Thunder Knob Trailhead

3.5 miles with a gradual climb. Nice forest views below and gorgeous lake and Mountain views on top. Trailhead in Colonial North campground

Easy hike !! With majestic forest trails . Before starting the trail you can walk up and get a great water view of the mountains . I like this trail less crowded than Diablo lake . Didn’t have trouble finding parking but the parking lot isn’t to big .

This is a nice short hike. I only had a day to spend here and this is one of the hikes I was able to do. It’s mostly up hill but it’s not too difficult. Most of the trail is fairly covered with trees until the very end when I starts to thin out. You get a nice view of the Diablo Lake and the mountains at the very end.

A pretty easy hike for someone who doesn't hike often. The hike itself takes about 40-45 min each way (also 1.5 hr round trip). For such a short hike, the view it packs was stunning and breathtaking!

Something to look out for:

We went on a Saturday morning and it wasn't very busy until the afternoon. The trail has a lot of small rocks that can be a bit hard to walk on at times.

The payoff at the top is pretty okay, you can see the lake but the view is not clear. The start of the hike is nice with it being parallel to a creek. There are a few stops on the way that provide nice viewpoints.

This is a decent hike with a great start, mediocre middle, and okay payoff at the top. At 3.6 miles, it’s just enough to be a tough trip while not being overly challenging. Beautiful starting area with running water and lots of shade, but the middle is mostly exposed and has bugs. The top gives a nice view of Diablo lake, but it’s mixed with tall trees so it’s kind of hard to get a full view. Still not a bad hike overall if you don’t mind the lack of shade. Definitely not a difficult incline, but still has ups and downs.

This trail was absolutely beautiful. Having never visited the North Cascades before, I wanted a trail that was relatively easy to hike on but also scenic too, and this one didn't disappoint. About eight miles from the Newhalem Visitor's Center in Marble mount, you'll want to arrive early to get a parking space, as there is very little parking close to the Colonial Creek Campground. I arrived at 745 approximately, having left Everett around 545 in the morning.
There are no gas stations in the North Cascades, so do gas up! The last gas station before you enter this national park is the Shell Gas station in Darrington, off of main street. Make sure to pack some food, and plenty of water. And also, bug spray and having pepper spray on hand is a good idea as well.
You start the hike off walking through the Colonial Creek Campground to where the trailhead marker for Thunder Knob Trail is. After crossing some rocks near the Ross River, you cross a metal bridge. Only one person at a time! The river is so beautiful to listen to. After fifteen minutes you begin ascending the side of the mountain to where the views of Diablo Lake are amazing! I went on for another hour, and the terrain was relatively easy to hike on. No dogs allowed though to this trailhead I believe. I'll definitely be back soon this year! All in all, a beautiful hike in the alpine wilderness that took about an hour and fifteen minutes to the rockier side of the trail before I turned around and hiked back to my car.

To be honest this hike was just ok. You get the same views from the vista view point. Pretty easy hike and still enjoyable. If you are just going for the views might as well save time and go to the vista point which is like 5 min drive from the hike. You will have to get through the campground before reaching the trail.