Desolation Peak Trail

The trailhead is a boat dock located on the east shore, about a 1/4 of a mile north of Cat Island. A pit toilet is available here. From there the trail wastes no time going steeply uphill. It climbs 1,000 feet per mile through a shaded forest and then breaks out near an open ridge among a fantastic display of wildflowers (mid-late July).About halfway up there is a spring and small creek, but it may not be a reliable source as the summer progresses on. On the ridge top (before mile 4 where the trail turns north), you'll find a backcountry camp with no water available.Upon reaching the summit, you'll be rewarded with views of Little Jackass Mountain, Hozomeen Mountain, Skagit Peak, Nohokomeen Glacier, and the lovely fjord-like Ross Lake. The lookout is a popular destination made famous by Jack Kerouac who spent 63 days here during the summer of 1956 as a fire lookout and wrote about his experiences here.