Description

The area around Strawberry Pass is popular year round, whether it's for the Seven Summits ride (https://fatmap.com/routeid/3047083/the-seven-summits-imba-epic/@49.1284315,-117.886587,9893.2427306,-90,0,1697.2856821,satellite,summer) or for snowshoeing trails in winter.

The area is perhaps least known for its excellent hiking opportunities which take you to a series of charming little cabins.

This loop on the north of the highway will take you to four of the cabins, although it can be shortened considerably if you skip Viewpoint Cabin (the furthest away from the highway) out.

There is also a shorter loop on the south of the highway to some similar cabins (check out the map to see that route) but this northern route is wilder and feels more of an adventure. The route between the cabins is well signposted and the trails are primarily overgrown jeep tracks, so the terrain underfoot isn't particularly exciting, but it is easy to follow.

Virtually all of the hiking on this loop is in forests, but with regular viewpoints from where you can admire your surroundings and begin to get your bearings if you're new to the area.

The trails can be pretty muddy even well into July because snow lingers for so long in the thick forests, so be prepared for a little bit of easy just-off-trail bushwhacking if you want to keep your feet bone dry! The cabins which this walk takes you to are fabulous, and each has a character all of its own.

The cabins are not for sleeping in and are designed only for day use, so please respect the rules and practise no trace travel when visiting them.

All of them sit in openings which allow you to see a little further than you can from the trails, but Viewpoint is - ironically - the one with the most limited view! It's still worth visiting as it's the most remote and therefore the least busy - not that many of them see much traffic in summer. Visit one cabin or combine them all into this long loop hike - the choice is yours!