Viewing Wildlife

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Viewing Wildlife Areas

• Cowlitz Valley area

  The Cowlitz Valley area is administered by the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District. This area is located in the Northern most portion of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington, and comprises about 575,000 acres of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The Cowlitz Valley area is roughly located among three volcanic peaks: Mt. Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams to the east, and Mt. St. Helens to the west. A line connecting Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens following the Boundary Trail #1 makes up the southern boundary. On clear days this trail affords spectacular views.

  Nearby towns include Packwood, Glenoma, Morton and Ashford. The area has numerous campgrounds and over 500 miles of trails for a wide variety of users. Cowlitz Valley Ranger District manages four Wilderness areas including the Goat Rocks Wilderness, Glacier View Wilderness, Tatoosh Wilderness and William O Douglass Wilderness. Major River Drainages include the Cowlitz River, Clear Fork of the Cowlitz, and the Cispus River.

  Nearby attractions include Mt. Rainier National Park and Mount St. Helens National Monument.

• Campground: La Wis Wis

  This large campground (109 sites) is located right off of US Highway 12 at the junction of the Clear Fork of the Cowlitz and the Ohanapecosh Rivers. It is situated in an old growth stand of Douglas Fir, Hemlock and Cedar. Most sites offer good privacy.

  The Purcell Falls Trail #162A and the Blue Hole Trail #167 originate from the campground and offer views of the falls and the Blue Hole along the Ohanapecosh. This is a great destination for those traveling through looking for an overnight stay and also makes a great central location for an extended stay while exploring the local area.

• Trail #247A Oldgrowth Loop
• Trailhead: Potato Hill - Pacific Crest Trail
• Mount Margaret Backcountry
• Mount St. Helens East: Forest Roads 25 & 99

  Gifford Pinchot National Forest Roads 25 and 99 provide access to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument's vast blown down forest and views of the legendary Spirit Lake. These forest roads are typically open from late June until November.

  On Forest Road 99, stop at one of nine interpretive sites, enjoy the views and learn about the volcano and eruption by reading interpretive signs. Links to the stops are below:

  • Bear Meadow Interpretive Site
  • Meta Lake Interpretive Site
  • Miners Car Interpretive Site
  • Cedar Creek Viewpoint
  • Windy Ridge Interpretive Site
  • Harmony Falls Viewpoint
  • Ryan Lake Interpretive Site
  • Cascade Peaks

  Other great opportunities include mountain biking, hiking and/or picnicking at Smith Creek and journeying into the Mount Margaret Backcountry via the Norway Pass Trail.

  Lodging, gas and other services are offered in nearby communities. Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station, in Randle, WA, open to visitors daily during the summer season.

  Accessible Adventures Video

• Meta Lake Interpretive Site
• Mount St. Helens South: Forest Roads 83 & 81

  Forest Road 83: This nine-mile, paved road passes through forests, over 2,000 year-old lava flows and across a mudflow created during the 1980 eruption.

  From Forest Road 8303, a spur road, visit Trail of Two Forests Interpretive Site or Ape Cave. Continuing driving on 83 to access June Lake Trail, Lahar Viewpoint (the only clear view of the mountain’s south side from the road), Ape Canyon Trail and Lava Canyon Interpretive Site. See Mount St. Helens Map.

  Forest Road 81: This mostly paved but several miles of gravel, rough road transports you through less traveled parts of the Monument. Spur Road 830 ends at Climber’s Bivouac Trailhead, the start of the summer climbing route. The road winds west to Red Rock Pass, Blue Lake Trailhead, and Kalama Horse Camp Campground, eventually connecting back with Highway 503.

  • View a Mount St. Helens Map. (.pdf)

  Accessible Adventures Video:

• Mount St. Helens West: State Highway 504

  One of the main roads into Mount St. Helens, State Route 504 provides spectacular views of the landscape, including the crater, blast zone, and Toutle River Valley. At the end of the road is Johnston Ridge Observatory, a popular visitor center that is open daily mid-May through October. Seven miles west of Johnston Ridge Observatory is the Science and Learning Center at Coldwater, where groups participate in educational programming and visitors may get information on winter weekends, 10 am to 4 pm, starting in December.

  As you drive up 504, consider stopping at one of the highway viewpoints: Elk Rock Viewpoint, Castle Lake Viewpoint, and Loowit Viewpoint.  These pull-outs offer benches, trails, gorgeous views, and are open most of the year.

  Route 504 also provides visitors with access to a number of trails, such as the Hummocks Trail where you walk alongside pieces of the mountain, or begin your backpacking trip to spot elk and mountain goats in the majestic Mount Margaret Backcountry. A pleasant summer stop is at Coldwater Lake, with its accessible boardwalk stroll, picnic area, and boat launch.  Route 504 to Coldwater Lake is open through the winter. In summer, food service is available at Johnston Ridge Observatory while many options for food, lodging, and gas can be found along 504 west of Mount St. Helens.

  Accessible Adventures Video

• Mt. Adams area

  Mt. Adams area is administered by the Mt Adams Ranger District. This area is located in the eastern portions of Gifford Pinchot National Forest in southwest Washington, and comprises 367,000 acres. This area includes Mt. Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness and Trapper Creek Wilderness.

  The Lewis River Recreation Area is within Mt. Adams Ranger District. The Lewis River Recreation Area is a 14-mile corridor, situated alongside the Lewis River and Forest Road 90 within the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This popular recreation area is located 26 miles east of Cougar, and 29 miles west of Trout Lake, WA. This area provides access to the popular Lewis River Trail #31, and associated waterfall viewing. Advanced reservations via Recreation.gov are required daily during the busy visitor season from June 15 through September 30.  

  Mt. Adams is a prominent landmark in the area. Elevations here range between 1200 feet at the Wind River Work Center, 12 miles north of Carson, WA., and 12,276 feet at the summit of Mt. Adams. Precipitation varies from 70.7 inches of rain and 65.1 inches of snow at the Wind River Work Center and 44.1 inches of rain and 95.7 inches of snow at the Mt. Adams Ranger District office in Trout Lake, WA. The area features a great diversity of habitats and features, from old growth to second growth forest, wetland areas, low and high elevation meadows, glaciers, and low and high elevation lakes.

  • Locations on and off the forest to explore
  • Forest Vicinity Map
  • Mount Adams Climbing Conditions Report 
  • Recreation Conditions Report 
• Campground: Goose Lake

  Goose Lake is a popular fishing, boating and swimming lake. It is especially good for children. The lake is stocked with fish several times a season. The day use area has parking, picnic tables, a vault toilet and a boat ramp. Campsites are located in level spots on the hillside with attractive views of the lake. Parking for the sites is on the road side. The sites are walk in and allow tent camping only.

  View a map of Goose Lake Campground (.pdf)

• Campground: Trout Lake Creek
• Campground: Beaver
• Recreation Rental: Gov. Mineral Springs Cabin
• Recreation Rental: Peterson Prairie Cabin
• Site: Hemlock Picnic Area
• Sno-Park: Rush Creek
• Trail #107 Sawtooth
• Trail #11 Snipes Mountain

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  Snipes Mountain trail climbs through open pine forests and across rocky slopes through the remains of the 2008 Coldsprings Fire, 2012 Cascade Creek Fire, and 2015 Cougar Creek Fire. It meets Pineway Trail #71, then continues into Mt. Adams Wilderness and upwards for another 2.75 miles to the junction with Round the Mountain Trail #9 in high mountain meadows. The trail roughly follows the A.G. Aiken Lava Bed, a 4-miles long and approximately one-half mile wide lava flow from an eruption about 4,000 years ago.

  The trail is named after Ben Snipes, a local cattleman. Mt. Adams is historically know for sheep herding; cattle weren't grazed in the Mt. Adams area until 1912, a year that marks the beginning of a number of disputes between sheepherders and cattlemen known locally as the Range Wars.

• Trailhead: Snipes Mountain
• Trail #111 Thomas Lake

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  This 3.3 mile heavily used trail passes numerous lakes prior to its connection with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 within Indian Heaven Wilderness.

  From the Thomas Lake Trailhead, beginning along Road 65, this trail climbs gently as it passes through a dense forest, coming to Dee, Thomas, and Heather Lakes at approximately 0.6 mile. The trail climbs to a meadow, then continues past Brader Lake and Naha Lake to Rock Lake and Little Rock Lake. It then turns south and passes Lake Umtux.

  As the trail continues through the broad plateau meadow, it passes numerous unnamed ponds and tiny lakes. The trail descends into the timber, passing Lake Sahalee Tyee, and ends at Blue Lake with the junction of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000.

  Lake Sahalee Tyee lies in the shallow crater of an old volcano. This is an area where Native Americans built slow-burning fires in trenches, preserving berries for later use by drying them over the radiant heat.

• Trailhead: Thomas Lake
• Trail #113 Killen Creek

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  Historically used for berry-picking and later for sheepherding on Mt. Adams, the 3.1 miles Killen Creek Trail climbs through forested areas and open meadows within Mt. Adams Wilderness. It offers spectacular views of Mt. Adams as well as meadows full of wildflowers in season. The trail ends on the Pacific Crest Trail #2000 at about 6000 feet near the intersection with High Camp Trail #10. 

  It is often used as an access trail for mountain climbers attempting routes up the north faces of Mt. Adams. Review the Mt. Adams Summit page for information about climbing Mt. Adams. A Cascade Volcano Pass is required from May 1^st to September 30^th for anyone age 16 and older traveling above 7000ft elevation on Mt. Adams, even if not attempting the summit.

   

• Trailhead: Killen Creek
• Trail #114 High Line
• Trail #12 Stagman Ridge

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  This 4.1 mile trail follows a long ridge through timber, meadows and the burned area from the Cascade Creek Fire. It offering views of Avalanche and White Salmon Glaciers, and ends at the junction with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail. It touches Cascade Creek at a nice waterside spot for a picnic.

  The trail leaves the trailhead from a clear-cut at 4,193 feet elevation, then climbs northeast, enters Mt. Adams Wilderness, and continues through heavy timber and rocky slopes. The trail ends at the junction with the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 on top of the ridge at 5,800' elevation. The scar from a massive debris avalanche can be seen from this trail. The avalanche occurred in 1920 and again in August 1997. It originated in the Avalanche Glacier cirque, at approximately 12,000' elevation.

• Trailhead: Stagman Ridge
• Trail #133 Soda Peaks Lake

  This Trail Open to Hikers Only.

  This 5.5 mile trail accesses the southwest corner of Trapper Creek Wilderness. Soda Peaks Lake, a glacial -carved cirque, is surrounded by conifers in a mountainous setting. The trail passes through forest and across loose rock to reach a saddle from which it switchbacks down to the lake. The trail then decesends steeply to join the Trapper Creek Trail near the southeast Wilderness boundary.

  The trail begins at Soda Peaks Trailhead and climbs east into Trapper Creek Wilderness to a saddle. From the saddle, the trail switchbacks down to Soda Peaks Lake, which is in a glacial-carved cirque. The trail skirts the lake to the north and traverses the southern portion of the wilderness before fording Trapper Creek and intersecting with Trapper Creek Trail #192.  

  A separate spur trail parallels Trapper Creek's west bank and terminates at Government Mineral Springs.

• Trailhead: Soda Peaks
• Trail #16 Shorthorn
• Trail #171A Shortcut
• Trail #179 Lemei Lake
• Trail #183 South Climb

  This heavily used trail provides access to the South Climb route up to the summit of Mt. Adams within Mt. Adams Wilderness.

  Initially the trail follows an old road bed through a burn scar created by the 2012 Cascade Creek Fire. As the trail nears timberline it moves into sub-alpine forest and meadows where it intersects Round the Mountain Trail #9, which heads northwest to meet the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 Trail. South Climb Trail #183 continues to climb before veering west to cross the Morrison Creek drainage and surmount Crescent Ridge. This section of the trail until its end about 1 mile above is marked by tall poles mounted in rock cairns. From Crescent Ridge, it continues north and up along the rocky ridge of krumholtz trees running adjacent to Crescent Glacier until it reaches a large snow field leading to “Lunch Counter.” The trail ends at about 8500ft elevation in the snowfield. Beyond this point it is considered to be a primitive, alpine climbing route that varies with conditions.

  Mountain climbers continuing beyond the trail’s end head up the snow field to “Lunch Counter”, a relatively flat portion of Suksdorf Ridge, then upwards to the false summit “Pikers Peak” and the true summit above. This is a challenging climb of about 6,700 vertical feet that takes climbers at least 6 to 8 hours to ascend and another 4-6 hours to descend. Many do it in more than one day, camping along the route. The entire trip from trailhead to summit and back is about 12 miles. Be prepared and know your limits. For more information on climbing Mt. Adams, please see the Mt. Adams Summit page.

• Trailhead: South Climb
• Trail #192.1 Trapper Creek

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  This trail climbs from Trapper Creek Trailhead on Forest Road 5401 through an old-growth forest, intersecting with Dry Creek Trail #194 almost immediately. The trail climbs for about 1 mile, before the junction with Observation Trail #132 near the Trapper Creek Wilderness boundary. The trail offers access to stands of old growth and rushing creeks. At 1.2 miles it becomes Trapper Creek Trail #192.2, which is Hiker Only.

  Alert: This trail is within the Big Hollow Fire (2020) burned area. Hikers travel at their own risk. Please review safety tips for burned areas.

• Trailhead: Trapper Creek
• Trail #192.2 Trapper Creek
• Trail #198 Sunshine Primitive Trail
• Trail #202 Rim Primitive Trail
• Trail #34 Lemei

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  This 5.3 mile trail offers views of Mounts Adams, Rainier, St. Helens, and Hood, along with views of Lemei Rock, a 5,925' promontory that juts 500' above Lake Wapiki. 

  From the Lemei Trailhead on Road 24 the trail heads east to pass through a second-growth forest. The trail then climbs to the ridge line, enters Indian Heaven Wilderness, and intersects with Filloon Trail #102. After 3 miles you will pass a junction with Lake Wapiki Trail #34A, a 0.5 mile that leads to Wapiki Lake. From here the trail climbs steeply to open meadow slopes, providing excellent views of the lake and Lemei Rock before descending to end at Indian Heaven Trail #33 near Cultus Lake.

  Lemei Rock is the core of an old volcano and is the highest point in Indian Heaven Wilderness. Its crater forms the basin for Lake Wapiki.

• Trailhead: Lemei
• Trail #34A Wapiki Lake
• Trail #35 Service

  This Trail Open to Hikers, Bikers, Equestrian and OHV Use.

  This trail begins on Road 8821 and follows a decommissioned road for 1 mile through open stands of spruce to Deadhorse Meadow. The trail crosses Road 8831, then continues across Smoky and Little Goose Creeks before ending on Middle Trail #26. 

  This and a number of other trails in the area were developed by sheepherders in the late 1800s. Sheepherders traveled from as far as eastern Oregon to graze their sheep on these summer ranges. The sheepherders often followed Native American trails. Portions of the Service Trail follow the original wagon route into the forest built in the early 1900s.

• Trailhead: Service
• Trail #37 Sleeping Beauty Peak
• Trail #49 Little Huckleberry

  This Trail Open to Hikers, Bikers and Equestrian Use.

  This trail climbs a long, forested ridge on the north side of Little Huckleberry Mountain. The steep grade continues for 1 mile and at approximately 4,000 feet elevation the trail enters an area with steep side slopes. The trail eventually breaks from the trees into berry fields and rock gardens, then climbs to the summit of Little Huckleberry Mountain, the former site of a fire lookout. Perched at 4,781 feet elevation, the site offers views of Mounts Hood and Adams. 

  You can pick out 9-mile-long Big Lava Bed to the west by the gray-green color of the forest that grows on top of it, forming a contrast with the deeper green of the adjacent forests. Goose Lake and South Prairie can be seen in the foreground. The original fire lookout was built in 1924. It was replaced by a new building in the 1930s. The lookout was destroyed in 1970. 

• Trail #55 Tombstone Lake
• Trail #75 Salt Creek

  This Trail Open to Hiker and Equestrian Use.

  Salt Creek Trail enters Mt Adams Wilderness to offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Beginning from Salt Creek Trailhead on Forest Road 8031, this lightly used trail follows Road 060 (closed to vehicle travel) for 1 mile, then enters the Mt. Adams Wilderness.

  The trail travels through large open timber following the Salt Creek drainage, passing several beaver ponds and meadows. As you hike a long the trail near the beaver pond expect to see elk, deer, beaver, and eagles. The trail is maintained for 3 miles, ending near the confluence of Cascade and Salt Creeks.

• Trailhead: Salt Creek
• Trail #9 Round-the-Mountain
• Trailhead: Indian Race Track - South
• Trailhead: Sawtooth
• Trailhead: Sleeping Beauty
• Wilderness: Indian Heaven
• Wilderness: Goat Rocks
• Wilderness: Mt. Adams

  Mt. Adams Wilderness envelops an ecologically complex landscape along the west slope of Mt. Adams and its summit. The 47,122 acres that comprise the wilderness area are a blend of dry east-side and moist west-side ecosystems, allowing diverse types of vegetation and wildlife to flourish. Several areas along the flanks of Mt. Adams have burned in wildfires over the last several decades, providing sharp contrast with the lush unburned forests nearby and a glimpse at how landscapes regenerate after fire. Volcanic activity on Mt. Adams spans many geologic eras, with the most recent activity occurring just 3,500 years ago. Multiple trails provide access to spectacular views of Mt. Adams, including its glaciers, mountain streams, meadows, open alpine forests and lava flows.

  At an elevation of 12,276 feet, Mt. Adams is the second highest peak in Washington; however, with an 18-mile wide diameter it is the largest volcano by bulk in the state. Its glaciers, along with adjoining ridges and permanent snow fields, sport many climbing routes of varying difficulty to the summit. All involve a significant degree of inherent danger and risk. Review the Mt. Adams Summit page for information about climbing Mt. Adams. A Mt. Adams Climbing Permit ( https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74420) is required from May 1^st to September 30^th for anyone age 16 and older traveling above 7000ft elevation on Mt. Adams, even if not attempting the summit.

  The remoteness and wilderness character of Mt. Adams led to its designation as a wild area under the Forest Service U2 regulations in 1942 and ultimately to its inclusion in the Wilderness Act of 1964. This designation includes the summit of Mt. Adams, and thus Wilderness Regulations apply for those seeking adventure on its higher ridges and summit as well as those enjoying the meadows, forest, and lakes below.

  Only the western half of Mt. Adams lies within the Mt. Adams Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service. The eastern half of Mt. Adams lies within the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation and is managed by the tribe. The portion of the mountain on Yakama Nation lands is largely closed to recreation. Contact the Yakama Nation for information regarding areas open to recreation.

  Mobile Friendly Map via Avenza: Mount Adams Wilderness Map (Learn more about how Avenza works.)

• Wilderness: Trapper Creek
• Wilderness: William O. Douglas