Dirty Harry's Peak, Balcony & East Balcony

getting there

Dirty Harry's TrailHead

Eastbound from Seattle: Take Exit 38 off of I-90, head south and cross the Snoqualmie River. Drive east on SE Homestead Valley Rd  as it parallels I-90. Park in the paved lot just after SE Homestead Rd passes under I-90 (1,300 ft).

Westbound from Cle Elum: Take Exit 38 off of I-90, head north, turn right onto SE Homestead Valley Rd, drive a short distance, and park in the paved lot (1,300 ft).

Putrid Pete's Peak Trailhead

Take Exit 42 (Tinkham Road) off of I-9, head north, and park on the north side of the freeway where the trail starts (1,600 ft).

On the Trail

Putrid Pete's Peak Trailhead

6 mile loop, 1,900 feet of elevation gain

Five and a half of the six miles of this route are on unofficial trails. From the north  side of Exit 42 on I-90 an unofficial trail follows Mason Creek up to Forest Road 9031. Take the road west for 0.2 mile to the Ira Spring Trailhead and continue west on the trail to the first switchback. From here a trail traverses west and connects with the trail to Putrid Pete’s Peak. Take the “Putrid Pete's Peak Trail” up three switchbacks to an intersection with a trail leading off to the west.  Turn west and follow this trail to the “East Balcony” and a nice view of the Harry’s Balcony across the way. Continue on the trail through a rock crossing and a number of small stream crossings, and then the trail ends up on an old road. This road ends at the side trail to Dirty Harry’s balcony. Take a left and in a few hundred feet you will arrive to meet the crowds and enjoy the views. On the return trip, continue down the “Putrid Pete's Peak Trail” past the trail to the Ira Spring lot. This trail loses most of the elevation you gained before meeting and following an old road back to Exit 42.

Dirty Harry's Trailhead

5-11 miles round trip, 1,300-3,300 feet of elevation gain

Hike the Dirty Harry's Trail to the Balcony (2,600 ft), East Balcony and back or all the way to Dirty Harry's Peak (4,600 ft)

web mountain scramble from dirty harry's trailhead

10 miles round trip, 4,500 feet of elevation gain

Hike the Dirty Harry's Peak trail to the sharp switchback at about 3400' elevation. Continue east, then south-east angling fairly directly up to the peak of Web Mountain (5335').

Dirty Harry's Balcony & Palouse to Cascades Trail Loop

10-mile loop, 2,400 feet of elevation gain, 2,700 ft high point, difficulty: strenuous trail run

This is a beautiful but challenging trip that can be done most of the year.  There are multiple options for starting points but an easy one is the Dirty Harry's trailhead. The trip up to Dirty Harry's Balcony is straightforward but with a fair bit of climbing. The Ira Springs Connector trail is very sparse with some semi-scrambly bits. It's easy to follow, though, and there are a couple of different options for getting all the way to Exit 42. There are two sections of road that must be run: (1) Exit 42 to the lower McClellan's Butte trailhead, relatively short with low traffic volume. From the trailhead take the trail up to the Palouse to Cascades Trail. (2) Palouse to Cascades Trail to Dirty Harry's trailhead. This road serves the upper McClellan's Butte trailhead and has a fair amount of traffic. It's best to start where the Palouse to Cascades Trail meets this road and running to the Dirty Harry's trailhead to avoid the afternoon traffic.

information for Leaders

scheduling & permits

• Permits are required in this area for all fee-based (course-related) activities, regardless of group size, and all free activities involving 13 or more people. Leaders may list trips at this route/place with the understanding that they need to verify that a permit has been obtained before running the trip (if required as outlined above). Permit applications are submitted to Washington Department of Natural Resources annually in December. Please contact info@mountaineers.org with any additional questions. More details about permitting on WA DNR land as it applies to Mountaineers trips, as well as our current year Land Use License, can be found here.
• If you're leaving from the Putrid Pete's Peak Trailhead, please review the Ira Spring Trail route/place to be sure a trip is not leaving from this trailhead on the same day.

• Suitable Activities: Day Hiking, Scrambling, Trail Running
• Seasons: Year-round
• Weather: View weather forecast

• Difficulty: *Varies*, Moderate, Strenuous, Strenuous 3, Technical 3
• Length: 6.0 mi
• Elevation Gain: 1,900 ft
• High Point: 2,800 ft

• Land Manager: Middle Fork NRCA
• Parking Permit Required: Discover Pass
• Recommended Party Size: 12
• Maximum Party Size: 36
• Maximum Route/Place Capacity: 12