AUGUST 19 YELLOW ASTER BUTTE*

7:30-3:30

Moderate to hard

This is a wilderness hike, so may change depending on weather and other factors. Carry the 10 Essentials. Groups of no more than 12, including dogs. Sign up for our email list to be informed of changes.

MEETING TIME AND PLACE Meet at the Sedro-Woolley Food Pavilion parking lot before 7:30 am to sign in and carpool. 

DRIVING DIRECTIONS The drive to the trailhead will take about an hour and a half. From Sedro-Woolly, drive north on Highway 9 to the traffic circle in Deming. Take Highway 542, the Mount Baker Highway, to the Public Service Center just beyond Glacier. This is a good restroom stop. Continue east for about 12 miles, then turn left onto Twin Lakes Road (FR 3065). Keep a sharp eye out for the WSDOT Shuksan maintenance facility; the road is located at the east end of this facility. Proceed 4.5 miles on Forest Service Road 3065, then reach the Tomyhoi Lake/Yellow Aster Butte Trailhead and parking area. 

HIKE DESCRIPTION Follow the trail just under 2 miles and take the left fork to Yellow Aster Butte. (Going straight will lead you to Gold Run Pass and some lovely views but the hike is long enough without that.) Hike around the butte and past the tarns to the base of a steep, rough trail. If you stop here, your hike will be 7 miles with 2,126 ft elevation gain which is, quite frankly, more than sufficient. If you insist, you can scramble up the slope from this resting spot, nose to the hillside for another half mile and then, adrenaline pumping, another 0.7 because if you’re up there, well why not. These options add 0.5 miles and 430 ft and 0.7 miles and 262 ft respectively for a total of 8.21 miles and 2,818 feet.  

RETURN TIME 3:30 pm. Wait for all to return safely before leaving.  

Outhouse at trailhead. Dogs allowed on leash. Northwest Forest Pass required. For weather, road, and trail conditions, check the trip reports at Yellow Aster Butte — Washington Trails Association.