Paulina Peak Trail

Saturday, June 27, 2020

Difficulty: Difficult

Tier: 1

This a fantastic trail, and is certainly a good leg workout. It can either be a 6-mile, or a 4-mile trail depending on where you start. If you start at the Paulina Lake Campground (A), it is 6 miles, but if you start at the NF-500 parking lot, it is a 4-miler.

We started at the campground. The first mile is a quick and easy walk through the trees, with only 200 feet of elevation. The hike really ramps up once you get to the NF-500 parking lot (B). From here it is about two more miles to the peak. Nearly the entire hike, there is a clear view of the Northern Cascades.

The middle sections is no joke; there are few flats spots to take a much-needed rest. While difficult, it is a straight-forward trail, as long as you take your time on the ascent. We reached the peak in less than two hours. Two hours of quad-burning, calf-destroying fun.

As you can see, it was a crystal-clear day. At the summit, we had breath-taking views of the Sisters, Mount Jefferson, and and even all the way down to Mount Shasta in California. Next to the serene Paulina Lake lies the Obsidian Flow, the exposed remnants of a large lava flow around 1,300 years ago. A reminder that natural beauty comes in many forms.

We were lucky to have gone on such a nice day, and I would certainly love to make the trip again. A tier 1 hike, and at the time of writing this, probably in my top five hikes in the PNW.