides. My journey took me beyond the lookout, which you can read about here.

Date Visited: 10/2025