Photo: Winter view from the summit of Wedge Mountain
The access for this trail is a dramatic vista-view, contour-hugging Forest Service road which overlooks the Wenatchee River valley from Tumwater Canyon to Sunny Slope, north of Wenatchee. Visible to the east is Burch Mountain, Horse Lake Mountain, and Mission Ridge. To the north are the Entiat Mountains, and to the northwest, the North Cascades. Roadside wildflowers include fields of Fireweed where the forest fires of 1994 burned through, leaving burned snags but also clearing the underbrush. There are stretches where both sides of the road are lined with white alpine Asters with occasional splashes of purple Asters. There is Goldenrod, Teasel, multiple varieties of Penstemons, Indian Paintbrush, Yarrow, Lupines, Balsamroot, Buckwheat, Stonecrop, Jacob’s Ladder, Blue Elderberry, and Snowbrush and Pearly Everlasting. Geological formations include passage through alluvial deposits on the lower slopes of the Stuart range into transitional zones including metamorphic sandstones and fragmented basaltic rock uplifted along with the Stuart range. Much of the rock debris in the vicinity of the 3700 ft. elevation parking area contains serpentine. Toward the upper end of the road approaching the ridgeline of Wedge Mountain the rock formations and debris become predominantly granite of the Stuart range batholith, which is still in the process of uplift. From the flanks of the mountain and from its peak, there are wonderful vistas including the mountain building, glaciation, weathering, and erosion processes which have sculpted this region.
Maps: USGS 7.5 Minute Series: Leavenworth, WA. View our topo map (8.5’x11” portrait/landscape or 8.5”x14” portrait/landscape). Note: use ‘Print Preview’ before printing to properly scale this map to a full sheet of paper.
Activity: Hiking
Nearest Town: Leavenworth
Skill Level: 3
Fitness Level: 2
Distance: Roundtrip: 3-5 miles depending on where you park
Elevation: Lower Parking: 3640 ft; Upper Parking: 4088 ft; Summit: 5842 ft
Recommended Season: Summer
Access:
- From Highway 2 just east of Leavenworth, take East Leavenworth road 0.1 mile south to Mountain Home Road.
- Turn left and follow Mt. Home Rd. about 6 miles south. This road is gravel for about 5.6 miles as it ascends from Leavenworth into the foothills east of the Stuart Range. It becomes Forest Service Road 7300, and is marked.
- After about 6 miles, there is a four-way intersection marked only with a sign pointing in the direction of Boundary Butte to the east. Turn right (west or opposite the road to Boundary Butte). This is spur road 400 although it is not marked.
- Follow this spur up multiple switchbacks. Approximately 3.5 mi. from the intersection with Road 7300, there is a flat gravel parking area in a saddle of the ridge (elevation 3700 ft.). Park here.
- Note: The road is often rough once you get off Mountain Home Road. Some years the next several miles can be driven with a normal car, some years a four-wheel drive vehicle will be needed.
Trip Instructions:
--From the parking area, the trail starts off on the right (toward Leavenworth) on an old road bed that formerly could be driven for another mile but now has only a trail penetrating the brush. Walk this old road bed (Road 400). The road initially heads north toward Leavenworth climbing moderately for about ½ to ¾ mile, then switches back toward the south for another ½ mile. This grown-over road ends approximately 400 feet above the large parking area.
--At this point, there is the appearance of a small foot trail starting up the slope. Unfortunately, this is all the trail that can be identified. There is no improved or even well beaten path to the top of the ridge. The remainder of this hike and the ascent to the top of Wedge Mountain will involve bushwhacking and path finding skills.
--By following a switchback path of rock outcrop, bare earth, and the evidence of prior footsteps, you can find your own path approximately 400 feet up the steep slope to the ridge. As this area was burned over in 1994, there is considerable deadfall and much evidence of the fire present on standing live and dead trees. It also offers the opportunity to view the progress of natural fire recovery.
--Once atop the ridge, the going is slightly easier as there are limited indicators of a footpath running along the ridge top on its east side. The west side of the ridge is a steep precipice.
--Follow the ridgeline south toward a rocky peak to cover another ½ mile distance and gain an additional 100 ft.
-- From this rocky peak overlooking the Snow Creek canyon, to the south, Nada Lake is visible nestled between the eastern ridge of the Stuart Range and the central massif including the Temple and Prusik Peak formations. To the far south is Mt. McClellan complete with permanent snow pack. To the west is the Icicle River canyon with Mt. Cashmere beyond. To the north is Icicle Ridge which runs northwest into the Chiwaukum Mountains. To the east, on a clear day, several prominent features are visible including the Entiat Mountains, Burch Mountain, Horse Lake Mountain, and Mission Ridge. In the valleys, Dryden and Cashmere can be identified, and the Sunny Slope developments north of Wenatchee can be spotted.
Cons/Hazards: Because there is no signage, getting lost (or at least confused) is quite possible if you don't pay attention.
Land Designation: Forest Service
Fees/Permits: None
Trip Reporter: Fred Higgins, 7/21/02. Trail Instructions updated 8/2008 with details supplied by Carolyn Griffin-Bugert.
Condition Update: June 18, 2008. Reported by Tina Rieman. The road up was fine. No better or worse than usual, with just one tree to drive under that may come down on the road eventually. There were a couple patches of snow near the saddle (the dogs loved that), and lots of snow looking over toward the Enchantments. The main attraction was a friendly billy goat that hung around for the whole time we were having lunch. The Balsam Root is past it's prime but there are tons of other flowers. The weather was cool, sunny, and breezy. Wedge Mt. is such a great hike. I never get tired of it, although it seems to me they've tilted the trail a little more since last time.
Leave It Better Than You Found It: This should be every outdoor user’s goal. Pick up trash left by others, pull noxious weeds along your route, disperse old fire rings (they encourage more fires), throw branches over spur trails and spurs between switchbacks (make it harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing).
Important Disclaimer: Treat this information as recommendations, not gospel. Things change, conditions change, and those contributing these reports are volunteers--they may make mistakes, fail to give complete information, or may not know all the issues affecting a route. So forget about finger pointing: If things go wrong, you are completely responsible for yourself and your actions. If you can’t live with that, you are prohibited from using our information.