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.
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.
USDA Forest Service, Alaska Region, Tongass National Forest Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District 3031 Tongass Avenue Ketchikan, AK 99901 (907) 225-2148 www.fs.usda.gov/tongass Alaska Department of Natural Resources Alaska State Parks Ketchikan Ranger Station 9883 N. Tongass Hwy. Ketchikan, AK 99901 (907) 247-8574 www.dnr.alaska.gov/parks/ Ketchikan Outdoor Recreation and Trails Coalition (907) 225-6808
WARNING: Weather on Dude Mountain is unpredictable and may change rapidly. Notify friends or family of your trip plan, and bring proper safety gear to ensure your hike is safe and successful.
Follow the North Tongass Highway 6 miles from Ketchikan to the Revilla Road junction. Turn right on Revilla Road and follow approximately 6 miles to Brown Mountain Road (Road 8005-120). Turn right and follow 3 miles to the trailhead at the end of the road. The road is steep and narrow with other traffic, so drive with caution.
October 30, 2020Lots of steps and muddy after the first .75 miles. I’d recommend poles. Cold at the top!
October 22, 2020We did the hike in late October 2020 and it was wet with about 2 inches of snow on the top. We were the only people on the trail and the weather was perfect at 30°F. Took about two hours and 45 minutes to the top and back and that was lollygagging and taking pictures. Really awesome views of the mountains and ocean
September 17, 2020Love this trail. One of my favorites in Ketchikan. Wasnt as clear as we’d hoped for ...Lots of smoke in the air due to the California / Washington fires :(
September 15, 2020Beautiful views! I wish we had been there during the early summer to see more wildflowers and berries, but we were fortunate to have a mostly dry trail and a sunny clear day. We could see for miles from the top. It's a perfect place to picnic. It was the middle of a nice sunny stretch of days, so too warm for much wildlife. We saw a few mountain goats with binoculars, and then one coming down the trail. I would never do this trail in the rain, or on a day with poor visibility.
September 15, 2020A little muddy. The real grade starts towards the base of the mountain. Worth it, saw some mountain goats with binoculars.
July 24, 2020July 19, 2020I forgot to start my recording earlier but this was fun. I am not in the greatest shape and had to stop to catch my breathe several time. It was completely worth it once I reached the top. Definitely try to plan for a day that isn’t cloudy so you get a good view.
June 29, 2020Great trail! A bit muddy and slippery so be prepared. Any slippage is totally worth it. Snow is melting off in patches at the top. Wildflowers are blooming with amazing variety. Views were incredible! Worth doing again! If you have extra time get up early to explore the alpine.
March 10, 2020Great hike! Good for beginners as well. The drive to Dude is a bit stressful, probably more stressful than the hike itself. Hike Starts off with board walks. Then breaks into beautiful flower pastures for basically the rest of the hike and beautiful views almost the entire second half of the hike once you break out of the woods a bit! When you get near the top there are some paths that run along extremely steep hills and would be nervous to have a kid with me on these parts. Other than that it’s a beautiful hike, last time I hiked it though the rain and fog rolled in and completely blocked out the view and also made for a very muddy hike but no big deal. I’ll hike it again this summer. Make sure you check the weather before you go because the view is stunning, truly one of a kind!
November 24, 2019This hike is awesome, it’s a beautiful payoff. Short, tough, but sweet.
September 3, 2019One of the best views in Ketchikan and you can hike up in an hour to hour and a half!
July 23, 2019Bucket 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 :)
July 8, 2019This 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.
July 8, 2019June 26, 2019
First to ReviewJust 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.
October 17, 2020September 16, 2020September 6, 2020
