Johnson Ridge & Scorpion Mountain
Enjoy a supreme wildflower hike in the Wild Sky Wilderness.
ROUND TRIP: 9.0 miles
ELEVATION GAIN: 2,650 feet
SEASON: July - October
START: Forest Road 6520
One of the finest meadow-traversing, ridge-walking, view-granting trails in the Skykomish Valley, Johnson Ridge is also surprisingly one of the quieter trails in the region. The way begins steeply through an old clear-cut rapidly regenerating. After .75 mile the grade eases, the trail now traveling through mature forest and soon entering the Wild Sky Wilderness. Established in 2008, the Wild Sky is Washington’s newest federally protected wilderness area. At 2.0 miles round the heather-graced 5,050-foot summit of Sunrise Mountain, outstanding views can be had of surrounding summits and snowy sentinel Glacier Peak, the highest peak in the region. Sunrise makes a fine destination for a shorter hike.
![](https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=32cecd7a8748ef7810ca5a209ce84e85 320w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=879c142010c23e70a05c51a8267d713d 540w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=d52ac98dfa933af6cd588921047a066e 768w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=d41924aa040a613a07ae558dd0de6e19 1024w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=6bb9cb9ca06ff029a81d01032f5e1ee2 1200w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=1472b07c3a72148814011b5f9164d101 1440w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=f5e828e35333ffa571fac0b0ae3f8438 1920w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=d67e15578f22cbe7b21da83ced918408 2560w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/Area-Maps-13.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=608701e05d247283423e96486f7bf79d 3301w)
But if it’s Johnson’s Scorpion Mountain you wish to strike out for, continue, steeply dropping over 300 feet to a narrow saddle. Commence climbing once reaching sprawling meadows replete with resplendent wildflowers. At about 4.4 miles at the edge of a meadow reach an unmarked junction. Head left if Scorpion Mountain’s 5,540-ft summit is your objective. From this outpost enjoy a stunning 360-degree view of the Central Cascades. To the east, directly below, twinkling Joan Lake may catch your attention. To reach it, retreat to the unmarked junction and follow a brushy steep trail. Reach the isolated lake after half of a mile and 500 feet of elevation loss. Fish are fairly abundant at the lake—so are the mosquitoes.
SEE OUR COMPLETE HIKING GUIDE HERE
Header photo courtesy of @logan.j378
![](https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/scorpion-mountain.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=60560bb9d630a2a092304ea82f1605d1 320w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/scorpion-mountain.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=c2cf7f5df71cd9daa36b86bc54f2d40d 540w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/scorpion-mountain.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=0e4e76e0657768477b161a6b77f40b9a 768w, https://snohomish.imgix.net/images/archive/scorpion-mountain.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=4937b3291236cbd5daa84d306ea32859 1024w)