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North Cascades National Park/Washington

Lightning Creek Trail

3.7 mi

Distance

928 ft

Elev. Gain

1h 41m

Est. Time

Point to Point

Route Type

Moderate

Difficulty

About This Trail

Lightning Creek Trail is a point-to-point trail in North Cascades National Park, managed by the United States Forest Service, in Whatcom County, Washington. It is 3.7 miles long and gains 928 feet. The surface is dirt.

From the trail data on this page.

Trail Conditions

Trail Conditions

Unknown

We have no current condition data for this trail. Check with the operator before you go, and submit a report below if you've been recently.

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Elevation Profile

Min:505 ft
Max:734 ft
Gain:306 ft
Loss:215 ft
Elevation profileA line rising and falling between 505 ft and 734 ft across 3.7 mi along the route, drawn from start to end.505 ft581 ft658 ft734 ft0.0 mi0.9 mi1.8 mi2.8 mi3.7 mi

Elevation at the labelled points along this route
PointDistance from startElevation
Start0.0 mi505 ft
High point1.2 mi734 ft
End3.7 mi596 ft

Trail Details

Route Type
Point to Point
Surface
Dirt

Official sources & verification

Managed by United States Forest Service

Verify before you go

Where it is

County:
Whatcom County, WA
Jurisdiction:
North Cascades National Park · United States Forest Service

Nearest town and county from U.S. Census Bureau place records and county boundaries.

We display cached information from agency feeds. Hours, fees, permits, closures, fire restrictions, and conditions change without notice. Outdoors is not the permitting authority. Confirm current conditions for this trail using the links above before you go — you are responsible for compliance. Last verified by us: Aug 17, 2026. Our copy is more than a month old — please reconfirm with the agency before relying on it.Spot an error in our data?

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Nearby Trails

More trails near Lightning Creek Trail

Desolation Trail

2.1 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy
Desolation Peak Trail via Ross Lake

Desolation Peak Trail via Ross Lake

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Lightning Creek Trail

2.4 mi
TrailDifficulty: Easy

Castle Pass

16.8 mi
TrailDifficulty: Expert

Devils Ridge

17.7 mi
TrailDifficulty: Expert
Devil's Junction Camp Access

Devil's Junction Camp Access

0.3 mi
Trail

In this park

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View North Cascades National Park
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Thornton Lakes Trail

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Thunder Creek Trail

Thunder Creek Trail

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Ladder Creek Falls Trail

Ladder Creek Falls Trail

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Happy Creek Forest Walk Trail

Happy Creek Forest Walk Trail

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Stay nearby

Campgrounds near this trail

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