I really enjoyed this hike. The first half is in the forest, but the second half is in the remains of the Norse Peak fire, so is pretty exposed to the sun and got hot when there was no wind.
The road up is in really nice condition until you get to the sign pointing you to the horse camp, after which the road gets very rocky. I made it up in my Prius, and didn't have any issues, just be careful and slow. Additionally, the Google map directions to the coordinates are not accurate, and you should follow the directions provided (basically, don't turn off the main road).
The parking lot and access trail from the camp were both pretty buggy, but once I got started on the PCT the mosquitos mostly disappeared.
As for Arch Rock itself, I completely missed any signage and ended up hiking past a turn off for the Raven's Roost Trail. So if you see that, you've gone too far. On the way back I looked for any boot trail or writing up to the rock but didn't see anything.
Once you get into the burnt out section, the views are pretty incredible. It was a little hazy when I hiked, but you could still see the Cascades to the North and occasional views of Mount Rainier.
Comments