When did you last start a Mount Peak hike from the south side? For many Enumclaw hikers, Mount Peak means the parking lot at 276th Avenue SE and SE 472nd Street and the Cal Magnusson Trail, which gains about 1,000 feet in one mile. That trail has been closed since Oct. 9, and nobody has said when it will reopen.
The summit is still open. The views, the basalt and the lookout tower are all still up there. What changed is the way up. For now, every trip to the top of Mount Peak starts at one trailhead and follows one route, the old gravel road on the south side. And it happens in the same weeks that the plateau's other go-to walks are closing for the season.
What King County closed, and what it didn't
The Courier-Herald reported that King County closed the Cal Magnusson Trail on Oct. 9 because part of the hillside is unstable. In the county's words, quoted by the paper, "This closure is necessary to protect the safety of both trail users and Parks staff." The county is bringing in geotechnical experts, and the trail will stay closed "until the assessment is complete and we can determine next steps for safely reopening."
The Washington Trails Association updated its Mount Peak page on Oct. 13 to say the same thing: closed until further notice, "no current ETA for reopening."
The Courier-Herald also noted that the top can still be reached from the logging road at the south end of the park, on SE Mud Mountain Road. That's not a detour. It's the park's second official trail.
Two trails up the same hill
King County's Pinnacle Peak Park map shows a 375-acre park, counting a lease area, with about 5 miles of trail and a trailhead on each side. The county's own wording sums up the difference: a "steep climb from the north on the Cal Magnusson trail and easier access from the south side."
| Cal Magnusson Trail | South Trail | |
|---|---|---|
| Status, fall 2026 | Closed since Oct. 9 | Open, per Courier-Herald |
| Trailhead | 276th Ave SE and SE 472nd St | SE Mud Mountain Rd near SE 481st St |
| Facilities at trailhead | Small lot plus road shoulder parking | Parking lot and restroom |
| Surface | Forest trail, hiking only | Old gravel road |
| Who's on it | Hikers | Hikers and mountain bikers |
| Grade | About 1,000 feet in a mile | More gradual |
The north trail is named for Cal Magnusson, a longtime Cascade mountaineer who worked at REI for 25 years with Jim Whittaker. Its steep grade is the reason so many people use it. When King County Council celebrated the new lookout in 2021, it called this trail "one of the most popular trails in South King County" and said it is "frequently used by locals and those who are training to climb Mt. Rainier."
So the closure takes away more than one trail. It takes away the plateau's go-to steep workout. The south route gets you to the same summit, but WTA describes its grade as "more forgiving" because it follows an old gravel road shared with mountain bikes. If you've been training for a big fall or winter climb, the south trail gets you to the top but gives you a gentler workout along the way.
What the south side gives back
There's a fair case that the south side has the better views. When King County added the land on the south side, its map noted that the new access came "along gravel roads and even more spectacular views along the way." WTA says the route looks out over the White River and Mount Rainier, and it still gains real elevation once it enters the forest below the summit.
A few practical details:
- Dogs are welcome on leash. WTA lists the park as dog-friendly with a leash.
- No parking pass needed. WTA lists no pass or entry fee.
- Expect bikes. Mountain bikes are allowed on the old gravel road, so you'll be sharing it.
- The restroom is on this side. King County's map puts the restroom at the southern trailhead, not the north one.
- The basalt is past the summit. WTA points to columnar basalt "just a little ways down the Cal Magnusson trail from the summit." With that trail closed, follow posted signs and stay out of the closed section.
The point-to-point hike, up one side and down the other with a car shuttle, is also off the table for now. WTA suggests it as a way to see the whole park in a day. Until the north trail reopens, it's out and back on the gravel road.
The tower at the top just turned five
The lookout at the summit turned five this month. On Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, King County Parks staff and members of the Mt. Peak Historical Fire Lookout Association cut the ribbon on the new tower, according to a King County Council release.
The tower was a community project. In February 2021 the county approved a 10-year partnership with the association and awarded it a $250,000 grant. That came after $10,000 for design and permitting back in 2017. SHKS Architects designed it, Lund Opsahl handled the structural engineering, Pease & Sons built it and Yakima Steel fabricated it.
It's the third tower on the peak. The first went up in 1929 and was raised to 60 feet in 1934. It was staffed around the clock until 1964. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources took it down in 1966, citing safety concerns. The new tower is a 33-foot replica. Patch reported that it offers an optional 22-foot climb to a viewing deck. Doug Borst of the lookout association described that climb as "those extra 45 steps up the tower."
Some trail guides haven't caught up. WTA's page still describes the summit as a "former lookout site" with old concrete footings and log benches. The tower has stood on that spot since fall 2021.
Why one trailhead matters more this month
On its own, a closed trail with a good alternative would be a minor inconvenience. The timing makes it bigger, because the other walks around the plateau are on seasonal schedules that tighten right now.
| Nearby option | Status as of late October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Federation Forest State Park | Day use closed Oct. 15, reopening May 1, 2027, weather permitting |
| Mud Mountain Dam Park | Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed weekends, through Dec. 31 |
| Nolte State Park, Deep Lake loop | Day use open; watercraft launch closed until May 1, 2027 |
| Foothills Trail, Enumclaw to Buckley | Final segment finished October 2024; check conditions before you go |
Washington State Parks' winter schedule lists Federation Forest's day-use closure starting Oct. 15, 2026, with reopening set for May 1, 2027, weather permitting. That closed the plateau's biggest stretch of old-growth trails less than a week after Mount Peak's north side shut.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lists Mud Mountain Dam Park's 2026 hours for Sept. 20 through Dec. 31 as 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed weekends. The park also closes Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 26 for Thanksgiving. That works for a weekday lunch walk, but it's closed every Saturday and Sunday from now until the new year.
Nolte State Park is still open for day use, and the same winter schedule lists its watercraft launch as closed from Oct. 1, 2026, to May 1, 2027. Its easy 1.4-mile loop around Deep Lake is the flattest option on this list. The Foothills Trail segment south of Enumclaw crosses the historic Boise Creek Bridge and the pedestrian bridge over the White River into Buckley. King County says that final segment was completed in October 2024. Check current conditions before heading out after a wet week.
Put that together and it explains the shift. On a fall weekend, the plateau's choices for a real climb with a Rainier view come down to one: the south side of Mount Peak. Federation Forest is closed, Mud Mountain Dam is closed on weekends, and Nolte and the Foothills Trail are flat. Every summit trip now goes through the south lot on SE Mud Mountain Road.
What happens next on the north side
The county has tied the reopening to the geotechnical assessment, and it has not set a date. WTA's Mount Peak page and the Courier-Herald are the first places an update has shown up so far. King County's Pinnacle Peak Park page has the park map and trailhead details for both sides.
Until then, the drive to the trailhead changes, and the hike gets gentler. The summit is the same as ever, with the tower, the Rainier view and the White River valley below.
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