Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest · Washington · Trail 696

Ridley Creek

Ridley Creek Trail is a 6 miles trail in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Mount Baker 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 end48.7262, -121.9017 · Directions ↗
Other end48.7229, -121.8535 · 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 is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length6 miles
Trail class2, moderately 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 numbers696
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 08/01 to 10/31 (month/day)

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

No season published
Ridley Creek Trail is open to stock Aug. 1-Oct. 31. Trail is open to llamas year round.  Wilderness regulations apply in Mt Baker Wilderness. Within Mt. Baker National Recreation Area camping is permitted in designated sites only and campfires are prohibited. Forest Service
0 mi

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

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

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
    Electric

    21 mi from the trail midpoint · 495 acres · 90% contained

  • Wildfire
    Luna

    31 mi from the trail midpoint · 7,879 acres · 53% contained

  • Wildfire
    Thunder Creek

    41 mi from the trail midpoint · 715 acres · 0% contained

  • Wildfire
    Border 2

    43 mi from the trail midpoint · 8,284 acres · 70% 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 Ridley Creek Trail?

6 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Ridley Creek Trail?

hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Ridley Creek Trail start?

The line begins at 48.7262, -121.9017 and ends at 48.7229, -121.8535. The nearest recorded trailhead is Ridley Creek Trailhead, 0 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Ridley Creek Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Mount Baker Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Mount Baker Wilderness Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Ridley Creek Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Source: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest official page

How developed is the Ridley Creek Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately 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 Ridley Creek Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Ridley Creek 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 Ridley Creek Trail?

4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Electric at 21 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named RIDLEY CREEK 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.