Dude Mountain is a 2.4 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Ketchikan, Alaska that features beautiful wild flowers and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
camping
hiking
nature trips
walking
bird watching
running
forest
views
wild flowers
wildlife
muddy
rocky
The trail begins in a recently harvested timber unit, and quickly gains elevation, then heads through a dense forest before opening into muskeg and alpine meadows. For about the first mile, the trail is a combination of boardwalk and gravel tread. Some of the boardwalk in this section is leaning and slippery, so hikers should take caution. After the gravel and boardwalk ends, the final section of trail follows a narrow ridge to the summit of Dude Mountain. The final section of trail is unimproved, steep, and may be covered with snow until late summer. The trail offers an exhilarating alpine hiking experience that can be accessed quickly from the road system. Hikers are rewarded with stunning views of the surrounding peaks including Brown Mountain and Diana Mountain as well as the Tongass Narrows. During the summer season, the muskegs and alpine meadows bloom with a variety of wildflowers. There are blueberry, salmonberry, and huckleberry bushes present in the lower section of trail during the summer months. Scan the surrounding ridges and peaks for mountain goats once you have reached the summit.
One of the best views in Ketchikan and you can hike up in an hour to hour and a half!
Bucket List Hike! It’s difficult both up and down but very rewarding view points and berry patches to catch your breath. We only encountered 2 couples all afternoon and the weather was warm and sunny. Perfect score except for insects at the top! Bring Bug Repellent! And a picnic :)
This trail is unique for Ketchikan in that the rewarding views come pretty quickly. The drive up to the trailhead is treacherous. Lots of sharp rocks on the road. Road is only really one lane. If another car is coming, then one has to pull over into the bushes. Make sure you have a spare tire or two if you are going. Four wheel drive and a vehicle with some height is recommended. The trail has a nice boardwalk until about halfway up. Lots of berries to pick along the way. After the boardwalk ends, the trail gets STEEP. But the nice thing about this trail is that the steeper it gets, the more amazing the views are, so it’s very encouraging to keep going. The trail rides a ridge-line, but I never felt like I was in danger of falling off. The mosquitoes and horse flies were ABUNDANT. Bug spray is a must! Near the summit the trail splits off into a lot of different directions and we weren’t sure where, or how far, each one went. So we just stayed close to the main trail and took tons of photos.
Just missed the sunset, but still enough light to make it to the top and back. Took about an hour each way. Beautiful wildflowers like arctic lupine, red paintbrush, etc. A bit muddy but that's to be expected.
