Gabrielle Orsi
Many hikers in Washington state have encountered – to their dismay – the prickly spines of devil's club, Oplopanax horridus, a shrub which grows in abundance in the Pacific Northwest as well as near Lake Superior. While the origins of the name of this bane of bushwhackers seem quite obvious given its notorious thorns, Washington state is home to many more "devils". In honor of Halloween, here is a sampling of the "Devils" in our state, from north to south.
Image credit: USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
North Cascades
- Devil's Peak: an off-trail scramble is required to ascend this peak.
- Big Devil Peak and Little Devil Peak: drive into the North Cascades National Park along the North Cascades Highway between Marblemount and Newhalem and you'll be able to pull off the highway at Big Devil Falls to see these peaks. Scramblers can ascend Little Devil Peak.
- Devils Dome Loop: a challenging classic backpacking circuit in the national park.
Central Cascades
- Devils Gulch Trail #1220: just outside Leavenworth, this multiple-use trail is regarded as an excellent single-track for hikers and mountain bikers.
- Red Devil Trail: south of Cashmere in the Wenatchee National Forest this multiple-use single-track trail also hosts the Red Devil Challenge Trail Runs each April.
- Devil's Backbone Trail #1448: welcoming to mountain bikers but featuring some steeper, rockier sections, this trail is near Chelan.
Southern Washington
- Devil's Dream Camp: From Longmire, intrepid hikers can take the Wonderland Trail to Devil's Dream Camp... if they dare.
- Angel's Rest-Devil's Rest Loop: in southwest Washington, this trail loop features views of the Columbia River, as well as Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier.
