White Pass Scenic Byway
Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens Discovery Tour
| Departure: | Lewis and Clark Trail State Park, Washington |
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| Destination: | Oak Creek Wildlife Area, Washington |
| Time to allow: | 2 days |
Explore the dramatic contrasts between Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano lush with vegetation and wildlife, and Mount St. Helens, still raw from a volcanic eruption only a few decades ago. This multi-day trip takes you to parts of the national park and volcanic monument that many visitors don’t see, including the box canyon of the Cowlitz River and Grove of the Patriarchs in Mount Rainier National Park, and the dramatic Windy Ridge viewpoint to Mount St. Helens. Your journey along the White Pass Scenic Byway sets the stage, providing an experience of lowland west-side forests and arid east-side steppe country. Along the way, the byway offers dozens of hiking opportunities, allowing you to experience the unique landscape of this volcanic region close up and at your own pace.
Day 1
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Start: Lewis and Clark Trail State Park
The park features bird watching, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and living history depictions of the story of Lewis and Clark.
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Stop 1: Hopkins Hill Viewpoint
Directions from previous place: From Lewis and Clark State Park, follow the Jackson Highway north to US 12, then head east 25 miles. Follow the signs to Mount St. Helens Viewpoint, 1.5 miles up a curving road.
Distance from Previous Site: 25 miles / 40.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 40 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 30 minutes This elevated viewpoint gives you a first look at Mount St. Helens, looking right towards the crater. Compare the jagged top and bare landscape surrounding Mount St. Helens with the peaceful and spectacular natural beauty of Mount Rainier.
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Stop 2: City of Morton
Directions from previous place: Return down the hill to US 12 and continue 3.5 miles to the intersection of US 12 and SR 7. Turn north on SR 7.
Distance from Previous Site: 3.5 miles / 5.6 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 10 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Take a few minutes to explore the City of Morton and its historic main street before continuing on to Mount Rainier National Park. This a great opportunity to fill up with gas and grab a meal before heading to the park.
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Stop 3: Mount Rainier National Park
Directions from previous place: Continue north on SR 7 to the intersection with SR 161. Turn right on SR 161 towards Ashford and Mount Rainier. Enter the park through the Nisqually entrance (fee area.)
Distance from Previous Site: 27 miles / 43.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 40 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 4 hours Mount Rainier National Park is one of the high points of the White Pass Scenic Byway. The route through the park passes through old growth forest, the historic Longmire and Paradise areas, and continues through the less-crowded east side of the park. Take a short hike and experience dramatic waterfalls, subalpine meadows, some of Mount Rainier’s glaciers, and some of the largest trees in the park.
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Overnight Point: Packwood
Directions from previous place: From the Stevens Canyon Entrance to Mount Rainier head south 5.5 miles on SR 123 to US 12. Turn right (west) on US 12 and continue 7 miles to Packwood.
Distance from Previous Site: 55 miles / 88.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 4 hours Grab dinner and spend the night in Packwood before heading towards Mount St. Helens the next day. Be sure to wander by the historic Hotel Packwood, where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed while he was president. If you are adventurous, spend an extra day in Packwood and hike to the Tatoosh Mountain lookout. This 9-mile (round trip hike) offers amazing views of Mount Rainier and surrounding peaks.
Total Distance Traveled in Day 1: 110.5 miles / 176.8 km
Day 2
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Stop 1: Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument
Directions from previous place: Follow US 12 westbound 16 miles from Packwood to the small community of Randle. From Randle travel south on State Route (SR) 131 until the road forks (1 mile). Stay to the right, traveling on SR 131 which becomes Forest Road (FR) 25 (1 mile). Travel south on FR 25 to FR 99 (19 miles). Turn right on FR 99 and drive until it terminates at Windy Ridge (16 miles). Return to Randle via the same route.
Distance from Previous Site: 53 miles / 84.8 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 2 hours 30 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 4 hours Mount Saint Helens erupted in 1980, sending a plume of smoke and ash fifteen miles into the air. The eruption blasted the top off of the mountain, and flattened many square miles of surrounding forest. Today, much of the blast zone is still gray ash, and the jagged outline of the blast crater is stunning evidence of the power of the eruption. Short walks at Meta Lake, Harmony Basin, and the Windy Ridge viewpoint offer different perspectives on the blast, from areas that were relatively unaffected to views of the most intense blast area.
A variety of opportunities for exploration exist within the monument. Numerous trails and viewpoints have been created to view the recovering beauty of the landscape. During summer months, take the chance to climb to the crater rim and view the volcano from highest point. Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument is a wonder in the winter as well, when the scenery is blanketed in snow. Snowmobile and cross-country ski trails have been made and allow visitors to travel through the pristine whiteness.
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Stop 2: Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Area
Directions from previous place: From Windy Ridge return north on Forest Road 99 and travel 16 miles to FR 25. Continue 12 miles north on FR 25 (becomes SR 131) and turn right onto FR 2305. Woods Creek is 1/2 mile further along FR 2305.
Distance from Previous Site: 29 miles / 46.4 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 1 hour Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour For a return to the gentle beauty of the northwest forest, make a quick stop at the Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Area on your way back to the byway. Enjoy an easy hike on this trail that includes stops at a beaver pond, old growth forest, and other lowland habitats.
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Stop 3: Palisades Viewpoint
Directions from previous place: Return to US 12, view SR 131, and turn right. Continue through Packwood and begin climbing towards the pass. The viewpoint is located near milepost 141 on the south side of the byway.
Distance from Previous Site: 27.5 miles / 44.0 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 45 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 30 minutes This viewpoint features views to exposed columnar “palisades,” a volcanic rock formation. Although the region is covered with forest, the underlying geology shows the history of thousands of years of volcanic activity.
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Stop 4: Leech and Dog Lakes
Directions from previous place: Continue east on the byway over White Pass, stopping at the Leech Lake Trailhead, milepost 152
Distance from Previous Site: 11 miles / 17.6 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 15 minutes Suggested Time at This Site: 1 hour Just past the summit of White Pass and the developed ski area, Leech and Dog lakes offer wilderness hiking in the subalpine country near the pass. Spend an hour, a day, or a week exploring the forest trails from these trailheads.
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End: Oak Creek Wildlife Area
Directions from previous place: Continue east on the byway to the Oak Creek Wildlife Area, near milepost 183
Distance from Previous Site: 32 miles / 51.2 km Travel Time from Previous Site: 45 minutes Take a short hike through the unique oak woodland habitat on this side of the byway. Look for bighorn sheep, elk, and unusual birds depending on the season. Information for exploring the wildlife area is available at the visitors center here or in the nearby town of Naches.
