"The Seattle 5". The first Peak Challenge to tackle for those in the Seattle area itching to get out nearby. Includes 5 of the most popular peaks close to the city, offering the quickest entrée into the wilderness. These 5 peaks all lie east of the Seattle area with easy access off I-90, but be aware that these peaks can get super (super!) crowded. Arrive earlier than you think you should to get parking.
Highest peak
Mailbox Peak
4,845 ft / 1,476 m
Most prominent peak
Mount Teneriffe
628 ft / 191 m prom
Most summited peak
Mount Si
338 summits
Most difficult peak
Mailbox Peak
Class 1
Difficulty breakdown
Class 1/2 2 peaks
Class 3/4 1 peak
Highlights
Latest summits
"Mailbox up the old trail, down the new with AK. Started early and managed to beat the heat on a busy Mother's Day hike. Down in back in ~4.5 hours. Not a cloud in the sky, 88F. Snow was minimal, walked probably 20 total steps on snow." — zachmitch • May 14, 2023
"A really cool peak. Got to the trailhead well before sunrise and took the old trail to the summit in the snow for sunrise. Overall rating 7/10, definetly recommend hiking it at a time where you can have the trail to yourself and enjoy the view" — MountainQuest • Jan 26, 2023
"A classic summit. Ran to the trailhead from North Bend and took the Old Trail to the top. Overall rating 8/10, amazing views, close to town, and a fun Class 3 scramble to the top of the Haystack" — MountainQuest • Sep 27, 2022
"Solo hike today and to the TH @ 7:30AM, 3 cars in the lot on a Friday. Kamikaze up is as fun as everyone says, lots of gain. My calves and achilles were feeling it. On the descent (down Teneriffe trail) I found talus on only about 30% of the hike -- a majority of the trail was quite clean. No sweeping landscape photos were possible today, as the smoke finally found it's way here. " — zachmitch • Sep 9, 2022
"Solo hike today with a late start. It was pretty toasty up there for Seattle standards, probably 85F. Parking lot was about half full when I left @ noonish (Monday). Sticks are nice as it was moderately rocky on the bottom half, eases/speeds up your descent. The haystack is worth it, go all the way if you dare!" — zachmitch • Aug 22, 2022