North Cascades National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in Washington, with beautiful hiking trails, bright blue lakes, and snow-capped mountains. It quickly became one of my favorite national parks!

Although North Cascades National Park has many miles of trails, Heather Maple Pass Loop is one of the best hikes (and my favorite hike) in the park! Heather Maple Pass Loop is a stunning hike, offering endless views of the surrounding mountains and lakes, and they will take your breath away with their beauty.

As soon as I saw a photo of the views from Heather Maple Pass Loop, I knew we had to hike it. And to be honest, the photos did not do it justice! I was in awe of the stunning 360-degree views, and it quickly became one of my favorite hikes in Washington.

If you want to add Heather Maple Pass Loop to your North Cascades National Park itinerary, this guide is the perfect place to start planning! I included everything you need to know about hiking Heather Maple Pass Loop.

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How to Get to Heather Maple Pass Loop

Heather Maple Pass Loop begins at the Rainy Pass Trailhead off Highway 20. Since the Rainy Pass Trailhead is home to two popular trails, the parking lot fills up quickly, and I recommend arriving early to secure a spot and enjoy the trail with fewer people.

We arrived at the trailhead before sunrise and easily found a spot. Once we were done the hike which was just before noon, the parking lot was completely full!

You also need a National Forest Pass to park at this trailhead. It is $5, and you can pay at the parking lot kiosk. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you do not need to pay the fee since that pass covers national forest fees.

If you plan to stay the night near the trailhead, I recommend either staying at a nearby campground or finding an accommodation in Winthrop.

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Heather Maple Pass Loop Overview

Heather Maple Pass Loop is easily one of the most beautiful trails near North Cascades National Park. Once you hike it, you will quickly realize why it is a favorite hike in the area!

Because of the length and elevation gain, it is challenging, but the trail is well-maintained, and the views make the effort worth it!

Heather Maple Pass Loop Hiking Stats

Length: 6.6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 2,200 feet (128 meters)
Difficulty: Strenuous
Best time to hike: Summer to early fall
Facilities: The trailhead parking lot has restrooms.
Dog-friendly: Because Heather Maple Pass Loop is just outside the North Cascades National Park boundary, dogs are allowed, and they must be on a leash.

Heather Maple Pass Loop Trail Map

What to Pack for the Hike

This is a great baseline for what to pack, and you can adjust as needed:

Hiking Heather Maple Pass Loop: Step-By-Step Guide

Heather Maple Pass Loop is one of the most beautiful hikes near North Cascades National Park, with stunning mountain views and bright blue lakes. It is one of the most popular trails near the national park, so I recommend arriving early to secure a parking spot and start the hike with fewer people.

**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and throw away your trash properly. Also, stay on designated trails. This area has fragile vegetation.

Heather Maple Pass Loop Trailhead

The Heather Maple Pass Loop begins at the Rainy Lake Trailhead, which is one of the most popular trailheads in North Cascades National Park. We arrived before sunrise and easily found a spot, but when we finished the hike around noon, the parking lot was completely full.

I recommend arriving early in the morning to avoid midday congestion. The trail is much more peaceful in the morning than midday!

Trailhead to Lake Ann Trail

Although you can follow the trail in either direction, I recommend hiking it counterclockwise. We hiked it counterclockwise, and I will give you the details on that route.

If you hike it clockwise, the ascent is steep, but the rest of the trail is gradual for the descent. Both ways are beautiful, so it comes down to preference!

As soon as you start on the trail, it ascends through a beautiful forest and wildflower meadows. Before the one-mile mark, the trail has a beautiful view over a wildflower meadow with mountain views. It gives you the first glimpse of what is to come!

After another half-mile, the trail intersects with the Lake Ann Trail. If you are up for adding another 1.2 miles to the hike, I recommend hiking to the base of Lake Ann because it is beautiful! If you do not want to, you will have a beautiful view overlooking it at the top of the pass.

Lake Ann Trail to Heather Pass

Heather Maple Pass Loop continues gradually ascending over the next mile while providing a sneak preview of the views. This hike flies by because the views distract you from the mileage!

After about a mile, the trail comes to its first major viewpoint, looking north towards Heather Pass and into the Cascades. As soon as we saw these views, we got an additional pep in our step because we knew the rest of the views were going to be incredible.

heather maple pass loop overlooking the surrounding mountains

Heather Pass to Maple Pass

The views for the rest of the trail are absolutely stunning and will take your breath away! The final push to Maple Pass is one of my favorite sections because the 360-degree views are unmatched.

The views overlooking Lake Ann towards Cutthroat Peak are stunning, and you can see what feels like for miles looking into North Cascades National Park. The views from Maple Pass are some of the best in the area, in my opinion!

heather maple pass loop overlooking lake ann

Maple Pass is the highest point on the trail at about 6,900 feet and offers some of the best 360-degree views on the hike. I could not get over how small I felt surrounded by these massive mountains. It is the best feeling! Maple Pass is also a great spot to enjoy a snack before beginning the descent.

Maple Pass to Rainy Lake Trail

The descent on Heather Maple Pass Loop is steep, but the views help distract you from the difficulty. The trail offers more beautiful viewpoints on the way down, which helps to break up the descent.

I also recommend taking your time at the beginning of the descent to enjoy the views. I could not stop taking photos because of how breathtaking the mountain views were!

Rainy Lake Trail to the Parking Lot

After about 2.5 miles, Heather Maple Pass intersects with the paved Rainy Lake Trail. You can either continue left on Rainy Lake Trail to the parking lot or turn right to the shores of Rainy Lake.

Rainy Lake is the most popular trail in this area because it is accessible with stunning views, and it will likely be crowded. The trail was packed when we arrived midday.

Since the hike to Rainy Lake is easy and only adds 1 mile, it is a great addition! The views from the base of the emerald-colored lake and surrounding mountains are stunning! The paved path eventually returns to the parking lot where you started the hike.

If you want to add Heather Maple Pass Loop to your North Cascades National Park itinerary, this guide is the perfect place to start planning. It has everything you need to know to hike Heather Maple Pass Loop!