You have two options for this hike: The long, painful route or the shorter, more painful route. Mailbox Peak is not your first choice for a leisurely weekend hike. It's typically on the "Someday" list because of the horror stories you'll hear about how difficult it is. The "Old" trail is a 5.2 mi out & back that runs straight up the ridge to the top 4000 ft up. Due to frequent rescues, injuries and erosion, a "New" trail was built recently that meets up with the Old trail at 3860 ft, but turns the hike into a 9.4 mi out & back with its switchbacks. Wanting to have it all, I chose to go up the New and down the Old.
The New trail has been very well constructed by an army of workers. It consists of 4 miles of switchbacks that start to feel like torture until you remember the alternative. The last chunk of the hike after the two trails meet is a thigh-burner as you boulder climb your way up to the summit where a lone mailbox sits to let you know you've really made it.
The vistas from this vantage point are pretty epic and give you a 360° view of this beautiful region. On a clear day it is easy to see the Olympic Mountains in the west, Mt Baker un north, Mt Rainier and Mt Adams to the south, and up to the Snoqualmie Pass to the east.
The Old trail down was not fun and I soon began to doubt my decision. The trail is mostly root and rocks with reflective markers on trees letting you know you are in the general vicinity of the trail. School kids in the surrounding area would make this hike up the Old trail as a yearly pilgrimage and often wouldn't make it to the summit. I wonder how many kids were turned off of hiking because of this trail alone.
Map & Stats
Old Trail: 5.2 mi out & back
New Trail: 9.4 mi out & back
4000 ft elev gain
Discovery Pass required