Platts Lookout–Lake Margaret, 3 summits
11.3 mi · ▲ 1,672 ft · 4 hr 36 min
Platts Lookout–Lake Margaret, 3 summits is an 11.3-mile out-and-back in Marckworth State Forest near Lake Marcel, WA. The route passes Lake Margaret and Platts Lookout before reaching Marckworth State Forest Viewpoint at the turnaround, 5.7 miles in. It climbs 1,672 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Platts Lookout–Lake Margaret, 3 summits
11.3 mi · ▲ 1,672 ft · 4 hr 36 min
Elevation 252–1,010 ft
Out & Back · Marckworth State Forest
Trailhead: 47.76640, -121.89592
Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 71°F / low 50° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 5:48 AM · sunset 8:41 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 50 ftPass Lake Margaret.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Escorlator, heading S.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading SW.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Little Ridge, heading S.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.7 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.8 miPass Marckworth State Forest Viewpoint.
- 250 ftReach Platts Lookout, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.8 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
- 1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Little Ridge, heading N.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Cherry Creek Falls Trail, heading N.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Escorlator, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.4 miArrive 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 right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 8:21 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 8:41 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 9:17 PM.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Marckworth Falls & Lake Margaret via Cherry Valley Truck Trail 16 mi · ▲ 1,916 ft
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