Mount Pilchuck, Mountain summit in Snohomish County, US.

Mount Pilchuck is a summit in the Cascade Range, 37 miles northeast of Seattle in Snohomish County. Its upper slopes are bare snow and ice along a sharp ridgeline, with a steep face on the left. Below, dark evergreen trees coated in snow cover the middle and lower flanks in vertical rows that fade into gray cloud near the base.

In the early 1900s the U.S. Forest Service built an observation tower on the summit to watch for forest fires. This station was one of many lookouts established across the Cascade range for fire detection and prevention.

The name Pilchuck comes from Chinook Jargon: pʰil ("red") and tsəqw ("water" or "river"), possibly because iron-rich streams from the mountain look orangish-red. The Lushootseed name bəlalgʷəʔ means "navel."

Conditions on the mountain can vary by season, so proper footwear and plenty of water are essential for a visit. The hike requires moderate fitness and regular breaks during the ascent, especially as elevation increases.

The summit fire lookout is jointly maintained by Washington State Parks and the Everett branch of The Mountaineers, and now serves as a shelter for hikers. The name Pilchuck comes from Chinook Jargon: pʰil, "red," and tsəqw, "water" or "river," possibly because iron-rich streams from the mountain look orangish-red. The Lushootseed name means "navel."