East Fork Buttermilk Trail 420

Access: From Twisp take Okanogan County Road 9114 (Twisp River Road) west for about 11 miles, turn left onto Forest Service Road 43 and follow the road for about 6 miles. Turn left again on FS Road 4300-400 and follow it for about 3.2 miles to the trailhead.

Route Description: The trail follows an old road bed to the creek crossing at 2 miles, parts of the road have been reclaimed by mountain alder and can be brushy in a few short sections. The wide clearing for the road continues for another 2 miles, and then becomes a trail. The trail traverses lodgepole pine and subalpine fir forest to nearly the pass. Near the pass, some remnant sedge meadows give way to a talus-choked basin to the pass.

Highlights: The beginning of this route was a scheme to reach Stehekin and the gold fields. It's an easy route up until the last mile to the pass, which is strenuous. This forested hike is cool during the hot summer, with limited views until near the pass. Hoodoo Pass and Hoodoo Basin, south of the area, are brilliant, as the subalpine larch trees turn golden with the shorter days of autumn. The Hoodoo Basin Trail intersects with the Chelan Summit Trail at 1.3 miles.

Specific Hazards/Difficulties: It is extremely wet and hard on stock to use in the spring.

Length: 6.5 miles/10.46 km.

Season: Late June - mid-October.

Maps: USGS: Hoodoo Peak.
             Green Trails: Buttermilk Butte, Prince Creek.

Restrictions: No motorized or mechanized vehicles. Wilderness use restrictions apply.

Trailhead Facilities: Northwest Forest Pass required.