Washington's Gorgeous Fall Colors Decorate This Scenic Hike On The Pacific Crest Trail

The trees along the Pacific Crest Trail are starting to turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red. In Washington, fall foliage means beautiful, golden larch trees. There is no better place to see them than Cutthroat Pass. Here, you can take in the state's stunning fall colors set against the backdrop of majestic mountains and even see a stunning high-altitude lake. 

The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is considered one of the longest hikes in America. The popular West Coast trail extends 2,650 miles between Campo, a small town on the Mexico-United States border, and Manning in British Columbia, Canada. Five sections of the 30-section hike are in Washington. The last part before the Canadian border, Section L, veers east after passing through North Cascades National Park, a national park to add to your West Coast bucket list. 

You, too, will pass through North Cascades National Park en route to Cutthroat Pass. After landing at Bellingham International Airport (BLI), a small airport with connections to other West Coast cities, you will rent a car and drive east on the North Cascades Scenic Highway (State Route 20). In less than three hours, you will enter the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest, which covers 3.8 million acres along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range. The trailhead for Cutthroat Pass sits just off the highway. You will probably run into thru-hikers from the Pacific Crest Trail as soon as you start hiking.

Cutthroat Pass is always a great hiking trail. But this time of year, it is an absolute knockout. The nearly 10-mile, out-and-back trail is not an easy hike, as it gains 2,000 feet in elevation. It is absolutely worth it, though.

The wide, well-maintained trail starts deep in the forest. During the first mile, you will jump over small creeks and hear waterfalls in the distance. Larger Porcupine Creek will be harder to cross. Be sure to watch your footing on its slippery rocks. Then the rocky path is going to get even harder, as switchbacks lead uphill to the ridgeline and out to the viewpoint. This is where the forest thins out, and the mountain views take over. Black and Fisher Peaks are clearly visible from here. Alternatively, you can use the trail to access Cutthroat Lake, a clear body of water surrounded by trees and craggy peaks.

Yet this time of the year, you will barely notice the path, the creeks, and even the views on Cutthroat Pass. That is how impressive the foliage is along this trail. Cutthroat Pass is known as a larch hike. Its deciduous conifer trees, which grow in cool, temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere, turn golden before dropping their needles in the autumn. Cutthroat Pass is filled with larch groves, so you will be surrounded by the golden trees throughout most of this hike. Blueberry and huckleberry bushes, as well as wildflowers, add even more color along the way. No wonder so many people consider this one of the best fall hikes in the whole state.

It's easy to get addicted to this stunning scenery. Since the golden larch season only lasts for a few weeks, you should plan to do more than one of these hikes. Directly across the trailhead for Cutthroat Pass, you will find the popular Maple Pass Trail. This 6.5-mile loop trail is also known as the Heather – Maple Pass Loop. It is a difficult hike, gaining more than 2,000 feet in elevation, with wildflower-filled meadows, a lot of switchbacks, and a detour to glacial Lake Ann. This gorgeous hiking trail in Washington might be even better than Mount Rainier's skyline. The fall foliage elevates the gorgeous hike into an absolute stunner.

If you don't have the time to do both Cutthroat Pass and the Maple Pass, then the Rainy Pass is an alternative. Its trailhead is right near the one for the Maple Pass. The trail is neither as long nor as steep as its neighbor, though. This short loop trail is only 3.4 miles with a 700-foot elevation gain. But it still leads through the glacial valley to Lake Ann, which will be ringed with those golden larches.

After a long hiking day, nearby Winthrop is a relaxing spot. You will find everything you are craving, from beer to wine to pizza, in the mountain town. Best of all, it is only 35 miles east of the trailheads, so you will be scrolling through your pictures full of beautiful fall colors in no time.