Lime Mountain - Glacier Peak Wilderness

At this time, there are some serious obstacles in your way to access this peak, at least compared to past years. Hopefully bridges and roads will be fixed and this page can be updated. Road Conditions via the Forest Service Updated on 12/15/2010 "FS road # 26 is still closed at mile 11.5 Foot, bicycle and stock traffic ok beyond gate. Many trees down reported. Ongoing repair and reconstruction projects will affect access to the Glacier Peak Wilderness, campgrounds and hiking trails via this road system through October 2011" For now, you're looking at 12 miles of road biking to access the trailhead. This adds 2-3 hours to get up the peak.
The next big issue is the Suiattle River crossing about a mile up the trail. The bridge is gone. The Suiattle is big, deep, fast and usually very milky. The best bet for crossing is probably late in the season when water levels are lower. Hopefully a search for a downed tree will be fruitful but those kinds of crossings can change at any moment. Even when/if the road is repaired, the funds for repairing the bridge will take some time.

Lime Mountain is the highest point on Lime Ridge, located in the Glacier Peak Wilderness northwest of Glacier Peak. Lime Ridge is most known for a string of alpine lakes with great scenery and fishing. The area was once quite popular even though the trail access is not shown on maps. In recent years, few have ventured onto Lime Ridge due to road closures caused by flooding on the Suiattle River Road starting in 2003.

From I-5, take exit 208 getting on Highway 530. Drive 32 miles passing through Arlington and finally reaching Darrington. Stay on Highway 530 as it goes north at the far end of town. From Darrington, it's 6.5 miles north to a bridge over the Sauk River. Once over the bridge, stay straight. You are now on FR 26. Drive this road along the Suiattle River until you get to the locked gate.

Lime Mountain

Hike from the end of the road on the Suiattle River Trail around one mile to a trail intersection. Going right is the Milk Creek Trail #784. You'll quickly come to the missing bridge. Once across, hike several minutes on the overgrowing Milk Creek Trail to the first major creek crossing. Just before the crossing, an old trail cuts up the steep hillside. This trail may not be visible for the first 100 feet. Climb the hillside and find the trail. You should find the tread while still able to look down and see the Milk Creek Trail. This fisherman's trail is steep and relentless but it gets you up fast and direct. The trail gets no maintenance so expect blow downs and to loose the trail occasionally. After 3,000 feet of climbing you'll arrive at the Box Mountain Lakes. From here, find the south trending ridge on the east side of the largest lake and climb it to an un-named upper lake just below the summit of the Lime Mountain summit. Follow the ridge west as it wraps around to the summit ridge and easily to the highest point.