Mount Pugh Trailhead Road - What is takes to get there - Darrington, Washington, USA

Pugh is in the Northern Cascades in the Glacier Peak Wilderness.
The road is not horrible but much worse than I expected and busy. The road is very narrow so potholes are unavoidable. Nothing scraped with 6.8" clearance but traction control kicked in twice on the way up. I would not do this with a sedan but someone did. The road was single track 1.5 miles with very few passing options. Luckily we didn't run into any other vehicles so it was ok. We get there around 8:45 and there were a dozen cars. There are just little pull off spots for parking and turning around isn't horrible but depending upon where can be a challenge. No bathrooms.
Conditions change so check the latest reports. This mountain has very challenging terrain with deadly drops so please do your research and choose wisely.
7/28/2024 Trip Report: www.wta.org/go...
WTA Trip Reports: www.wta.org/go...
Weather: www.mountain-f...
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[@whylime21]

thanks so much for this video! I have a low clearance car so I'm always unsure about forest roads. This one looks too sketchy for my little honda. I'll have to find a friend with a high clearance vehicle.

[@SavvyExploring]

So glad it was helpful! The drive ones aren't the most fun to make or probably watch but my dashcam records them no matter what and they are the kind of information I wish was out there when I'm trying to make those decisions so I try to do them.

[@CraigKoppel]

That’s a narrow roadway. You might get into a little jam if someone is driving towards you. 👍8

[@SavvyExploring]

Yeah, that would be very rough. Luckily this is generally a full day hike but it could definitely happen 😬

[@Sohew]

@@SavvyExploring What could you do if you encounter someone going in the other direction? I couldn't imagine trying to back up on that road. I would welcome any suggestions on how to handle that. 😳

[@SavvyExploring]

@@Sohew I wish I had one for you! Honestly, that kind of thing scares me a lot and gets me moving early if I know about it. The only option here would be lots of backing up for someone to a safer spot and/or trying to carve out space in the brush to pull over. 😬

[@leestamm3187]

​​@@SavvyExploring Back in the 1970's and 80's, when driving to trailheads it was common on weekdays to encounter loaded logging trucks coming at you on roads like this. You stopped, backed up to the nearest turnout, switchback, or anywhere else that was wide enough for them to squeeze by. There was no option. If your car/pickup got scratched up in the brush, that was just too bad. 😄

[@SavvyExploring]

@@leestamm3187 definitely glad that is not the case for most areas anymore! I have heard it still happens occasionally in some areas but most places they just close the trails for a few months while they log. Annoying but sounds like it sure beats that alternative. Did it ever happen to you?

[@GrimmJaw496]

its Darrington WA.

[@SavvyExploring]

Fixed, thanks! Somehow I got it right on one and wrong on the other 🤦🏼‍♀️