Explore the most popular dogs on leash trails near Packwood with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
absolutely amazing. spend a night if you can. after seeing the beauty went back to car, drove to walupt lake. put on backpack. hiked up nannie ridge trail, night at sheep lake and then back through cispus pass to snow grass. camping in cispus would be amazing but sheep lake was awesome as well. if coming from snowgrass hike to sheep lake for night. then back to snowgrass but follow pct to snow peak. that way you will see it all.
Amazing hike with some awesome camping sites surrounding the lake. Just got back and we had absolutely no problems with mosquitoes or flies. Went up on a Friday and there were only a handful of people at the lake. We will be going back to this gem. Can’t beat the views at the top either.
Hiked to Lost Lake via Packwood Lake Trail #78 Sunday of Labor Day Weekend for an overnighter. 20 miles RT (counting a 4 mile RT to the Old Lookout above Lost Lake), with 4216ft elevation gain including Old Lookout that took 5hrs to Lost Lake.
As expected, the parking lot was packed and started a second parking row. Arrived and on the trail by 9am. Arrived at the Packwood Lake in 1.5 hrs, had a snack and continued on Packwood Lake Trail #78 UP 4 miles to Lost Lake. This section is step climbing approx. 2500 ft. Mosquito Lake is overgrown by brush and not really suitable to stay, however there is a nice campsite next to it. Afterward there is a nice meadow with the first views of the Goat Rocks. From there the Junction of Coyote Trail #79 is just ½ mile and Lost Lake is another ½ mile after that. I arrived at Lost Lake at 2:15pm.
I made camp, had lunch and left for a 2 mile side trip up to the Old Lookout site above Lost Lake. Left at 3:30 and arrived at 5pm. Beautiful. There is a 360 degree view including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, The Goat Rocks, Old Snowy and the White Pass ski lifts. Spent 30 minutes up there and headed back. Made it back by 6:30pm.
From the Old Lookout, down to Lost Lake and to the Junction of Coyote Trail #79 is part of the detour of the PCT around the Miriam Fire near White Pass.
Lost Lake had a lot of people, and some sites were open. There are at least 6 sites with lake access, maybe more. 2 were open. The water level at Lost Lake was VERY LOW, about 12-15 ft below years past. There are more camp sites available, however they don’t have lake access, but a seasonal stream is nearby. They are about ½ mile past the lake.
Going down the next day was quick and took 3.5 hrs vs 5 hrs going in. Tough hike after Packwood Lake but easy starting and finishing. Lost Lake is beautiful and a peaceful place to camp with no bugs this trip anyway. Well worth the effort!
Whoever said this hike isn’t strenuous and is good for any skill level is trolling you. There is 1200 feet of elevation gain in the first 1.5 miles if you go clockwise from Berry Patch (or a terribly steep descent at the end of your hike if you’re coming from Snowgrass Flat). The ascent is pretty relentless until you reach the ridge, so I wouldn’t recommend it for brand new backpackers or anyone who isn’t in decent shape. Going out and back from Snowgrass Flat to Goat Lake would be an easier hike for those who can’t handle Goat Ridge.
Went Sept 2-3. Parking lot was overflowing but we didn’t encounter throngs of people until we hit Goat Lake (also saw goats!). I counted 20-25 tents around the lake. Other than the view, I don’t understand the appeal of camping there- it’s overcrowded, cold, and totally exposed to the elements. Found a better spot below the tree line. Didn’t encounter many people on the hike back and the parking lot was nearly empty— weekdays are definitely the way to go!
Spectacular hike, perfect weather (it gets cold at night- bring layers), no bugs, and still a few wildflowers in bloom.
Beautiful Scenery and a great loop hike.
Michael M. on Snowgrass Flats and Goat Lake Loop Trail
A couple friends and I did this loop and added Old Snowy and Hawkeye Point onto it. Incredible views of Adams, as well as Rainier, Helens, and even Hood in the distance. We did the loop clockwise from berry patch trailhead over two days, camping at goat lake overnight from August 31-September 1. Didn’t see a single mosquito, probably because it was a little cooler, but comfortable hiking weather. The hiking itself is not strenuous and any incline feels very doable for any skill level, nothing technical. We were each carrying packs that were about 35-40 lbs. The views of Adams are just incredible. The whole hike above the tree line is basically worthy of a postcard from any direction you look. Stop to eat huckleberries in the meadows, and enjoy idyllic views of mountain goats grazing on the cliffs and marmots scrambling around in the meadows. I recommend planning a trip during off-peak traffic times so you can get a good camping spot at goat lake to watch the clouds settle in the valley in the evening and wake up to an incredible view of Adams in the morning. I strongly recommend adding Old Snowy onto your loop. It’s an extra 5 miles that felt like 2-3, and despite the elevation gain of about 2000 feet was surprisingly easy (I dropped my pack at the turn off and enjoyed a packless ascent up Old Snowy). It’s worth the effort to enjoy getting above the ridges and seeing numerous others peaks and into other basins and valleys. At a minimum tack on Hawkeye for a similar, view as Old Snowy. I recommend this hike to anyone starting at even the most basic skill and generally healthy fitness level. Oh, and fun to interact with some thru hikers on a little bit of the PCT.
Great 2 night trip. Bugs were not a problem. Lots of other people around but there are plenty of campsites if you dont insist on being at the lake. Roads have a lot of washboard but if you drive a reasonable speed any car can handle them without issue.
We accidentally came upon this trail while hiking. The creek was right behind our campground and the kids were playing by it. We followed it upstream and came across the base of the falls. It forms a deep jagged cut in the rock and makes a waist deep pool at tye base. After a bit of play, we found the trail and followed the waterfall upstream. our 5 and 8 year olds loved the multiple layers to the falls. The trail was not bad at all. It was a fairly easy hike. The kids loved being able to splash in the water some also. They also loved the blue hole at the camp ground. If you are in the area, it is a fun little hike. Many people will actually slide down some of the smaller portions of the waterfall.
Trail is maintained well and we found lots of spots near the lake. Bugs weren’t much of a problem (August 19). Total burn ban is in effect so no camp fires. Great for a 1-night backpack.
Great hike! Awesome payoff! Went in using the actual hiking trail, easy and clear except for a few horse pies!
As a follow-up to the review by PhLo S just below...my group went August 10-12. There were some flies and mosquitoes at the lower elevations, but nothing close to plague-level. As a precaution we wore long sleeve shirts and long pants, with the option to wear head nets. While hiking these precautions weren't really needed, but during rest stops the bugs can get annoying. The views at the upper elevations are amazing. This was one of the best hikes I have been on.
First off, DO NOT follow the directions on AllTrails! Take FR 21 instead of FR 48 and search for directions ahead of time from somewhere else as the ones here are horribly inaccurate (wrong forest road and not 9.5 miles, more like 20 once on FR 21). If it weren’t for the payoff when you make it up to Goat Lake, I’d have a hard time recommending this trail. I went counterclockwise to how Alltrails has you do it (I went through Snowgrass Flats then onto Goat Lake) and the first 4 miles are brutal but not because the trail is incredibly difficult, but because of the relentless biting flies and gradual ascent. I pushed through faster than I wanted and when I’d stop for a break I’d be covered in seconds by dozens of flies, none of them caring that I had 100% deet all over. So then you just keep going and by the time I made it out of the forest I was exhausted. Once you clear the forest, Snowgrass flats is great. Crowded, but beautiful and with plenty of water sources so no need to carry a lot of water if you have any way to filter. The last push up to the lake is absolutely gorgeous though a pretty steady climb. Once at the lake, madness; it was a Friday evening and there must have been over 50 people camping at the lake (including a tent city with 6 tents all clustered together) so I pressed on to Jordan Basin and found a spot to hang my hammock for the night. Easy 5 miles into the Berrypatch parking area the next morning and then the short connector back to the other parking lot. Overall it was worth it but I won’t come back until the weather has turned in the fall when I think the bugs won’t be an issue and the crowds will have died down.
Three friends and I did an overnight along this route, staying near Goat Lake. The hike is absolutely miserable near the beginning and end due to plague-level biting flies that easily eclipse the also annoying mosquito infestation. A ways above the treeline all that junk disappears. The views and nice weather made up for the terribly buggy ascent and descent. We did the side trip up Hawkeye Point on our way back, well worth the extra effort. As the first evening approached, the clouds cleared off Mt. Adams. The view south from Goat Lake is amazing. The wildflowers were fairly abundant, especially near small streams. Keep in mind that standard insect repellent does absolutely nothing for the biting flies even if it keeps the mosquitoes from biting. Deet, Picaradin - no effect. Had I known, I would have read up on specific solutions for biting flies as they were far worse than mosquitoes. If you can tolerate wearing pants on a hot day, it will reduce the flies' annoyance at least a bit. Slapping your full body is harder, though it burns more calories. If you plan to camp, I highly recommend going on a weekday. It's a very popular and crowded trail. Maybe we saw over a hundred people total. Luckily we stayed Sunday night, so most of the weekend hikers were on their way down as we went up. If you are concerned about snow, as of August 6th there isn't any on the trail this entire loop route. There is a big, steep snow patch in the saddle going to the Hawkeye Point side trip, but there is a makeshift trail below and east of the snow to keep it safer. From Hawkeye Point we were able to see 28 goats to the northeast. Keep in mind they might be in the snow, in which case they blend in a bit. Bring a powerful lens (like 200 or 300 mm at least... aka 10x zoom+) if you want to get a decent photo of them.
We planned our arrival in hopes that 830 at the trailhead would get us parking and avoid the crowds. We were right and wrong at the same time. The trailheads at West Parking and Berry Patch were both packed, but as it turned out, it was mostly day hikers.
The trail condition heading up Snowgrass Trail (We did the loop counter clock wise) was in great condition, and the bugs were only bugging us if we stopped. We were hiking with two dogs, and the bugs were more interested in them than us.
There were plenty of people on the trail, but almost all of them were day hikers in large groups. We saw maybe 5-6 backpacking groups (2-4 people) the entire way up. We stopped and ate lunch at Snowgrass before pushing on towards Goat Lake, where we intended to set up camp. The bugs were worse up in snow grass flat, but not unbearable and as the valley opened up the views made us completely forget it.
We ended up deciding to make camp about a mile shy of Goat Lake. I'm not one for crowds, and everyone was headed up there and we were early on the trail for backpackers. It ended up being a great call, as we found a nice shaded spot a little off the trail with a perfectly framed view of Mt. Adams and easy access to fresh water. Through my telephoto later that evening, I counted over 15 tents in the vicinity of Goat Lake.
The next day, we continued the loop, stopping for pictures and to let the pups play in the snow at Goat Lake.
The trail from a mile prior to Goat Lake, and about 3 miles after it is absolutely beautiful, but a little precarious for novice hikers, hikers with inexperienced dogs, and children. The drop offs exceed 1000 feet in places, and while the path is mostly in wonderful condition, there are sections that require a little more concentration, and they generally match up with those steep drop offs. Just a thought to consider when deciding how best to tackle this loop, or whether to just do an out and back on Snowgrass.
After crossing the ridge into Jordan Basin and following the long ridge-hugging trail down into the treeline, the trail slowly widens, the canopy thickens and despite a last minute climb before the 1.8 mile elevator descent to parking, the trail was very enjoyable.
Water is pretty available the whole loop, but the wooded section on the western part of the loop has only one good creek access, and the rest of the water is available above the tree line. Jordan Basin has a wide, cool stream to fill up in before your descent. We packed too much water in, considering the availability of fresh water throughout the hike.
For a weekend backpacking trip on this trail, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of crowds, availability of camp sites and the friendliness of everyone on the trail. There were lots of dogs, lots of families with young kids and hikers of all ages on the trail.
This is a beautiful scenic trail. Unfortunately I ran out of gas about one half mile before Goat Lake. The views are amazing but I ended at 12 miles which was too much for me to day hike. I will have to try it again another day. A side note, the biting flies are insane, bring lots of repellent or you will be miserable.
18.07.28 (Overnight)
The trail itself is in good shape and the spectacular views begin around 5 miles in. The trail was very busy, but not excessively so.
Bugs were an absolute horror until you get above the treeline, to the degree that even my 2 dogs were actually groaning and thrashing around in frustration whenever we stopped for water.
The lake is 90% frozen and there was still snow around Goat Lake, but solid ground could be found for tents. However, there were easily >30 tents crammed throughout the vicinity and campfires were in use by some groups despite very visible signage stating this was prohibited. In short, it was a zoo.
The gross misconduct by overnighters and general overuse of the area will unfortunately keep me away. Please, be respectful when you enjoy these beautiful trails.
the trails and campsites are enjoyable, and the lake is beautiful.
The mosquitoes are out in full force right now, so be prepared for that. the minute you stop walking, they start to swarm.
if you go during the week you'll have your pick of the sites and plenty of solitude.
There's lots of trash at the campsites, though, so please remember to pack out whatever you bring, and any trash other people left behind.
Great hike through the trees. Lake is beautiful. Plenty of places up around the lake to be secluded from others. My husband and son caught 4 trout. Hike is not strenuous, little elevation gain. Took about an hour and a half for our family of 4 to get there. Bugs weren't terrible, but we had bug spray. Would definitely hike again if in the area.
Hiked to Packwood Lake today with my son and grandson. Beautiful day. Sunny and warm with cool breeze every now and then.
The parking lot was full as you'd expect on a nice weekend day. We left in about 12:30pm. Round trip counting the time spent at the lake was 5hrs. The trail is mostly flat with one way elevation gain of 900ft. Easy. There were lots of people at the lake. Lots of tents and people overnighting. We found a nice spot by the water had snacks and had fun. The return trip always seems longer on the trail for some reason and saw about 5 horses total and a small group packing up their ATV's to come back.
This is a great hike and one for he whole family.
Not worth your sweat. Would rather play fortnite than come here again. Go to blue hole instead just right around the corner.
Although I have lived around here for 25 years, this was the first time I noticed it on the map and decided to go check it out. What a great surprise! I parked on Skate Creek Road and rode a bike to the trailhead. The trailhead is clearly marked and the entire length of the trail is well-delineated and easy to follow. It traverses through many different types of forests (reproduction, old growth, second growth) and has a really nice character to it. I rode it on my bike. It was strenuous to ride uphill, but I only needed to come out of the pedals 3-4 times on the way up. There are some good views near the top. The ride down was great. It wasn't just a complete brake-riding experience on the way down. The trail was narrow, but had a nice flow. It would make a great traverse to continue to the Allen Mountain trail, then the Sawtooth trail out Osbourne Mountain. Take a lunch on that one. - Stefan
Perfect weather for a beautiful hike to the lake. We were there the weekend after the 4th so a lot of people were there. As everyone else mentioned, the mosquitoes were out in full force!
7/6/2018 Incredible loop, my son and I hiked in from Berry Patch trailhead to Goat Lake with an overnight at Jordan Basin. The second day we went up to Hawkeye Point in the morning, then trotted the 4 miles back from camp to Berry Patch in the afternoon.
There is still a lot of snow: Goat Lake was still frozen over, with melt along the edges, and the campsites there were still in snow. The way from the Bypass Trail to Goat Lake was about 40-50% over snow, but easily navigable, with many short snow bridges over the numerous runoff streams. The scenery is magnificent as you come out above timberline on the Lily Basin Trail after the Snowgrass veers east to join the PCT. Enough wildflowers were out to provide constant interest. Camp at Jordan Basin was beautiful, with a view south to Mount Adams and water at the doorstep; we were alone except for a solo camper and several marmots. A cold night with a bit of skim ice on the water when we awoke.
The morning hike to Hawkeye (about 1,000 vertical from Jordan) was beautiful, with one long snow ridge (again, easily manageable). From Hawkeye we had a magnificent view taking in Rainier, Adams, the tip of Hood, and Mount St. Helens, only this last shrouded in clouds. Goat Lake is directly below.
The trail back to Berry Patch is a pleasant gradual descent through Jordan Basin and then into forest. Really an extraordinary hike, strenuous but not desperate on the way to Goat Lake.
Beautiful lake! It’s an easy hike, definitely not the elevation All Trails says. We packed in on a Sunday and from what we could tell were the only ones out there until Monday morning on our way out. The mosquitoes were the worst part of it - horrible in the trees near the lake, but not so bad near the lake. Seemed like we had to keep reapplying the bug spray in order to keep them away. Definitely recommend this hike for backpacking or for the day!
Did this hike for Bachelor party about a month ago for 2 nights! fairly easy hike with not views on the way until the lake is reached. Found a great spot on the north side of the lake. Please hike out what you bring in, some one or multiple people over time had left A LOT of trash on the other side of the trail from our camp spot and at the first camp site on the trail.
Well maintained trail, big lot at trailhead with maintained toilet. Beautiful dappled sunlight through the trees for most of the trail. Some mosquitoes, bring bug spray, but some breezes helped. Lovely view at the lake, clear water. Moderately busy, every other group had a dog, all on leash.
The only reason I gave 4 stars is because of the mosquitoes...They were so aggressive!! We were ill prepared and didn't have spray. Luckily got some from a camper at the lake for the trek back, but they were still pretty persistent. I have no less than 70 bites. However...the lake was amazing and worth the annoyance of the bugs. We hiked probably 3/4 mile around lake to find a good private spot to eat lunch and hang out. Fish were jumping all over the place, so bring your poles. The elevation changes are very minor and the trail is great condition. Length does tucker you out near the end if doing in a day, but nothing too bad!
Loved it. Beautiful scenery all around! We went early September so we just missed the wildflowers, but it was still amazing.
Machelle S. on Packwood Lake Trail
Beautiful hike. Mosquitoes were awful this afternoon. Bug spray is a must!! Packwood Lake is beautiful♡
Duke, my dog, and I love this hike! The lake is beautiful but the way there is just as pretty! He really enjoys the water. Even though a lot of people do this hike you don’t run into a lot of people and if you do they’re all very nice.