One Night Wilderness: Portland. Douglas Lorain
above a pair of small ponds with a couple of good and wildly scenic campsites. These camps are a bit exposed and the ponds are too shallow for either swimming or fishing, but they feature terrific views and plenty of solitude. The sunrises here can be spectacular. The trail continues past the pond, ascending to a ridgetop where it switchbacks to the right, and then climbs to the cliff-edged top of Cispus Point. The views here are outstanding and include all of the big volcanic peaks of southern Washington—Rainier, Adams, St. Helens, and the eroded old volcano of the Goat Rocks. You can also look south to Oregon’s Mt. Hood and see countless smaller rocky ridges and summits closer at hand. Sadly, several clear-cuts are also visible, but even they can’t spoil a view that is this good.
Mt. Rainier from Cispus Point
9 Packwood Lake and Coyote Ridge Loop
| RATINGS | Scenery 8 Difficulty 3 to 9 Solitude 2 to 8 | |
| ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE | 9 miles to Packwood Lake; 25.4 miles for loop | |
| ELEVATION GAIN | 300 feet to Packwood Lake; 4350 feet for loop | |
| OPTIONAL MAPS | Green Trails: Packwood, White Pass | |
| USUALLY OPEN | May to November for Packwood Lake; late July to October for loop | |
| BEST TIMES | Late July to August | |
| AGENCY | Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (Gifford Pinchot National Forest) | |
| PERMIT | Required. Free at the trailhead. Northwest Forest Pass required. |
to Packwood Lake
Highlights
Packwood Lake is a huge subalpine gem with a scenic island and terrific views up to the snowy crags of Johnson Peak. It is also accessible along an easy trail from a trailhead reached by a good paved road. Not surprisingly, the place is very popular. What many visitors don’t realize, however, is that the lake is only the starting point for a magnificent backcountry loop. The trail along Coyote Ridge is one of the finest high-elevation ridge walks in our region, with outstanding views, plenty of wildlife, and abundant wildflowers. The amazing thing is that the ridge is so little traveled that you may have the entire route to yourself.
Getting There
Leave Interstate 5 north of Vancouver, Washington, at Exit 68 and travel 64 miles east on U.S. Highway 12 to the small town of Packwood. Near the north end of town, and immediately south of the Packwood Ranger Station/Work Center, turn right on Snyder Road, following signs to Packwood Lake Trail. This paved road, which becomes Forest Road 1260, climbs 3.8 miles to the large roadend parking lot and trailhead.
Hiking It
The heavily used trail departs from the north end of the parking lot and gently climbs under the shade of tall Douglas firs and western hemlocks. All that shade limits the understory to a few salal, Oregon grape, elderberry, thimbleberry, and scattered forest wildflowers. The next 4.2 miles are easy hiking with very little elevation gain or loss, staying in generally viewless but pleasant forest. At the end of this section you descend a little to the west shore of very large and green-tinged Packwood Lake. This photogenic lake, with its large, forested island and views of Johnson Peak, is the destination of almost all hikers, so beyond this point you will enjoy much more solitude.
The trail passes a relatively new guard station building just before a signed junction with the Pipeline Trail, an old road that parallels the hiker’s trail and is often used by mountain bikers and motorcyclists to access the lake. Shortly after this junction your trail passes the historic 1910 log ranger station building and then takes a bridge over the lake’s dammed outlet creek. Shortly after this crossing are some fine campsites, featuring excellent views to the southeast of Johnson Peak rising over the waters of Packwood Lake.
At 4.6 miles the trail forks at the start of the recommended loop. Veer left (uphill) and immediately pull away from the lake as the trail steadily climbs at a moderately steep grade across a heavily forested hillside. The circuitous route ascends in switchbacks and winding traverses for 2 miles before reaching a tiny, lily-pad-covered pond that goes by the name of Mosquito Lake. Although this is not much of a “lake,” it does feature a decent campsite above its northwest shore.
The trail rounds the west and north sides of Mosquito Lake, and then continues 0.1 mile to an easy-to-miss junction. Stay straight on the main trail and contour for 0.4 mile to a lovely wildflower meadow before climbing in forest for 0.6 mile to a junction.
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