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North Cascades National Park hiking guide

Thunder Creek Trail

An 11.7-mile out-and-back with 1,180 ft of climbing in Ross Lake & Diablo Lake, rated difficult.

Thunder Creek Trail, North Cascades National Park
Photo: NPS / Rosemary Seifried

Key facts

Length
11.7 mi (18.8 km)
Elevation gain
1,180 ft (361 m)
Route type
Out and back
Difficulty
Difficult
Area
Ross Lake & Diablo Lake
Highest point
1,934 ft
Lowest point
1,217 ft
Trip length
Multi-day

About Thunder Creek Trail

Follow the glacier-fed creek through ancient forests of old cedars and Douglas firs. The trail offers glimpses of snow-capped peaks and connects to several other trails, providing options for both day hikes and multi-day backpacking trips. The scenic route is ideal for families and experienced hikers alike.

Route map

Route map of Thunder Creek Trail in North Cascades National Park2 miN
Start and finishNorth is up. Drawn from the route in the Parka app.

This route was checked by Parka editors.

Elevation profile

Elevation profile of Thunder Creek Trail1,5000510Distance (miles)Elevation (ft)High 1,934 ftLow 1,217 ft
Elevation runs from 1,217 ft to 1,934 ft over 11.6 miles of mapped route. The profile is sampled from elevation data along the route.

Nearby in Ross Lake & Diablo Lake

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