Sahale Glacier, Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm & Cascade Pass — Friday, Aug. 29, 2025

Finally managed to get a permit to camp at Sahale Glacier with a last minute cancellation. 

Parking can definitely be an issue at this trailhead and there were cars parking a mile down the road. I showed up late (at 2pm), and I was lucky to score a spot at the trailhead as lots of morning hikers were leaving.

There are pretty much three parts to this trail:

Switchbacks to Cascade Pass: This part of the trail is very crowded with lots of day hikers going to the pass. There isn't too many views to see as the trail is pretty much an endless grind of switchbacks. I was surprised to see pikas and ptarmigans along this area. The trail here is very wide and easy on the feet, so it was a bit boring but not challenging.

Sahale Arm: After taking the turnoff at the pass, the trail starts off steep, but mellows out after some climbing. Beautiful views of alpine meadows, Doubtful Lake and valleys. The miles here will pass quickly with all the cool views to soak in.

Lots of social trails were developed over the years and the park marked them off limits. Please take care to stay on the trail here as it is easy to get off track. Tons of alpine blueberries can be found right now too. There was a nice spot to refill water before the boulder field, that came in very handy.

Sahale Glacier: The last half mile or so of the trail becomes very steep and you are pretty much going up boulders and scree. This was the slowest part and it took me 30 - 45 minutes here to reach camp.

Saw a beautiful sunset at camp. I was the last to arrive to I didn't score some of the most scenic campsites, but there were plentiful sites all marked by stone circles. I ended up near the glacier, with easy access to a some small thawing tarns for water. I also got to see what's arguably the most scenic toilet in the state!

Woke up at sunrise and headed down to the parking lot after looking at the alpenglow. There was a cool cloud inversion situation going on in the valley, too.

Overall, it took me 4 hours to get to camp and 3 hours coming down. A bit north of 12 total miles and 4100 ft of elevation.

Lots of wildlife spotted: Ptarmigans, a couple pikas at lower elevations. Mountain goats, marmots, pikas on the Sahale Arm and above! Did not spot any signs of bears despite warning from the rangers as it is peak berry season.

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://hikewithyu.com/blog/2025/08/sahale-glacier-camp/