The Best Backpacking in Cougar

The Worm Flow Route, starting at Marble Mountain Sno Park, is the most direct winter route up to the summit. You'll start at around 2,700 feet and begin a steady walk along the trail for 2 miles. Although the trail is fairly well marked well above the snow, you'll want to pay attention to the arr...

When you park at the top of the trail, all you see is layers and layers of emerald trees and ground clear of any underbrush. Once on the trail, you start on a rapid decline that brings you to the first of the many streams along this hike. Cross the bridge made out of logs and head towards the ma...

Monitor Ridge is the "easiest" of the routes one can take in order to claim that they have stood on top the sleeping giant better known as Mount St. Helens. This route is heavily favored over Worm Flows as the starting elevation is not only an additional 1,000 feet higher but the overall ascent ...

This is a very difficult hike. Camp sites are scarce and access to water is very limited. Overexposure is a concern so be sure to pack a hat and apply sunscreen frequently. There are sketchy sections of the trail where you will be forced to navigate steep washed out gullies that are unstable due ...

The hike is relatively easy. I'd say intermediate due to the incline at the beginning. Also intermediate due to it being an backpacking camp adventure. A friend of mine and I backpacked in to shoot the sunset and sunrise. We went a little early in the season so it was also to scout for future ad...

The Coldwater Lake Recreation Area has restrooms, telephones, and a picnic area. Make sure you have already acquired your permits for camping in the Mt. Margaret back country.Follow trail #211, which runs along the entire 4.5 mile length of Coldwater Lake. It is a beautiful and fairly flat hike w...

Just 96 miles south of Seattle, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Mt. St. Helens and its wild, rugged beauty awaits you.Starting at the Norway Pass Trailhead parking lot, walk a dusty and sometimes ashy trail through recovering forest, low brush, wildflowers and blown down, sun bleached logs. T...

Crowds and mosquitoes were nonexistent as we went a bit early in the season. The trails were all covered in snow, but we were able to do some way finding with a GPS and topo map. 3.5 miles in we found a dry spot next to Blue Lake and set up shop. After dropping off our gear we climbed up Gifford...

The Grouse Vista Trailhead is located through the town of Washougal off of highway 14 just past Camas. Once you leave the city, the road will turn to gravel and dirt though it is fairly well maintained until snow arrive and accessible by most cars so long as you're willing to get drive over loose...

Begin the short hike to Three Corner Rock by heading south on the Pacific Crest Trail from its crossing of Road CG 2090. After a steady 1.5 mile climb of roughly 600 feet, look for a large fallen sign marking the junction to Three Corner Rock. Shortly after, another older sign invites Pacific Cre...

Hike up into the forest (take the right path, not the one going left), and follow it all the way until you get to "Carpenter Lake" (which always seems to be just an empty, marshy field). Keep going and do not take the right path at the first Y split off. Instead, stay left, until you come to anot...

Tamanous Trail to PCT & Gillette Lake is a loop trail where you may see local wildlife located near North Bonneville, Washington.

Gorge Trail 400: Bridge of the Gods Trailhead to Wyeth is a point-to-point trail where you may see beautiful wildflowers located near Cascade Locks, Oregon.

This is a somewhat incomplete report because we did not venture too far into the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness. The sky had been threatening us with rain for the duration of our hike along Eagle Creek and we did not want to push our luck too far since we were hoping for an early start on our drive ...

This ridge is one of the lesser known paths from the Eagle Creek Trailhead. Instead of taking Ruckel Creek Trail, find the trail leading up Ruckel Ridge. It is a far more difficult hike of about 7 miles leading up to Benson Plateau. Along the way there are beautiful lookout points for Mount Hood,...

Park at the Wyeth Trailhead parking lot and start hiking south along the old road bed. At the junction with the Gorge-Wyeth Trail, bear left and follow the Wyeth Trail as it goes beneath several power lines. Follow the trail as it goes back into the woods and crosses Harphan Creek. Continue on an...