Savvy hikers seeking stellar 360-degree views know to look for lookouts. The old fire lookout cabins (sometimes cabins-atop-towers) used by the Forest Service in the pre-satellite radar days were always situated atop high peaks with outstanding views in all directions. The sole purpose of these high lonesome structures was to provide fire lookouts a panoramic view of a broad swath of mountains so they could watch for smoke. As such, the old fire lookout stations are wonderful hiking destinations, and unlike many of the old sites, High Rock still has its tower (which is still used in season). As great as the views are, though, the mountain itself is even more astounding. High Rock is one of the more impressive stone formations on which you're ever likely to sit, not so much for its sheer height (5700 feet) but for its sheer north face (about 600 feet straight down).

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.