Tiffany Mountain - Winthrop Washington Hiking

Tiffany Mountain is a prominent peak in the Okanogan Highlands north of Winthrop Washington. On a good day, the summit has excellent views east to the Cascades and west to the Kettle Range. The Freezeout Ridge Trail is an easy 2 mile hike through nice pine forests, grassy meadows and an open rocky summit.

Tiffany Mountain Lookout Site

From Winthrop, take County Road 9137 north about 7 miles to FS 37 on the right. If you cross the Chewuch River, you've missed the turn. Follow FS 37 about 14 miles to FS 39 on the left. Follow for 3 miles to an obvious pass with the signed Freezeout Ridge Trail on the right.

The Freezeout Pass Trail No. 345 starts out in the forest with occasional views climbing a easy to follow trail. Around 1.5 miles things open up to some nice meadows, although they look chilly in my pictures, in summer they can display all kinds of flowers. The trail will pass below the summit on the south slopes to a trail junction at 2.5 miles. Go left and a trail goes up to the top. You could also go directly up instead of following the trail around.

In 1924, Six Twenty-Six reported that the benchmark was stolen. “A miserable miscreant with a mania for collecting souvenirs has knocked off the brass cap, marking the elevation and name of Tiffany Peak, and made away with it."

In 1930, the lookout person for the season was Stanley Van De Camp. A blurb in the Wenatchee Daily World reported that Mrs. Van De Camp and her little children of Pine Creek and Donald Eighme went to Tiffany Mountain to spend a few days with her son.

In 1931, an 8-foot pole tower with gable-roofed L-4 cab was built.

In 1937, the lookout was Paul Downs of the forest service in the Conconully district.

In 1950, a USGS party described the lookout tower as a 14-foot square wooden building that sits on an 8-foot tower that is made of heavy timbers. The outside of the building was painted white. The roof is a peaked roof and the top of the roof is about 22 feet above the ground.

In 1953, the lookout was removed or destroyed.