Region
Highlights
- The most climbed peak in Washington? Happily join the over 100,000 people a year on Seattle's signature hike only 35 minutes from the city.
- Vast majority of hikers stop before climbing to the true summit: the Haystack, a rock pinnacle reached by an exposed Class 3 scramble. Be careful!
- 80% of the way up is forested... until the trail bursts into wide-open talus slopes and meadows dotted with rocky outcroppings... with ridiculi views.
- The Old Mount Si Trail is shorter and steeper than the newer and currently main Mount Si Trail. Both have tons of switchbacks.
- A popular fitness training hike for future Mount Rainier mountaineers. A large backpack full of water jugs is a giveaway.
- Mount Si Trail is also a popular mountain trailrun... the oft-cited benchmark for excellent fitness used by mountain guides is climbing to the view rocks in under an hour (requires trail running).
Routes
111 summits • 7.8 mi • 3,149 ft gain • 3 hr 46 min • Class 3
27 summits • 6.6 mi • 3,573 ft gain • 2 hr 29 min • Class 3
5 summits • 8.8 mi • 3,274 ft gain • 3 hr 32 min
3 summits • 11.3 mi • 3,416 ft gain • 4 hr 1 min
1 summit • 11.2 mi • 4,173 ft gain • 3 hr 36 min
1 summit • 11.6 mi • 4,457 ft gain • 3 hr 40 min
1 summit • 13.0 mi • 4,902 ft gain • 7 hr 27 min
1 summit • 27.5 mi • 9,272 ft gain • 9 hr 40 min
1 summit • 32.1 mi • 10,383 ft gain • 13 hr 24 min
1 summit • 6.1 mi • 3,591 ft gain • 3 hr 51 min
1 summit • 6.1 mi • 3,395 ft gain • 3 hr 49 min
1 summit • 8.4 mi • 3,371 ft gain • 3 hr 20 min
Latest summits
"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 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
"Northbend Trifecta - This is a local challenge few have accomplished – A series of three peak summits I have only read about and given my recent push to climb more and summit more and push harder, I thought after a week of summits – Mount St. Helens, Mailbox Peak 2X, Dirty Box, Teneriffe Kamikaze Route I was ready for this undertaking. It was also an opportunity to put myself in the finishers’ spot with the PNW Peakbaggers Facebook Group’s challenge to visually summit Mount Everest by gaining the total altitude beginning April 15th. Here goes! I completed the North Bend Trifecta today!: Mailbox Peak Old Trail, Mount Teneriffe Kamikaze Route, Mount Si Old Trail – up and down each one. 11,609 feet gain, 19+ miles, 17+hours.
MPB was a breeze and I ran into our own PNW Peak Bagger group founder and leader – Bill Goodgion descending the summit! Kamikaze was slow with all the precipitation making the rocks and roots on the ridge and steep approach super slick, and 6″ of new powder on the final 500′ make it slippery and slow. Did Si in the pitch dark – first time on the Old Trail. I was the only human on the mountain tonight, but not alone – my axe was in my hand the entire time! The w..." — markhadland • Apr 24, 2021
"An early season blue-bird day, lead to my first hike of Mt. Si. We encountered snow 50% of the way up, waist-deep at the top. Not the day (for me) to check out the top of the haystack. " — zachmitch • Mar 1, 2019
"Headed back up after completing one loop already. Traffic started picking up with a lot more groups, but all were friendly and we're polite enough to make room for this power hiker and downhill running guy." — CraigArnold2 • Aug 11, 2018
"Started off at 0700, and got to the top in 80 minutes after power hiking. The clouds we're still pretty thick, but well above the summit so made for some nice dark colored photos. Descent took about 55 minutes of good downhill running. Took a alfew minutes to refit at the truck and started back up for a second climb." — CraigArnold2 • Aug 11, 2018
"Too wet at the summit block for me to feel comfortable making it to the top. But a magnificent view from this peak! Hiked with Ryan Byers and Marissa Dreyer, both of whom braved the wet scramble and made it to the summit." — robkleffner • Aug 11, 2018
"Belated start to my training for the Emmons Route on Rainier. Made it to the misty top in 80 minutes, then waded back through the stream of ear-budded hikers. One guy was running laps up and down the mountain, he was starting his 3rd trip up when I got to the bottom." — TynanRammGranberg • Apr 29, 2018
"Time to the top area (base of haystack), 2 hours (pretty good for me!). Scrambled up wet rock to the haystack summit in 45 min. Snowing and strong, cold wind on top.
Question: the Green Trails map says the "twin peak" just behind (north of) the haystack is the true summit at 4167 ft. Is this true? The elevations must be very close. Do people go to the north summit via the little razorback between the two peaks? I wasn't going to try it without protection in driving snow today :)
3500 ft gain, 8 miles, 5:30 hrs" — markgarrett • Mar 23, 2016
"Just documenting - reached the top of the trail in 1 hour and 35 minutes and the base of the haystack in 1 hour and 45 minutes. Too icy to climb that day.....back down to the car in 57 minutes. " — BryHong8 • Feb 6, 2016