The destination for Red Mountain Trail is the old site of them built in 1936.  To get to the old lookout site you start off from the North Sauk Trail #649.  Hiking a short distance, you come to a junction and sign for Red Mountain Trail to the left.  The trail winds up a slope with a couple of long switchbacks through old growth giants.  When hiking keep an eye out for the flat overlook to your right, this is the site where the lookout was looking out over the beautiful glaciers of Pride Basin.

When coming to an old Lookout site you wonder, why build a lookout at the location?  It was only at an elevation of 2,800 feet and didn’t have a tower raising it up.  It is quite a panoramic view, both looking up at the Mountains and below at Pride Basin with peeks of the North Fork Sauk River.  Once standing at this spot it is easy to see why a lookout stood here for many years safeguarding the forest having a view of many miles.

A user trail continues beyond the lookout site and appears to end at a large rock outcropping, this is the climbing route to Red Mountain.  This involves a scramble over the rock outcropping and continuing on what will become unmarked and unmaintained trail and climbs at about a 45 degree angle without switchbacks.  The trail in rare occasions is marked by survey tape on the occasional tree. Once reaching elevation of 3,100 feet you will come to very steep loose rock.

Continuing further will involve scrambling and climbing skills and not a place for the novice.  After hiking for about 2 more miles you reach the first ridge and will be looking up towards the next SE ridge.  A vista will not open up of the surrounding mountains until you hike another 2 miles climbing steeper and reach a ledge looking down at 4.0 acre Ruby Lake at the basin of Red Mountain.  Beyond the lake is the climber’s route for Red Mountain.

Views From Red Mountain Trail #651