Mount Pilchuck State Park, Nature reserve in Snohomish County, United States.
Mount Pilchuck State Park is a 1,903-acre public recreation area seven miles east of Granite Falls on the western edge of the Cascade Mountains. Its main feature is the 3-mile trail to the 5,324-foot summit, where a square fire lookout with a cream-coloured upper wall, broad windows and a white railing stands on a grey rock outcrop.
The U.S. Forest Service built a fire lookout on the 5,324-foot summit in 1918, and it was staffed until the 1960s. Washington State Parks ran a concessionaire-operated ski area on the slopes from 1957 to 1980, closing it when snow became unreliable. The park is now managed with the USFS and the Everett Mountaineers.
The name comes from a Native American word meaning red water, referring to a creek in the surrounding landscape. Visitors connect with this local meaning as they walk through the wooded terrain.
The 3-mile trail to the summit climbs about 2,300 feet, so allow several hours for the round trip. The route crosses rock slabs and a boulder field near the top, where a wooden staircase leads to the lookout. Snow and ice can linger into early summer; check conditions before setting out.
The site once housed a ski resort operated by Washington State Parks from 1957 to 1980, eventually closing due to unreliable snow. This chapter in the park's past demonstrates how mountain recreation areas adapt to changing conditions.
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