Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books Green Lake
Featured In:
Day Hiking: Mount Rainier National Park Trails,
by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer.
A portion of all book sales from the links above benefits WTA and helps protect and maintain our trails. From the trailhead, it's an easy, 1-mile-long walk through spectacular old-growth forest to spellbinding Ranger Creek Falls, just off the main trail. Stop and enjoy the pounding waters of the falls before moving back up the forest path as it continues upward on a gradual incline toward Green Lake. About 1 mile past the falls, you'll suddenly find yourself stepping out of forest onto the lakeshore. The trees push right down to the water's edge, and frequently they fall into the deep waters, taking the woods right into the lake. Enjoy it with the kids--they'll relish a cool dip in the lake on a hot summer day. Just be sure to warn them of underwater logs so they don't dive and get tangled in the submerged branches. The trail faces perennial threats due to the frequent flooding damage to the Carbon River Road. That road provides access to the trailhead, and because this quiet one-way trail lacks the high-profile grandeur of some other area trails, the Carbon River Road frequently is last to be repaired. The trail today remains in good form, but hikers need to keep using it--even during those periodic road closures (at these times, a short mountain bike ride gets to the trailhead with no trouble), to ensure its longevity.
Driving Directions:
From Puyallup, drive 13 miles east on State Route 410 to Buckley. Turn right (south) onto SR 165. Proceed to the bridge over the Carbon River Gorge and then bear left to Mount Rainier National Park's Carbon River Entrance. Proceed 3 miles to the trailhead on the right. Note: Due to 2006 flood damage, it may be necessary to walk the road from the point of the first damage, just inside the park boundary. Please contact the park service for current information prior to your hike. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Issues:
Snow on trail
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Just a nice walk in the fresh snow today with BFF. We only went to Ranger Falls. Snow was knee...
Just a nice walk in the fresh snow today with BFF. We only went to Ranger Falls. Snow was knee deep in places and very fluffy. We didn't need snowshoes. Lots of tree bombs falling as the afternoon warmed up. We saw a few people that looked to be overnighting at Ipsut. They had plowed the road by the afternoon past the one lane bridge which was nice. I didn't think they plowed that far back. Good to know for future. Lots of Jeeps getting out in the hills today. We saw a deer crossing the road in front of us.
Green Lake
— Jul 03, 2011
— Sito
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Mudholes | Bugs | Road to trailhead inaccessible
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You can see some images from today's hike here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbandisturbance/sets/72157627111696284/with/5900347196/
This was a great hike, enjoyable and not too strenuous. We...
You can see some images from today's hike here: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/
This was a great hike, enjoyable and not too strenuous. We parked at Carbon River Ranger Station where Carbon River Road is closed. From there it is a 3 mile walk along the road to the trail head. It's a walk through beautiful old growth forest and carbon river is always nearby, a good way to start a hike. Once you get to the trail head you'll find the trail in very good condition. There were occasional, very few, muddy patches but no blow downs or snow. We only met 3 or 4 people on the trail and we were all on our own at the lake. We managed to climb onto some logs that are lying in the lake and had our lunch there, enjoying the sun and the peace up there, couldn't have been any nicer. The only annoyance were a few mosquitoes up there but only a handful really, so no major problem. All in all one of the nicest hikes I've done this year.
Green Lake
— Jul 01, 2011
— u2doodle
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Blowdowns
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To get to this hike you hve to park at the ranger station and walk on a flat dirt road...
To get to this hike you hve to park at the ranger station and walk on a flat dirt road huggiing the river for maybe a 1.5 miles. The trail is marked and to the right. The walk I thought was a little steep. You are gaining about 100 ft in 1.8 miles. The ranger falls about 1 mile up is not to be missed. when you get to the top is is lovely and is green. Too bad there is not really a good place to sit and enjoy a lunch as you enjoy the water and all. I think the best part was the old growth trees and the smell of warm leaves and wood. you know, the smell that you wish you could can and take home.
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Mudholes | Water on trail
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Would you like to see the least-visited region of Mt. Rainier National Park? Then head to Carbon River for casual...
Would you like to see the least-visited region of Mt. Rainier National Park? Then head to Carbon River for casual waterfall hikes, a jaunt to the Carbon Glacier, or a family bike ride. The Carbon River Road (“CRR”), washed out in 2006, is now a 5-mile hiking and biking trail to the Ipsut Creek Campground. The dirt and gravel road has some impediments for bikers (sand, potholes, bumpy wood bridges), but isn’t that what you crazy trail riders like? Mostly it is a beautiful, easy, and very wide trail through a temperate rain forest that made me think I was in the Olympics.
My hike was the waterfall trifecta – very doable and altogether lovely. I hiked to Chenuis, Ipsut, and Ranger Falls. I started from the Ranger Station at 1:30 and arrived back at 6:30. Total mileage ~15 miles (not including my side trip at Chenuis), but 10 of that on flat road. At 3 miles up CRR is the Green Lake Trail (more below). At 3.5 miles is the well-marked trailhead to Chenuis Falls. I think the best part of the 1-mile Chenuis Falls hike is crossing the Carbon River several times on a series of single stringer (log) bridges. Parents will want to hold on to little ones on the bridge over the main tributary, especially this time of year with the water so swift – it ROARS so you can feel it through your boots. (even better is laying on this bridge so the reverberations claim your whole body) Very soon after you come off the river bed into the woods, stay left where the trail forks (link below has a pic of the fork spot). This is not difficult as you can hear the roar of the falls. Going right takes you on a fairly steep and narrowing, brushy trail up to Chenuis Ridge. After hitting CRR again, I enjoyed complete solitude for the rest of the day – saw zero hikers from this point until I got back to the Ranger Station. There were more cars Sat, but no idea where they went as I was on W Boundary Trail that day. You are pretty assured of some solitude in this area of the park. Following CRR to the end (5 miles from Ranger Station) brings you to Ipsut Creek Campground and trailhead to Ipsut Falls, Wonderland junction, Carbon Glacier, and other such glorious destinations. The trail is snow-free at least to the glacier. I only went to the falls this time. Kids would love this because you get to see where a couple firs smashed a little cabin – impressive show. The falls are nice, similar in size to Chenuis but farther away from the trail. The trail does take you to a nice rock beach on Ipsut Creek where you can wade and hang out – a very pretty spot. On the way back I headed up the Green Lake trail to Ranger Falls (1 mile in). This trail climbs through the woods in a very fetching manner with wonderful steps and water bars recently worked on. You hear the falls to the left and can take a boot trail through the woods for some really nice views of the falls. I did not continue past this point as the sky was darkening and the rain was coming in earnest. I had a lovely hike back down the road still feeling some disorientation from this very Olympics-like region. I see from other trip reports that some find this (CRR) portion boring. I didn't - there are lots of birds and plants to identify, a very wide trail indeed for companionship if you prefer entertainment of the human variety, thrush-calls for your ears, lichen-draped trees bedded deep in the moss for your eyes, and clean, fresh air devoid of the ominous scent of telephone or internet access. Pics of the day are at: http://www.flickr.com/[…]/ Day hike
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Gorgeous day, the 3mile hike to the trail head was a bit boring but nice. 1mile in you reach Ranger...
Gorgeous day, the 3mile hike to the trail head was a bit boring but nice. 1mile in you reach Ranger falls, very peaceful. Then .8 miles ahead reached Green Lake. The lake is very simple
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Green Lake. Photo by Hikingqueen.
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