Noble Knob, Norse Peak Wilderness, Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, WA | June 30-July 1, 2022

 

Destination

  • Noble Knob and George Lake, starting from Camp Sheppard outside of Enumclaw, WA, paralleling State Route 410 on the White River Trail #1199 to the Ranger Creek trail #1197, passing the Little Ranger viewpoint; onwards to the Dalles Ridge Trail #1173 then finally to the Noble Knob Trail #1184.

Difficulty Rating

  • Difficult: approximately 10 mile trail run (one device read about 9.5 miles, the other device read 10.2 miles) with nearly 4,000 feet of elevation gain
  • Difficult: add on the 2-mile round-trip to George Lake which is much lower than Noble Knob but has its own campsites.

Noteworthy

  • Forest service roads to access Noble Knob via Corral Pass or Dalles Ridge shave off nearly all of the elevation gain but usually aren't open until mid- to late July due to snow levels. On June 30, 2022, these roads were blocked by snow several miles before the trailheads, even though the trails were nearly snow-free. 
  • There is no water source near Noble Knob. On Dalles Ridge there may be meltwater streams flowing but those are about 2.5-3 miles from the knob. George Lake is at least 2 miles of difficult travel from the knob according to my GPS mapping app.
  • The nearest town for any supplies, gas, or cell phone service is Greenwater, which is a tiny hamlet with the Naches Tavern (indifferent greasy bar food.) There are a couple stores with some supplies but nothing extensive. After Greenwater there is no gas station for nearly 100 miles as you head towards Mt. Rainier National Park. To the west, Enumclaw is much larger and has a grocery store, gas stations, restaurants, medical care, the local ranger station, definitive cell phone service, a public library with wi-fi, etc.

Future Explorations...

  • This area is quite popular once the snow is gone and it becomes more accessible. I'm so glad I had a chance to enjoy it in solitude. Next time I might camp at George Lake since undoubtedly there would be many hikers at Noble Knob.
  • Greenwater Lakes might be another accessible destination, either from the State Route 410 trailheads or from its own trailhead.

Resources 

Media


Noble Knob

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