Columbia Falls Natural Area Preserve
Archer Mountain Viewpoint & Cedar Swamp Road
16 mi · ▲ 2,735 ft · 6 hr 42 min
Archer Mountain Viewpoint & Cedar Swamp Road is a 16-mile out-and-back in Columbia Falls Natural Area Preserve near Saint Cloud, WA. The route reaches Archer Mountain Viewpoint at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 2,735 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade. It scores 86/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Archer Mountain Viewpoint & Cedar Swamp Road
16 mi · ▲ 2,735 ft · 6 hr 42 min
Elevation 1,242–2,576 ft
Out & Back · Columbia Falls Natural Area Preserve
Trailhead: 45.67561, -122.09385
Weather Sep 4: Light drizzle, high 57°F / low 45° · precip 57% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:34 AM · sunset 7:43 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 200 ftBear right, heading E.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.8 miSharp right, heading W.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Cedar Swamp Road, heading W.
- 450 ftBear left, heading W.
- 350 ftBear left, heading W.
- 1.6 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.7 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.8 miSharp right, heading E.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading S.
- 1.2 miTurn right onto Archer Mountain Trail, heading S.
- 0.4 miReach Archer Mountain Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 1.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miSharp left, heading NW.
- 0.8 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading N.
- 1.6 miBear right onto Cedar Swamp Road, heading NE.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading W.
- 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.9 mi in (~104 min). Leave by 5:38 PM for the 7:43 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:56 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
More from this trailhead
- Mars Landing Road via Cedar Swamp Road 9.6 mi · ▲ 1,990 ft
- W-1400 9.9 mi · ▲ 1,449 ft
- Indian Mary Falls & Cedar Swamp Road 13.1 mi · ▲ 1,964 ft
- Archer Falls & Cedar Swamp Road 13.4 mi · ▲ 2,078 ft
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