Round Mountain WA
April 19th 2026
Hi, we're the Mountain Goats (Terrence and Nathan), and today I (Terrence) climbed Round Mountain near Darrington, Washington. Round Mountain, although only 5,368', is the 8th-most prominent mountain in Washington, with a staggering 4,840' of prominence. That said, this isn't a particularly popular hike due to its lack of an official trail, especially during the early season.
I tried and failed to summit Round Mountain back in March (when the snow level was at 500'), so I figured today was the perfect day to give it another shot. I decided to take the winter route because I wasn't sure whether the road to the summer route had melted out, and I wanted a challenge.
I left Bellingham just after 6 am and arrived at the "TH" around 7:30 am. The bridge across what I believe to be Swede Creek is washed out, so I parked next to the creek. After crossing the creek, the route follows an old logging trail for .25 miles before cutting off and starting the grueling climb upwards.
There is no trail up to Round Mountain from this access point. One simply must ascend the steep lower slopes of Round Mountain. Because of this, GPS is crucial for route finding. The general route direction is constant: head NW to the ridgeline.
The first mile after leaving the logging road is extremely steep. I clocked just about 1600' vertical in just under a mile. Luckily, the trees were sparse, which allowed me to navigate the terrain with little trouble.
At around 3200' the grade got notably more gradual as the route drifts even more Northeast. Snow began around 3,500' and became continuous above 3,900'.
At 4100' I reached the ridgeline. Unfortunately, I had yet to break out of the tree line, so I wasn't greeted with any views. I followed the ridge all the way to its high point, 4,400'. Here I was greeted with my first glimpse of Round Mountain, and the far more intimidating Mount Higgins.
The route continues NE along the ridge towards the base of the Round Mountain summit block. I actually ended up losing a few hundred feet, as the ridgeline dropped down.
Looking at the route up
Once at the base of Round Mountain, the route begins to head north as you snake up its south ridge. The once-constant snowpack was now patchy, which meant a ton of post-holing. Make sure to stay on route, it's quite easy to get cliffed out. There were a few spots that I would consider as light class 3; the slippery rocks made everything harder. At 5000', the constant snowpack finally returned; from here I just trudged up the remaining snowfield to reach the summit. It took me just over 3.5 Hours to reach the summit.
The flat summit
Round Mountain has a very flat summit, which is currently lined with some scary cornices. The prominence was felt; the wind was relentless. The views, however, were unworldly. Baker, Glacier, Shuksan, Sloan, Whitehorse, 3 Fingers, and the whole Olympic Range were all visible today.
Some solid views
I’m cold
Although it was in the mid-60s throughout much of Western Washington, it still felt like winter on top, so my time up top was short. I decided to pop on my micro spikes for the descent; this was definitely the move as the slushy snow was quite slippery. The only notable thing on the descent was an item I came across below: a perfectly intact Deer Antler. I got back to my car just under 7 hours after starting.
Antler
Overall, this was an enjoyable climb but not one I'd repeat. The bushwacking after 4000' was pretty rough, and although the views from the summit are great, they're distant as Round Mountain is a fairly isolated peak. That said, if you're like me and care about prominence, this is a must-do WA climb. Just be prepared to bushwack and use your hands.
As always, Happy Hiking and Stay Safe!
Final Stats: 5 Miles - 4,000 Elev Gained - 6:50 Car to Car
