Miles: 7.4 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 2800ft/3800ft
Map: Green Trails Randle, WA No 301, my GAIA
Favorite Eats After Hike: Cliff Droppers, White Pass Taqueria, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
Hike details:
One of many Dry Creek trails in Washington State, this calf-burner is located in the Cowlitz River drainage below White Pass. Taking you through young forest to the abandoned Smith Point fire lookout site and views of the surrounding mountains, you may even be able to spot Tahoma (Mount Rainier) on the horizon with a clear day!
This verdant trail crosses the misnamed Dry Creek within 350 feet and a detour to the left takes you to an eroding log bridge spanning this mossy rock littered creek. On the other side, the trail continues to a junction at 0.15 miles and another sign for Dry Creek. Here is where your ascent begins on a set of switchbacks that follow a forested ridge to the southeast above the Dry Creek drainage.
A viewpoint is possible at 2 miles, you can see Tahoma (Mount Rainer) rise above in the distance over Chutla, Wahpenayo and Unicorn Peaks. From here the trail takes a southern tack and continues towards a small knob that is your ultimate destination. A sharp turn left at a junction lands you at the leveled summit in a quarter mile for a total of 3.7 miles.
There is not much left of the lookout structure and evergreens obscure the view. You can gaze west down the Cowlitz River valley and across at Goat Pike and Winters Mountain. Bring a lunch and enjoy some time at this lofty location, you will most likely have it to yourself.
My Trip Reports
12/12/2020
Looking for a low level hike with a view in less than 2 miles, I revisited Dry Creek with a good friend today.
There were no other cars (as expected) and there was no snow up to the Mount Rainier viewpoint around 2 miles up. We took such a leisurely pace up we ran out of time to make it to the summit which I am pretty sure would have at least a little snow. Since Elizabeth had forgotten her spikes at home we decided this was best to be our turn around point.
The trail was in good shape and Mount Rainier was out (unlike my last visit!). It was the perfect hike for getting caught up with an old friend who (just like me) has been spending too much time behind the screen lately. 🙂
5/26/2019
Out along HWY 12 yet again for a long weekend of camping so I headed out for a few short day hikes around the Packwood area.
Heading east towards Packwood, Forest Road 20 is a right hand turn just past the rest area on the left. The rest area makes a good place to stop to use the facilities as the trail head does not have any.
The trailhead is just up off of HWY 12 at a bend in the road on the right. There is room for about 4 small cars. I was the first to arrive about 8:15am and started up soon after.
The crossing for Dry Creek is less than .1 mile in with what must be the horse ford straight ahead and the large log crossing up a bit to the left. Upon my return I noticed fresh motorbike treks that only went as far as the creek. Not sure if the creek had prevented a barrier due to water level of not.
There was a junction at .25 miles that could be confusing, keep left and along Dry Creek.
Most of the hike to the old lookout site is in the forest but not dense so you can see the long switchbacks stretching out before you as you slowly make up next to Dry Creek.
There were quite a few wildflowers and I saw my first fairy slipper of the season! There were even a few candystick on a section of original trail neglected by a shortcut made by folks cutting a switchback. Lots of vanilla leaf, huckleberry and salal encroaching the trail made me glad I had gaiters on.
It is clear that someone takes good care of the trail but evidence of motorbikes were at the trenched switchbacks. There were 3 trees down over the trail (.9 miles, 1.1 miles, and 2.8 miles). Nothing to worry a hiker but two hung around eye level or so and below what would not be considered appropriate equestrian spec or bike friendly.
Just shy of 2 miles, there was a outcropping with a viewpoint of what would have been Mt. Rainier on a nicer day. A touch of bear grass littered the slope here. There was a ton of flagging the length of the trail, I imagine with it proximity to HWY 12 it makes for an early season hike when snow remains on the trail.
At about 3.4 miles in, as you round the summit on the west side, there is a 4 way junction. I headed up to the left and a few switchbacks later arrived at the summit at 3.6 miles and 3,786 feet.
The view were mostly of the Cowlitz River Valley down below and Winters, Green and Purcell Mountains off in the distance. Mt. Rainier was obscured by trees for the most part. Maybe if you stood on a lookout footing and stretched up really tall you might be able to see her but I settled for glimpse through the evergreens.
I enjoyed the top to myself for about 45 minutes and made my way back down to the car passing only one other person. I would definitely do this hike again, unlike the next one I attempted…
Directions:
Driving east from the town of Randle on Highway 12, turn south on Forest Road 20 (Smith Creek Road) in about 12.7 miles. It will be just after the public rest stop on the north side of the highway.
The trailhead is less than half mile up at a bend in the road and there is room for about 4 small cars in a pullout. There are no services here so the rest stop on Highway 12 makes a convenient detour before your hike. No pass is required.
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