Maple Pass leads into the northeast section of North Cascades National Park. This hike was taken in late September.

In all the years I've hiked in the North Cascades and the Pasayten Wilderness, I've never spent much time hiking around the Rainy Pass areas. Recently I've taken trips to nearby Cutthroat Pass and the short, simple dayhike of Blue Lake.

This trip to Maple Pass is simple relative to many hikes in the North Cascades. Access is easy from the trail head off of Rainy Pass. There are several optional hikes, including trips to Rainy Lake and Lake Ann, along with the hike to Maple Pass. A loop trip can be taken here too. This is what I did on this late September afternoon.

From the pass, you get great panoramic views of Corteo and Black Peaks, the Glacier Peak Wilderness to the west including Glacier and Dome Peaks, and to the mountains north of the North Cascades highway.

It may not bee quite the 'sea-of-peaks' view one can get at other North Cascade viewpoints, but it is every bit as panoramic and scenic, especially in the autumn in this larch-laden land.