AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Bald Mountain is a rugged 5,700-to-5,900-foot summit on the eastern slope of Washington's Cascade Range, in the backcountry of Kittitas County. From its open top, the view across the Naches Valley reaches some thirty miles to the massive white cone of Mount Rainier, one of the most striking panoramas on the Cascades' dry eastern flank.↗↗
The peak and its surrounding slopes sit within the Rock Creek Wildlife Area Unit — part of the Oak Creek Wildlife Area complex — managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for conservation and public recreation. The area protects critical habitat for northern spotted owl, bull trout, and recovering mountain goat populations, and offers a primitive, backcountry experience without developed facilities.↗
What Makes It Special
Bald Mountain's defining feature is the view. Standing on its summit, the Cascades' main crest falls away to the west, and across roughly thirty miles of open valley the full south face of Mount Rainier dominates the horizon — an almost surreal sight from a peak on the sun-baked eastern side of the range where most visitors never think to look for the great volcano.
