McClellan Butte is the prominent pyramidal horn rising from the Snoqualmie River Valley roughly 8 miles east of North Bend on the south side of I-90. The trail begins at an elevation of about 1,500 feet and climbs to 5,162 feet over 5.2 miles. The trails starts with a gentle slope meandering through an old growth forest crossing the first of three fire roads at .08 of a mile, keep going across the road until you reach the John Wayne Trail (Iron Horse Trail) another half mile or so down the trail. Once you reach the John Wayne Trail (second fire road) there is a sign directing you to the west (right) for .4 of a mile to the McClellan’s Butte Trail. There is a rest area on this stretch of the John Wayne Trail that has several nice pea gravel tent beds and an outhouse. Continue down the trail past Angel Creek until you find the McClellan’s Butte trail on the left, it is clearly marked by a sign. The trail continues at a slightly higher incline until the third and last fire road. The trail crosses the road at about 2,200 feet and then the trail greatly steepens as you enter a series of switch backs climbing the north face, before rounding the east side of the butte. The trail sidehills below cliffs and reaches the south ridge of the peak at 4,500 feet. The trail cuts across no less than 5 avalanche chutes, which during snow season (late fall thru early summer) should be approached and crossed with due caution. Parts of the trail are eroded, rocky and rooted, but are still in fairly good shape. As you round the mountain, you drop down a hundred feet into a small meadow that in the spring may be flooded or covered with a series of shallow ponds. There are trails that branch out from the main trail to circumvent the flooded areas. Once across the meadow the trail again surges upward toward the summit. The last 100 feet of the climb are a class three scramble with a lot of exposure. There are plenty of good hand and foot holds, but there is a lot of moss and the rock will be slippery when wet. The view from the top on a clear day are very nice, offering a view of the Snoqualmie River Valley , Seattle, Mount Rainier, the Olympics, Puget Sound and the surrounding mountains.

Getting There

From Seattle take I-90 East to the Tinkham Exit (#42). Turn south and travel 0.3 mile to the turnoff for the trailhead on the right, and continue another .2 mile to the trailhead. Don't leave anything of value behind in your vehicle as breakins are commonplace here.

Red Tape

A Northwest Forest Pass is required to access this area. For more information on the Northwest Forest Pass, check out the Links page. Fires are not permitted and caution should be used when using cooking stoves. During the winter months beware of potential avalanches while using this trail. For current information on the Iron Horse Trail call Lake Easton State Park at 509-656-2586; for information on McClellan Butte call the North Bend Ranger Station at 425-888-1421 (Seattle 206-622-8378).

When To Climb

High avalanche conditions may be present in the fall thru late spring, early summer, as chutes are crossed many times on the ascent. It is advisable to bring an ice axe and crampons before July most years. More than one fatality has occurred here so proceed with caution! Fire danger is usually high during summer and fall months, so use caution when using cooking stoves, no camp fires are allowed.

Camping

There is no camping at the trail head. Once you reach the John Wayne Trail (Iron Hourse Trail) there areas provided for camping. Some of the camp sites offer groomed pea gravel tent beads, and very well kept outhouses. Camp fires are not allowed at any of the sites in this area.

Miscellaneous Info

The trail from the parking lot to up to and including the John Wayne Trail is open to bikes and horses. The John Wayne Trail is open to bikes, horses, horse darwn wagons, etc. The trail from the John Wayne Trail to the summit is hiking only.

If you have information about this mountain that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

External Links

Recreation Passes of the Northwest
This page includes information on the Northwest Forest Pass.

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