Near Northway Down
Mt. Rainier
Near Northway Down
Lunch with a VIEW
Near Northway Down
(Clouded) Rainier at trail left
Near Northway Down
A favorite part of this trail: soft shaded singletrack.
Near Northway Down
River & Mountain

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Hike Route

Northway Down

4.7 (3 Ratings)
A fun downhill hike with views of Mt. Rainier. You can either ride the gondola up or hike to the start!
11
mi
Distance
2,934
ft
Gain
moderate
Difficulty
BirdingLakeSwimmingViewsWildflowersWildlife

Route Details

Flatter
Steeper
11.04mi
Distance
2,934ft
Elevation Gain
2,966ft
Elevation Loss
45%
Max Grade
6,783ft
High Point
3,881ft
Low Point
Path Type
Point to Point
Description
This hike starts at the scenic top of Crystal Mountain Resort, which is served by a gondola ride. Alternatively, one can hike up to the starting point via the Silver Creek Trail and Crystal Mountain Trails. Although a few sections are rocky, the majority of this hike is on fine, sandy singletrack, largely following the Northway Trail. The last mile of downhill is almost too much of a good thing: soft pine needles cushion a trail weaving down through thick forest. It is easy to pick up the pace if you want to! Rocks and roots are infrequent in this section. The last segment follows a forest road to the Power Line Trail which connects back to the parking lots and gondola station.

Route Conditions

Report Conditions
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Contributors
Ben Stephens