The Devil's Dome Loop is a 42-ish-mile loop in the North Cascades of Washington, specifically on the western side of the expansive Pasayten Wilderness and along the eastern side of Ross Lake. The loop completes a circumnavigation of 9,066' Jack Mountain, traveling along high ridges and subalpine parks for approximately half its length and along Ross Lake and above Ruby Creek for its other half. The loop is fairly well known, well described, and well traveled, so I'll keep my own verbiage short.
The loop is almost exclusively done counter-clockwise, the prevailing wisdom being that this will allow you to get the bulk of the elevation gain done early and finish your day (or trip) with the relatively easy miles along Ross Lake and Ruby Creek. If you're attempting the loop in a day, traveling counter-clockwise will also help you spend the hottest part of the day under tree cover rather than on the exposed terrain of Jackita Ridge.
Descriptions of the route can be found at:
- http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/devils-dome
- http://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/loop-backpacks.htm
- http://www.backpacker.com/trips/washington/north-cascades-national-park/devils-dome-loop/
- http://www.trailsnw.com/index.php?fuseaction=Trails.DisplayTrail&hike_num=432
Trip reports and photos can be found at:
- A trip report from a WTA logout along the loop in 2012 with great photos
- A backpacking trip report from 2012
- Luke's blog has a running trip report from 2013 and a few photos
Distance: 42-ish miles
Elevation Gain: Approximately 11,000'
Maps and More:
- 1x31,680 scale (1 inch = 0.5 mile)
- 1x63,360 scale (1 inch = 1 mile)
- Mileage, elevation gain, and route details
Overview Map:
Trailhead: It's possible to begin this trip at either the East Bank Trailhead or the Canyon Creek Trailhead. Approximately 3 miles could be saved by setting up a shuttle between the two trailheads. Even more miles could be cut out by making use of a water taxi on Ross Lake to take you to Devils Junction.
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