Getting There
Leave Interstate 5 north of Vancouver at Exit 68 and travel 31 miles east on U.S. Highway 12 to a junction at the town of Morton. Turn left on State Highway 7 and drive 17 miles to a junction with Highway 706. Turn right (east), enter Mount Rainier National Park after 14 miles, and continue another 3.4 miles to the Kautz Creek Trailhead. The parking lot is on the right. To obtain a permit (or to pick up your reserved permit) you will need to continue driving another 3 miles to Longmire and stop in at the wilderness information center.
Hiking It
The trail starts next to a small sign on the north side of the highway across from the parking lot. Initially the path takes you over the remains of a massive debris and mud flow that devastated this valley in October 1947. The flow was triggered by heavy rains, which caused a partial collapse of the Kautz Glacier. Landslide events like this are fairly common on Mt. Rainier, although they are usually smaller in size. As recently as the fall of 2006, over 18 inches of rain fell in one day, which caused such extensive damage many park roads and trails had to be closed for the entire summer of 2007. For the next few years you should expect to encounter damage along many of the park’s trails, so be sure to check on conditions before hiking this route. On the remains of the 1947 slide, small trees now crowd the area, mostly western hemlocks and western red cedars, but in more open and sunny areas deciduous trees, especially red alders, predominate. The dense undergrowth is mostly composed of salal, along with various ferns and mosses.
Initially the trail is very gentle, wide, and strewn with gravel to accommodate tourists interested in exploring the geology of the mudflow. At 1 mile, however, the trail crosses silty Kautz Creek on a seasonally-installed log bridge and becomes a wilderness trail. The much narrower path now enters an old-growth forest unaffected by the 1947 mudflow and begins a long, persistent, and at times moderately steep climb. The way is viewless but shady and pleasant throughout. Numerous short switchbacks help keep the climb from becoming overly steep. You cross a trickling creek at about 3 miles (the first reliable source of clear water), then climb some more in a series of short, steep switchbacks. Still not done with the uphill, you ascend at a gentler grade on a wide ridge and slowly enter more open high-elevation terrain. Mt. Rainier is frequently in view, while closer at hand are rocky buttes and increasing numbers of heather, huckleberries, and various wildflowers. A final short, steep uphill leads to a high point on the southeast shoulder of Mt. Ararat (a name that significantly overstates the size of this small butte), and then you descend about 150 feet to a junction at 5.7 miles with the Wonderland Trail.
Mount Rainier over Indian Henrys Hunting Ground, Mount Rainier National Forest
You are now smack in the middle of Indian Henrys Hunting Ground, a spectacular mountain meadow with acres of colorful wildflowers, several tiny ponds, a small ranger cabin, and some of the most photogenic views of Mt. Rainier in the entire park. You turn left at the junction, almost immediately pass a spur trail to the ranger cabin, and 0.2 mile later come to a junction with the Mirror Lakes Trail. Turn right and gradually ascend 0.7 mile in rolling, wildflower-filled meadows to shallow Mirror Lake. Asahel Curtis made this view famous when he painted it for a postage stamp commemorating the national park in 1934. The scene is just as impressive today.
The trail rounds the right side of the tiny lake, and then goes 100 yards to a sign saying END OF MAINTAINED TRAIL. Despite its now unofficial status, the trail remains very good and easy to follow as it climbs for 0.4 mile, and then descends a bit to a meadow-filled saddle with a great view of aptly-named Pyramid Peak to the northeast. From here the trail continues to the top of Pyramid Peak, where you’ll enjoy an absolutely out-of-this-world view of nearby Mt. Rainier.
Since there is nowhere to camp on Pyramid Peak, backpackers should go instead to Pyramid Park, a more difficult-to-reach but equally spectacular destination. To reach it, follow the trail toward Pyramid Peak from the meadowy saddle for about 0.3 mile, and then go cross-country to the left, angling moderately steeply uphill to a rocky, above-timberline ledge on the northeast side of Pyramid Peak. Follow this rugged ledge for about 0.8 mile to a high, often windy saddle north of the peak, where you will enjoy up-close-and-personal views of Mt. Rainier that are so incredible the word “great” just doesn’t do them justice.
From this rocky saddle you scramble steeply downhill, going southeast across boulder fields, meadows, and scree slopes to the rolling meadowlands, springs, and tree islands of Pyramid Park. Tall but unnamed waterfalls drop into and off the edge of this alpine parkland, while the banks of the gently meandering creeks that cross the flats are choked with yellow monkeyflowers, western anemones, grass-of-Parnassus, and other wildflowers. There are also great views to the west of Pyramid Peak and northeast to Mt. Rainier, which has a rather lopsided appearance from this angle. More distant views extend to the south and southeast of the Tatoosh Range, Mt. Adams, the Goat Rocks, and Mt. St. Helens. You can camp almost anywhere in this parkland, although, as always, you should select a rocky or sandy area that is well away from the delicate alpine wildflowers and grasses. If you schedule more than one night here, you can visit all of the waterfalls and enjoy the excellent scenery.
6 Indian Bar and Cowlitz Park
| RATINGS | Scenery 9 Difficulty 8 Solitude 2 | |
| ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE | 15 miles to Indian Bar; 16 miles to Cowlitz Park | |
| ELEVATION GAIN | 4000 feet to Indian Bar; 3900 feet to Cowlitz Park | |
| OPTIONAL MAP | Green Trails: Mount Rainier East | |
| USUALLY OPEN | Late July to October | |
| BEST TIMES | Late July to October | |
| AGENCY | Mount Rainier National Park | |
| PERMIT | Required. Reservations are advised. All cars must also display an entry permit for the national park. | |
| RESERVATIONINFORMATION | Mount Rainier National Park sets aside only 40 percent of its available backcountry permits on a first-come, first-served basis. The remaining permits are given to hikers who made advance reservations. Since obtaining a permit for popular areas, especially on summer weekends, is extremely difficult, it is highly recommended that you reserve a permit in advance. Reservations are accepted starting on March 15 by mail, fax, or in person at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. You cannot make a reservation over the phone. The cost is $20 per group and is nonrefundable. To obtain a reservation form and for further information, go to www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wilderness-reservation-information.htm. |
Highlights
One of the classic beauty spots in Mount Rainier National Park, Indian Bar is a fairly small but spectacular basin of abundant wildflowers, streaking waterfalls, and outstanding mountain scenery. There may be no more beautiful location in the Pacific Northwest backcountry. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of designated backpacker campsites at Indian Bar, and the place is justifiably popular, so it can be very hard to get a permit. Apply for a reserved permit well in