Cutthroat Pass via the Pacific Crest Trail
North Cascades
As of July 21, 2026, the trail to Cutthroat Pass from North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) is in good condition. Reports from July 9th and July 10th indicate the trail is well-maintained and logged out.
Snow is minimal, with only intermittent patches near the top as of July 4th, though one report from June 20th noted a significant snowfield. Creek crossings are numerous but generally easy to navigate, though Porcupine Creek was challenging for some on June 20th and July 9th, requiring careful crossing.
Bugs were noted as aggressive at the summit on July 13th, and very buggy at the top on July 21st. Parking at the trailhead was plentiful on weekdays and moderately full by mid-morning on weekends, with Maple Pass parking being significantly busier. Wildflowers are blooming throughout the trail.
generated from 38 reports
Sources
I hiked from Rainy pass to Cutthroat Pass today and conditions were great. The trail is in really good condition and there are multiple water crossings, but I had no trouble in any of them and I had ...
I finally took my kids out to one of my favorite places. It’s where I first fell in love with the PCT and I’ve been inching to go back but I’ve hiked other parts instead. Anyways…Arrived at 9:30 to a ...
This is one of our favorite hikes in the area, as it gets far less use than the Maple Pass trail across the highway, the trail is typically in great shape, and the 360-degree views up top are nothing ...
There are probably about 10 creek crossing or spots where there is water over the trail. In the latter case, it's very shallow but if you don't have thick soles or waterproof footwear, your feet could...
Probably my favorite hike of the year with the some breathtaking views.The trail is very well-maintained and was just gentle slope the entire way up. There were a few creek crossings on the way up, bu...
Amazing day doing the pass from the west side this week! Perfect weather. Love the new parking lot! There’s only two switchbacks that are a little sketch with residual snow after mile 4, otherwise smo...
We were able to park in the trailhead parking lot at noon on a Saturday.Beautiful wildflowers earlier on the trail.A few creek crossings that get your feet wet. Porcupine Creek was calf deep (pictured...
I ran from Rainy Pass to Cutthroat Pass and back along the PCT. I thought it was probably still a bit early for this one, and that was correct. There was still substantial snow above 6000', with the t...
This beautiful snowshoe felt like a special opportunity with the road still open. I got to the trailhead at 9:30 and parked on the highway, as the road up to the trailhead from the highway was snow co...
This hike is stunning! Arrived at 10 am Friday morning to plenty of cars parked along the road but no trouble finding a spot. The larches are turning, still mostly green but next weekend should probab...
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