Hiking to the Three Fingers Fire Lookout
Kraig AdamsOct 2023 · Solo
- Days
- 2 days
- Direction
- Out and back on Forest Road 41 and the trail to the lookout
- Cost
- See his costs
- Lodging
- Huts
North America · United States
Three Fingers Lookout
Boulder River Wilderness, Washington
- Distance
- 34.5 mi55.5 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 6,220 ft1,896 m
- High point
- 6,850 ft2,088 m
- Season
- Late July to late September is the…
- Lodging
- Huts
Hikes / North America / Three Fingers Lookout
In October 2023 I flew from New York to Seattle, borrowed a friend's mountain bike, and rode and hiked alone to the Three Fingers Lookout, a 1930s fire lookout bolted to the top of a rock spire in the North Cascades foothills. I spent the night inside it, the only person on the trail and the only one in the lookout, and came back down the same way the next morning. About 17.9 miles up and 16.6 back by my GPS, about 9 miles of each on the bike. It's the trip from my films Hiking to the Three Fingers Fire Lookout and Overnight Alone in the Three Fingers Lookout.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 17 mi (28 km) and 3,110 ft (948 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 6,850 ft (2,088 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation1,604–6,850 ft34.5 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Glaciers, rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
The film
Watch it first
Hiking to the Three Fingers Fire Lookout
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- The Canyon Creek bridge on Forest Road 41, where cars stop, about 1,630 ft (498 m)
- Finish
- The Canyon Creek bridge on Forest Road 41, where cars stop, about 1,630 ft (498 m)
- Direction
- Out and back on Forest Road 41 and the trail to the lookout
- Usual difficulty
- Hard. A long, steep day with a rough forest trail, a snowfield, exposed rock and three ladders at the top
- Best time
- Late July to late September is the usual snow-light window; I went in mid-October 2023 with fall colors and only a dusting of snow. Early and late in the season expect snow and ice near the top, and bring microspikes and an ice axe.
- Permits
- None, and no parking pass
- Getting there
- My way in, 2023. I flew over to Seattle from home in New York City and rented a car at the airport, an SUV big enough for a mountain bike. Friends let me crash at their house north of Seattle, set me up in the guest room, cooked me breakfast really early the next morning, and lent me their mountain bike, which meant I didn't have to rent one. Then it was about an hour to an hour and a half's drive out of the city into the mountains, with views of the peaks at sunrise, up a little mountain road to the bridge. As I drove in, a construction crew was closing the road behind me, so I had the place entirely to myself.
- Lodging
- Huts
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
a borrowed mountain bike · Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 · Amazon Essentials Quick-Dry Tech Hoodie · Salomon Speedcross · Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L · Noka smoothie packets · the AllTrails app · Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Mummy Bag and 19 more.
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911, with a satellite messenger: no cell service from Verlot on.
Phone signal
- Plan on none from Verlot on.
- Carry a satellite messenger, or a phone with satellite texting, and leave your plan with someone.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, and some hospitals ask non-residents for a deposit.
- Make sure your travel health insurance covers medical treatment and repatriation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, The Canyon Creek bridge to the Three Fingers Lookout. At Tin Can Gap, if it's late, the weather is turning, or there's more snow or ice ahead than you're ready for. Past the gap there have been several search and rescue missions. Leave enough daylight to reach the top, or to get back to Goat Flats to camp if the lookout is full: plan to arrive early. If you're on the bike and short of time, the day is too long: camp at Goat Flats and go up to the lookout in the morning.
- Day 2, The lookout back to the Canyon Creek bridge. You're heading out, so the question is when to wait. If it's icy at the ladders or the snowfield, wait for the sun to soften it. If a storm comes in, stay in the lookout until it passes, away from the lightning rods and the metal. If someone is hurt, use your satellite messenger: there's no signal.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, huts.
Hiking to the Three Fingers Fire Lookout
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Three Fingers Lookout?
Kraig Adams hiked it in 2 days.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Three Fingers Lookout cost?
I didn't keep a list of what this trip cost me. I borrowed the bike and stayed with friends, which saved a lot.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Three Fingers Lookout?
Late July to late September is the usual snow-light window; I went in mid-October 2023 with fall colors and only a dusting of snow. Early and late in the season expect snow and ice near the top, and bring microspikes and an ice axe.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Three Fingers Lookout?
No permit and no parking pass. The Boulder River Wilderness rules apply: no fires from Saddle Lake up, no bikes or drones in the wilderness, groups of 12 or fewer.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the hike to Three Fingers Lookout?
About 34.5 miles round trip by my GPS from the Canyon Creek bridge, where cars stop on Forest Road 41: about 18 of it on the closed road, which most people bike, and about 16 on the trail. The trail alone, from the trailhead at Tupso Pass, is about 15 miles round trip with about 4,200 ft of climbing.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is Forest Road 41 open to Three Fingers?
Not in late 2026: a Forest Service order closes it to everyone, walkers and bikes too, from September 29 to December 31, 2026, for a timber sale, and the Forest Service hopes to reopen it for 2027. In a normal year cars stop at the Canyon Creek bridge, about 9 miles below the trailhead, and you bike or walk the rest.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you sleep in the Three Fingers Lookout?
Yes: it's free, first come, first served, with no reservations, and holds about 8 people. It fills up even midweek in summer, so bring a tent and plan to camp at Goat Flats if it's full.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is the Three Fingers Lookout hike dangerous?
The last half mile crosses a snowfield and exposed rock and climbs three ladders to the lookout, and there have been several rescues past Tin Can Gap. Go slow, keep three points of contact, and turn back at the gap if it's late, icy or stormy.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.