Trail Overview
The Frost Mountain Trail is a fun and scenic 5.2-mile-long section of single-track through the Wenatchee National Forest that connects the Shoestring Trail to the South Fork Taneum Trail. The southern half of the trail is easier and more gradual, while the northern half gets a bit more technical and steep. From the south entrance, the narrow trail is a mix of forest and sagebrush meadows and sweeping easy switchbacks. It crosses NF Road 3100 and climbs up through a hillside meadow, connecting with the 4x4 trail for a moment. Then it side-hills along a gradual hillside until it intersects with the spur 1366.1 that will take you to the Frost Mountain Lookout. After the spur, the trail starts to descend more steeply for the next 3 miles. There are short ledges and drop-offs from embedded roots and rocks in the trail, and some narrow side-hilling and tight turns through the trees and moderate switchbacks. It drops down to a couple of shallow and easy creek crossings, but that could be much fuller in the spring. There is significant exposure in the north half when it side-hills elevated above the creek.
Difficulty
This is an intermediate trail due to frequent technical features such as embedded roots and rocks that create small drop-offs and ledges, and significant exposure, mostly in the northern half of the trail. The trail is narrow and shelfy as it side-hills in many sections. In general, the southern half of the trail is easier and more gradual.
