MONTE CRISTO

About

Monte Cristo Campground sits at the site of the historic Monte Cristo mining town, originally part of the Rattler Mining Claim before the Forest Service acquired the property in 1951. The small campground offers six sites nestled among vine maple and second-growth timber, each equipped with a picnic table, fire pit, and barbecue grill. A vault toilet is located nearby. Access requires a 4-mile hike from Barlow Pass Trailhead along the gated Monte Cristo Road. No vehicles are permitted beyond the gate. The Mountain Loop Highway typically closes seasonally from late November through mid-May due to snow. A Northwest Forest Pass or other valid recreation pass is required for parking at Barlow Pass ($5/day or $30/annual). Campers must bring all their own drinking water. Surface water throughout the Monte Cristo area contains arsenic and other heavy metals from historic mining operations that exceed safe drinking water standards. Standard backcountry water treatment methods like filtering and boiling will not remove these contaminants. The campground provides an excellent staging point for wilderness trails including Glacier Basin Trail and Poodle Dog Pass-Silver Lake-Twin Lakes Trail.

Directions

From Granite Falls, take Mountain Loop Highway east for approximately 31 miles (or 19.4 miles east of Verlot Public Service Center) to Barlow Pass Trailhead. Park at the trailhead and hike 4 miles on the gated Monte Cristo Road to reach the campground.