Mileage: 22-mile round trip
Difficulty: Hard
Elevation Gain: 3,700 feet
Major Hike Features: Pilick Ridge is a trek not for the faint of heart. At 22 miles round-trip with 3,700 feet of elevation gain, expect long miles of uphill hiking. Think of it as the more challenging means of accessing Star Peak and all its beauty. Those who persist to the summit will find spectacular views of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness and Scotchman Peaks regions. Don’t skimp on the packed water! With little access to natural waterways, you’ll be sure to need it.
Just remember to come prepared. You’ll want to bring:
- Plenty of water. There is no water along the trail and the first two miles is on a mostly exposed and sunny slope.
- Hiking Poles. The trial is steep with loose rock.
- A map. The trail can be hard to find sometimes.
- Long pants. Overgrown brush, downed trees, can be abundant in early summer before our volunteer trail crew clears the path.
- A trowel to do your business and a bag for your trash. There is no bathroom at the trailhead so you’ll have to bury your business and pack out your toilet paper.
Getting to the Trailhead: Driving along Highway 56 to the 6.7 milepost, turn onto FSR 2702. You’ll find the trailhead with enough parking for horse trailers and larger vehicles a quarter mile up the road.
