Yellow Aster Butte Trail #686.1

Dogs Leashed

Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Drive up Twin Lakes road until you see the trailhead for Tomyhoi Lake / Yellow Aster Butte. No official parking spots, just pull offs on the gravel road. You'll start on Tomyhoi Lake trail and after about 2 miles you'll hit a split/fork in the trail. Take the left at the fork to continue up to Yellow Aster Butte. The fork is a wooden sign and very well marked/labeled.

Difficulty: This trail is manageable for the average hiker if you're not in a rush, as evidenced by the number of children and pets encountered along the way. However, the last half mile or so up the mountain is brutal, and the way down might be more treacherous and result in some pinky-toe blisters.

Views: From the top o' the butte, there are great views of Baker, Shuksan, and the rest of their ilk. Though Sarah Palin would be disappointed you can't see Russia from here, you can check Canada off the list.

Who else is on the trail: Everyone and their dog. More accurately, everyone who drives a Subaru, Rav4, or Volvo and their dog.

Snapchat-ability: The good news is there's pretty good coverage along the trail, and certainly at the top. However, due to the crowded nature of this trail, each hiker must choose the level of Snapchat shame they are willing to endure in order to send out the most snaptastic pics.