Monte Cristo Trail is a 8.1 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Granite Falls, Washington that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until December. Dogs are also able to use this trail.
dog friendly
birding
camping
hiking
mountain biking
nature trips
snowshoeing
walking
forest
river
views
wild flowers
wildlife
bridge out
muddy
rocky
washed out
Great easy long hike.
Wonderfully interesting. The mining town was very interesting, parts of the trail were just through forest, nothing interesting to see, however we passed by some very interesting views. The reward is definitely the end of the trail.
A lot of fun with plenty of great unseen trails to return to. Leaves are just starting to change so the various details in the hill and mountain sides were great to observe.
Would have given this pleasant hike five stars, but it appears there have been some washouts in recent years. Trail repairs have left some portions of the trail pretty rocky. Saw two mountain bikers who seemed pretty disappointed.
Great hike, trail in good condition. Good for all skill levels, kid and dog friendly. The river is lower then usual due to our dry summer. Lots of artifacts to enjoy in Monte Cristo, flowers blooming. The mileage is misleading. This hike is 9.5 miles from start to finish NOT 8.1 miles like claimed on website.
I loved it! Beautiful views & lovely weather! Would love if they put a bridge over the river, because I almost fell off the log
Mostly an easy walk (former railway trail), although there is a river crossing on a wide log and a rocky section. Shallow inclines throughout. Beautiful scenery as you walk along the river and through the mountains. No specific peak or vista, though.
It was fairly crowded on a Saturday, and the abandoned mining town had visitors and volunteers performing maintenance. It's well-marked with a descriptive pamphlet.
Good trail for dogs.
did this about 3 weeks ago good easy trail. first hike of the year for me and my new dog. lots of scenery and the old mining town was cool. one person actually still living there.
Fun hike for a hot Memorial Day weekend. Crossing the log was a little challenging but it was fun. A chilly refreshing breeze at the top. The old townsite of Monte Cristo was pretty neat.
The trail itself was in really good shape I would say..... there is one part still that has snow over the path, but easy to maneuver through! There is one small part where you will get your feet wet, but not too bad! The path is a little confusing in some parts, stick to the main path , once you get to the log crossing there is no question where to go. The old town is pretty cool that's where we turned around! I would say this was an easy hike, just long! Beautiful scenery!
I love this hike, but HATE crossing the log. Is there any way to cross without having to cross over the log?
Pretty rocky path. Make sure you have sturdy shoes. The old mining town is pretty cool and the views are a nice little reward.
I've done this hike before and loved it. However for anyone coming from granite falls on mountain loop highway, the highway is closed about 7 miles out from the turnoff.
definately a nice long hike mostly flat good for pictures all day kinda hike. and picnic
Great overnighter. Getting there can be kind of tough. The trail has been washed out. Large rocks litter the path. Due to previous storms many downed trees make it tough to pass. But all will be worth it once you reach the town.
What a wonderful hike, the trail is so easy to follow now, very well marked. The log crossing was easy as well, and there are a few spots where you can cross to the other side without having to cross the log, and not get your feet wet. My friends and I were out there very early and had the whole trail to ourselves. The trail is very nicely maintained, there is only one small section on the other side of the river and back on the main trail where it's a short stretch of rocks. The leaves are starting to turn. It was nice to see some of the old buildings still standing. Great place for camping too. No bugs, No bees.
this is a fantastic day hike there are lots of bugs so be sure and bring some repellent
This was a fun trip with friends. We went beyond the town and the gps registered 11.2 miles. Minimal gain and really easy to follow. Great lunch time spent in hammocks above a bubbling stream. Zero bugs.
We hiked through Monte Cristo on our way to Glacier Basin for an overnight camping trip. The walk to Monte Cristo is very standard and great for someone looking for a more relaxed trek. Mostly you are walking along a gravel road with occasional spots of rockiness. The town itself is pretty cool with beautiful views of mountains, the old Sauk river, and abandoned buildings. You can really smell hold old these buildings are! Pretty cool stuff.
hiked with 9yo and gf took 4 1/2 hrs lots of rocks after log and bugs bugs and more bugs
We went later in the afternoon so traffic on the trail was light. Trees offered some needed shade. Beautiful views. The river was cold without being bracing. I didn't look at pictures on this sight, so I was surprised by the fun place at the end. There was two detours around a clay slide out area and a washed out bridge; that offered a log for passing.
Linda W.
Fun hike. A few obstacles. Clay slide so trail was made to go around. Have to cross river on a short log due to washed out bridge. At one point lots of river rock to walk over. I'm a beginner so it was a bit long, but great history when you get to the old cabins. Keep walking to last cabin. with picket fence...has a great bench by river to relax and eat lunch!!
Awesome out and back hike. At the top you'll be greeted by amazing mountain views and an old abandoned ghost town. Take time to explore the ruins. Then head on up to silver lake.
Nice easy stroll along the old dirt road. One river crossing on a large log over the river to deal with but not difficult at all. Views of Foggy Peak ridge to the north from Monte Cristo and a few other peaks to see along the trail. Not much left of the town to see but still a pleasant destination. Completely snow free this February.
This is hardly what I'd even qualify as a hike and there's not much to it and the trail is almost completely flat. They should really just open this up for motorized access. Anyway, if you've got very novice hikers this is fine, but I can think of 50 other trails that would be more rewarding. Monte Cristo itself is nothing exciting. Just old buildings and some rusted junk laying around.
Great views. Good beginning trail to start on very defined and history lesson of American history. I plan to go afain and see the glacier falls. Very pleasant day hike. I would recomend it to any of my best friends. .
Did this trail because goat lake was too crowded. It was a pretty easy trail, not a lot of rocks to trip on, and was very wide. The only thing I would like to add is that you shouldn't drink the water near the town as apparently there is are high levels of arsenic due to the mining that took place awhile back. We accidentally drank about a liter each (4 of us) and ended up being fine. There are signs that mention hazard cleanup, but don't specifically mention where/what the hazard is.
Right before the town there is a campsite with a bunch of places for tents.
This was a nice easy hike. Beautiful views and lots of places to stop and enjoy the scenery.
We completed this trail yesterday, and though we were slow moving (our little pembroke corgi is kind of putsy) we still had an amazing time. The views are just stunning the further you get into the valley. The snow was still melting high up in the mountains and you could see cascades a few times on the trails, way high up. Just beautiful! There isn't a whole lot left of the ghost town, but still fun to walk around. We wanted to hike up to Glacier Falls but couldn't figure out which way it was. That just means we have to make another trip back! Can't wait.. it was gorgeous..
I love this hike! It is my absolute favorite. Its super flat and easy, with a nice big path and easy to follow signage. It is a bit long, but seeing the old townstead out at the end is totally worth it. As of right now there is still about two-three feet of snow on the trail in places and probably four feet of snow at the town site, but still doable.