A brutally steep trail in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie valley that has become a Seattle-area fitness test. The old trail gains nearly 4,000 feet in under 3 miles of relentless climbing. A newer, slightly gentler route was added in 2014. A classic mailbox sits on the summit, stuffed with trail register books and random items left by climbers.
Old Mailbox Trail
Trail Running · TRAIL Expert · Round Trip
The brutally steep original Mailbox Peak trail — 2.7 miles and 3,900 feet of gain. One of the most demanding day hikes in the Seattle area and a beloved local fitness test.
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
Best Months
New Mailbox Trail
Trail Running · TRAIL Hard · Round Trip
The 2014-built alternate Mailbox trail is longer (4.7 miles) but more gradual than the old trail, with better switchbacks and a more sustainable grade. Still challenging but significantly more accessible.
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov
Best Months
5-Day Air Quality Forecast
PM2.5 wildfire smoke threshold: 35 μg/m³ · Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo
Wed, Sep 23
🌫️
Fog
48° / 36°
Tomorrow
🌧️
Showers
43° / 35°
Sat, Sep 26
🌧️
Drizzle
48° / 34°
Sun, Sep 27
☁️
Overcast
54° / 32°
Mon, Sep 28
🌤️
Partly Cloudy
49° / 32°
Tue, Sep 29
☁️
Overcast
55° / 34°
History
Mailbox Peak has been a local fitness benchmark for Seattle-area hikers and trail runners for decades. The old trail is one of the steepest maintained trails in the state. The summit mailbox tradition began in the 1960s and is maintained by volunteers.