In Colville, take State highway 20 east (3rd Avenuue) to Aladdin Road (before the airport). Turn north on Aladdin road and head for Leadpoint, 33 miles away. In Leadpoint, turn right onto the signed Silver Creek road , #4720 and it will soon turn into FS road 7078 at 1.5 miles. Soon after the National Forest border (you'll cross a cattle guard), bear left uphill at fork staying on #7078. Turn right (east) on road #300 (6.2 miles). Continue to small trailhead at end of road #300 (9.8 miles). Road #300 is single lane and has a few ruts and bumps but is passable by passenger car (barely) although a higher clearance vehicle is preferable. You'll reach a small TH, large enough for just a few vehicle. FS trail 117 begins from here.
Abercrombie Mountain
Distance: 3.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,200 feet
Summit Elevation: 7,308 feet
Access: Good Gravel
Washington Hiking & Climbing
Access:
Lookout History:
Abercrombie is popular to those seeking to climb county highpoints and prominence peaks. Many peakbaggers come from around the west chasing the Ultra 57 prominence list, since Abercrombie is the 53rd most prominent peak in the lower 48 and 7th most prominent peak in Washington. It was also the home of a fire lookout for many years. The trail is a nice hike in an area with few others and an outstanding view of peaks. Many hikers here have seen grizzly bears and caribou on the trail.
Abercrombie started out as a fire lookout camp in 1934. The following story in the Newport Miner on September 8, 1938 suggests a lookout was being built in 1938, although we have no record of it. “Gust Englund, 40, resident of Metaline Falls, was found dead in his bed Tuesday morning at the top of Abercrombie mountain north and west of Metaline, where he had been working as a carpenter in construction of a Forest Service lookout station. Death is attributed to heart attack. He was an ex-serviceman. There are no relatives. Mount Abercrombie at 7400 feet elevation is the highest peak in eastern Washington and it was necessary to pack the body out on a horse seven miles in order to reach a road.”
We do know that a 20 foot tower with L-4 cab was built in 1952. It was removed in the 1960s.
Looking up the final ridge to the summit
Summit view
In the rocks on the summit
Sunset from camp
On the summit
Camp looking east
Final few feet to the summit
In camp
On the summit cairn
Camp looking west
Likely the Abercrombie 1952 tower, no name or date given.
Stairs at the footings (I believe) are prior to 1952 tower