Information about this hike provided in partnership with
Mountaineers Books.
Copyright © Dan A. Nelson/The Mountaineers Books High Rock
Featured In:
Day Hiking: South Cascades,
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. The trail begins near a clear-cut and rises 1400 feet through increasingly thin forest before opening to the grand spectacle at the top: a 1929-vintage fire lookout on the tip-top of what appears to be a massive, stone-walled ship's bow. Look straight ahead for one of the most magnificent views of Mount Rainier anywhere in Washington. Look straight down, about 1400 feet, for an overhead view of Cora Lake. You'll want to spend some time here watching Rainier make its own weather, which in turn performs magical shadow-and-light shows across the mountain's full south face; you see these displays in better detail here than from anywhere inside Mount Rainier National Park. High Rock is a favorite early-morning and late-afternoon hangout for nature photographers. The fire lookout, the only one left in the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (and one of only three in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest), is staffed in the summer.
Driving Directions:
From Tacoma, drive State Highway 7 east to Elbe and continue on Highway 706 to Ashford. Continue east and turn right onto Kernahan Road. At about 1.5 miles, turn right onto Forest Road 85. Proceed 5.8 miles to FR 8440. Turn right and continue 4.5 miles to the trailhead on the left. Recent Trip Reports
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Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs | No water source
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The most difficult part of this hike was finding our way to the trailhead. It is easy to miss the...
The most difficult part of this hike was finding our way to the trailhead. It is easy to miss the correct turnoff(s). Ultimately, we found the FS 84 route to the trailhead, but we encountered a friendly, helpful local resident who recommended the FS 85 route, so we followed his car to the trailhead.
We paid close attention to the roads/signs, and we recommend the following set of directions: Make a right turn onto Kernahan Road after heading east from Ashford. After crossing the bridge over the Nisqually River, you will encounter Osborne Road. Make a right onto Osborne Road, then an IMMEDIATE left at the "Paradise Estates" sign. Take the road that has a brown post with the number 85 and a sign that says "Mount Tahoma Trails South District." This is a paved road. Stay on the paved road. There is a fork with a sign "Main 1 Road Sno-park." Stay left. Eventually, you will reach another fork, after which the pavement ends for both forks. Take the fork that goes left (not the one that goes down and to the right). The road will become gravel and eventually lead to an opening with a trailhead and a parking lot. FS 85 has a lot of potholes, so be cautious! However, there was good weather for a climb to the lookout--sunny with few clouds, but somewhat hazy. The trail was dry and in good condition. The grade is similar to that of Mount Si (moderately steep), but the trail is relatively short. One could see Mount Rainier very clearly, but Adams and St. Helens were obscured by haze (though visible). We signed one of the logbooks in the lookout station. Unfortunately, bugs were in abundance at the top. We also had a playful raven to keep us company.
High Rock
— Aug 25, 2011
— Charliekin
Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs | No water source
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The road in was not bad (took my Prius back there) but I think the directions on here are a...
The road in was not bad (took my Prius back there) but I think the directions on here are a bit off, things are not marked well, and I'd definitely recommend having a gazetteer with you. We took the right onto Kernahan Rd and where you can go left, hard right or soft right, it's the soft right that is a bit like going straight. Follow that paved road until you come to a fork where the right fork looks very unpaved and not something you'd want to drive down and take the left fork which takes you uphill. Go about 4.7 miles to the trail head. There were a lot of pot holes, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There was another couple that took the other way in and they mentioned the road was really bad.
It was a totally gorgeous day, lots of wildflowers, amazing views. Lots of flies at the look out, but some were so big and amazing I wish I was able to get pictures. Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs | No water source
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Camped near the trailhead to get an early start (7am). Missed the people who had had been at the lookout...
Camped near the trailhead to get an early start (7am). Missed the people who had had been at the lookout for the sunset and/or sunrise, and didn't encounter anyone on the trail until returning to the trailhead (10am).
Drove up the first route (via FR 85) and down the second route (via FR 52). The roads were all in decent condition, but occasional patches of potholes prevented me from averaging more than 20mph on either route. The second route appeared to be a bit better maintained, and wider. The trail was in good condition, though it ended a hundred feet or so short of the lookout, from where we had to walk up a rough rock slope that led to vertical drops if we didn't aim for the lookout. It looked like there used to be a guard rail along at least one edge of the slope, but no more. Lots of wildflowers were still blooming. Bugs weren't bad, except for the area around the lookout, which was buzzing with flies. The lookout appeared to be unoccupied. Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/eric.jain/HighRockAugust2011 Tracklog: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/108851537 Day hike
Features:
Wildflowers blooming
Issues:
Bugs | No water source
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We took the 85 to the 8440 to get there and keep going on 8440 to 52 to get back....
We took the 85 to the 8440 to get there and keep going on 8440 to 52 to get back. Both routes are fine as forest roads go. You do need to drive SLOW and watch out for the bad spots. The drive is very pretty with wildflowers, mostly daisies, lining the road.
the trail is in good shape and has wildflowers blooming like crazy. The old shack just below the last climb to the lookout is collapsed. The view from the top is amazing! Day hike
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Wildflowers blooming
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I started up the roads at 5:30am, coming up the backside of the 8440 via the 85. This route...
I started up the roads at 5:30am, coming up the backside of the 8440 via the 85. This route is a lot smoother than trying to come in via the 52/84 and 8440. The backside of the 8440 is in excellent condition as it was regraded last year. The 85 is paved, but watch out for extensive sloughing and deep dropouts. It runs through state land for the first 4 or 5 miles, and isn't very well maintained. The pavement will fool you if you're not careful.
I'm very familiar with the roads in this area, but I run into LOTS of people unfamiliar with the area asking directions. It can get confusing back there with all the twists and turns. Make sure you know where you're going as there are few signs to point you in the right direction. I highly recommend a topo map when you're driving back here. DeLorme's Washington Road Atlas (http://www.amazon.com/Washi[…]p;qid=1313533348&sr=1-1) is an excellent investment for this type of travel. Flat road maps (including the FS's MVUM map; useful for knowing which roads are ok to drive on, useless for navigating them!) just won't do you much good back here. It was a gorgeous drive. Foggy, silvery trees, lots of grouse, rabbits, deer, and even a bear was seen off the road. I hiked up in the fog, arriving at the lookout around 7am. I stayed until about 2pm watching the clouds lift and enjoying the sun and view that eventually came through. This winter was pretty hard on the lookout. Every time I come up (typically 2x or more a year), it seems to be a little sadder. In particular be VERY careful on, and I'd recommend staying off, the south side decking. The support beams have almost completely separated from the structure and uprights on the ends. |
On the brow of the High Rock Lookout - by el tigre
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