Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Washington · Trail 1009

Mount Defiance

Mount Defiance Trail is a 6.8 miles trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end47.4250, -121.5128 · Directions ↗
Other end47.4549, -121.5909 · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.

The trail

Length6.8 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers1009
ForestMt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (unit 0605)
StatesWashington
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Wildfire
    Three Queens

    14 mi from the trail midpoint · 9,562 acres · 23% contained

  • Wildfire
    King

    14 mi from the trail midpoint · 3,304 acres · 0% contained

  • Wildfire
    Goat

    24 mi from the trail midpoint · 815 acres · 64% contained

  • Wildfire
    West Fork

    34 mi from the trail midpoint · 310 acres · 16% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Mount Defiance Trail?

6.8 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Mount Defiance Trail?

hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Mount Defiance Trail start?

The line begins at 47.4250, -121.5128 and ends at 47.4549, -121.5909. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Mount Defiance Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Alpine Lakes Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Mount Defiance Trail?

Tinkham Campground (1.8 mi) and Denny Creek Campground (3.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Mount Defiance Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Mount Defiance Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Mount Defiance Trail?

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Forest Service unit 0605. The trail is in Washington.

Source: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Mount Defiance Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Three Queens at 14 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named MOUNT DEFIANCE in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0605. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.