Running Wild, Washington: Granite Mountain Circumnavigation

This loop seems to be the most popular run along I-90 and is known by many names, usually involving some combination of the lakes it visits, but I prefer to call it the 'Granite Mountain Circumnavigation'. As the loop leads you to waterfalls on Denny Creek, over two mountain passes, and past a handful of alpine lakes, one feature remains constant: its encirclement of the Granite Mountain "massif". If you have the extra time and energy, a sidetrip to the lookout-adorned summit of Granite Mountain is well worth the effort.

I recommend running the loop counterclockwise. The trail leading up to Melakwa Lake is rocky and slow, making it a much nicer ascent then descent, and the trail descending from Pratt Pass back to the Pratt Lake Trailhead is a wonderful stretch of trail that is best enjoyed as a downhill run.

Distance: About 15 miles for the loop itself (including the road miles) and as much as 27 if you do both sidetrips to Kaleetan Lake and Granite Mountain.

Elevation Gain: 4,300 feet of gain for just the loop, 7,400 if you include Granite Mountain, and close to 11,000 if you visit Kaleetan Lake and Granite Mountain.

Maps and More: