AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Wild Sky Wilderness

Benchmark Mountain Trail–North Fork Skykomish Trail, 3 sights

13.5 mi · ▲ 3,935 ft · 6 hr 28 min

Benchmark Mountain Trail–North Fork Skykomish Trail, 3 sights is a 13.5-mile out-and-back in Wild Sky Wilderness near Monte Cristo, WA. It climbs 3,935 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 97/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi2,494 – 5,578 ft · steepest grade: 23%13.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Quartz Creek Trailhead 47.92669, -121.27725
Nearest town Monte Cristo, WA · Official trailhead info (fs.usda.gov)
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Benchmark Mountain Trail–North Fork Skykomish Trail, 3 sights

13.5 mi · ▲ 3,935 ft · 6 hr 28 min

Elevation 2,493–5,578 ft

Out & Back · Wild Sky Wilderness

Trailhead: Quartz Creek Trailhead · 47.92669, -121.27725

Weather Aug 3: Overcast, high 69°F / low 45° · precip 1% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 5:45 AM · sunset 8:39 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Forest Road 63, heading E.
  2. 0.1 miContinue straight onto West Cady Ridge Trail, heading NE.
  3. 6.4 miContinue straight onto Benchmark Mountain Trail, heading NE.
  4. 50 ftBear right onto West Cady Ridge Trail, heading NE.
  5. 0.2 miReach West Cady Ridge Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  6. 0.2 miBear left onto Benchmark Mountain Trail, heading SW.
  7. 100 ftContinue straight onto West Cady Ridge Trail, heading SW.
  8. 6.4 miContinue straight onto North Fork Skykomish Trail, heading W.
  9. 450 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/north-fork-skykomish-trail-out-back-26-km

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

OvercastTemperature 69°F45°
Precip1%Wind1 mphUV7Humidity53%
Hourly temperature
70°45°
Sunrise 5:45 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:39 PM
Tue 78°57°
Wed 86°61°
Thu 85°58°
Fri 78°52°
Sat 76°49°
Sun 80°51°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.1 mi in (~214 min). Leave by 4:45 PM for the 8:39 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:05 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Quartz Creek Trailhead Trailhead

Hikes near Monte Cristo, Washington