Devil's Spur is a phenomenal Wenatchee hike that's very well-maintained and provides beautiful views of the Wenatchee River Valley.
The trail is one of the most popular hikes near Wenatchee. It starts at the Devil's Spur Trailhead, just off Mission Ridge Road, about 5 minutes from the ski resort. It's suitable for most hikers in reasonably good condition as it gains less than 1,000 feet of elevation.
The Devil's Spur trail is one of Traverse the Pacific Northwest's 10 Incredible Hikes Near Wenatchee.
Need to Know
Permit/Fees: No permit is required for hiking the Devil's Spur trail. The parking lot does not require a parking pass of any kind.
Parking: there is space for about 25 cars in the parking area. It's located on the side of Mission Ridge Road.
Best Time of Year to Visit: The best time of year to visit is in the fall when the leaves are changing colors and you can enjoy the views without baking in the sun!
Hiking Devil's Spur Trail
The Devil's Spur Trail is around 5 miles long, taking you out to the summit of Devil's Spur and back to the parking lot. The hike is popular with trail runners, hikers, and mountain bikers. It's usually considered to be a moderately difficult hike.
Distance | Elevation Gain | Time Required | Difficulty |
---|---|---|---|
​5.2 miles | ​900 feet | 2-3 hours | 3/10 |
The trail starts at the pull-out off Mission Ridge Road. It's a large, paved pullout that is by far the most obvious and well-maintained of any until you see the parking area of Clara and Marion Lakes at the entrance to the ski area. The entrance to the trail is on the left side of the parking lot.
Take the larger trail, directly behind the gate, up and into the woods. The first part of the trail gains elevation steadily over the first 0.5 miles (around 400 feet). But, the trail is very well-maintained and the elevation comes fairly easily.
The trail is very wide in this section, wide enough for multiple people to pass and therefore very easy to follow. The foliage on either side is well back from the central part of the trail as well, making it extremely pleasant.
At around 0.75 miles in, you'll start seeing the trail thin out and the foliage move slightly closer to the middle of the path. The trail should start looking more like what you expect from a hike.
You'll round a few corners and get your first views of the hills around you. There is also a great view of your destination up ahead as well. Make sure to enjoy looking out into the distance and down into Wenatchee from above.
The views here are quite beautiful. The trail views are east-facing meaning that you can enjoy the sunrise from this hike and take some spectacular photos. The sun sets behind the hill on your right, meaning that for the last few hours of the day, this whole area is completely shaded.
The trail climbs a bit more, before opening up again and providing you with some delightfully strange rock formations. The rounded, interesting rock appears several times throughout the hike, including near the top of Devil's Spur. Before long, you'll see it ahead of you with the very prominent rocky outcropping.
The trail is much more exposed here, traversing beside a sandy bank. Make sure to watch your footing here as sliding down the bank on your right would not be a whole lot of fun! The sand is loose but it is very passable in a variety of conditions.
The trail cuts sharply left around the edge of the bank and you'll pass below the rock formations you saw above you. from here, you'll head back into the woods before meeting up with a gravel road that you can follow all the way to the Upper Devil's Gulch trailhead. It might be surprising to find yourself on the road so far up into the hills but sure enough! Cars come and go here every day.
The path takes you around a corner and back toward the parking area. Here, you can choose to go off the main trail and climb up to get the best views of the hills before turning around and heading back the way you came. A note of caution, the rock in this area is very loose so if you want to scramble on any of it in this area, proceed very carefully.
Views from the top
The hike back is easier than the way in, with only a few very brief hills and, all over, very little elevation gain. Make sure that you keep an eye out for the trail into the woods, taking you off the gravel road. It can be very easy to miss! Keep an eye on your map to make sure you don't pass it.
Some people also choose to hike this trail in the winter with spikes, snowshoes, and gaiters. It can have patches of fairly deep snow, so be careful! The first 50 yards or so especially are known for icing over.
Hikes Nearby
There are several other very popular hikes in the vicinity that you might want to take advantage of, whether you live in the area or not.
The climb to the summit of Castle Rock is another very popular hike in Wenatchee. It's close to Devil's Spur, only twenty minutes back into town, and easily done in around 1.5 hours.
Perhaps the most popular hike close to Wenatchee, the climb up to Saddle Rock is fairly steep, exposed, and very very hot in the summer. Don't be surprised to find yourself being passed by locals out for their daily Saddle Rock run.
The Clara and Marion Lakes trail is only 5 minutes from the start of the Devil's Spur trailhead. The trail gains around 1,000 feet in 1.5 miles as you climb up to the two lakes.
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