Miles: 4 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 1060ft/3510ft
Map: Green Trails Sun Mountain 83s
Favorite Eats After Hike: 5 B’s Bakery, The Mazama Store, Methow Valley Cider House, Glover Street Market, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike Details: The Patterson Mountain Trail is a short loopish jaunt close to downtown Winthrop that offers expansive views of the Methow Valley and surrounding peaks along SR 20. Starting right up from the road, it brings you quickly to a loop where you can choose left or right to end up just below the summit where you will head up on the ridge. There are cattle gates to open and close, along with a step ladder that goes over fencing. There is little shade but spring presents popular balsamwood and fall brings quaking yellow aspen.
My trip report:
10/2/2022
This was the perfect day hike as we made our way around the Cascade Loop on the north side before stopping in Winthrop at Methow Cider House for nosh. The fall colors were out and aspen was quaking as we made our way around to the junction about a quarter mile in. We took the left hand trail signed for the North Loop after passing through the gate.
The views of the Methow Valley were wide with a blue sky above as it took us about 30 minutes to reach the next loop junction and turn for the summit. We had the summit to ourselves and the mosaic tiles were a treat.
It was a short walk over to where the “true” summit would be on the jeep track but it really wasn’t that much of a difference and the dilapidated gate made the extra distance not worth it.
Few people were encountered on the way down and we took a calming moment to stop and listen to the aspen before making our way back to the car.
Total distance was 4 miles and about 2 hours hiking time.
Directions: Heading east on SR 20 into Winthrop, turn east (right) at the 4 way stop to continue on Hwy 20 for 0.6 miles. Turn right on Twin Lakes Road and follow for 3.1 miles. Take another right on Patterson Lake Road and follow it for 4.0 miles. The boat launch and trailhead parking are both on the left and the trailhead is directly across the road on the right.
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