Gobblers Knob

A clear, sparkling lake, up-close views of Mount Rainier, and a historic fire lookout await you on the Gobblers Knob Trail. This route is an eastern approach to the lookout via Westside Road.

From the Westside Road closure, sling on your pack and continue up the road on foot for 3.8 miles, first along rushing Tahoma Creek, then into forest for a moderate climb to Round Pass and the Lake George trailhead.

The next 0.75 mile climbs 500 feet to the Lake George basin. For anglers, the fishing at Lake George is reported to be exceptional, and licenses are not required within the national park.

Past the northern tip of Lake George, continue on to Gobblers Knob, a moderate 800-foot climb in just under a mile. At the Goat Lake junction, bear right and traipse through meadows brimming with seasonal lupine, magenta paintbrush, and Columbia lily to the fire lookout and a view that will knock your SmartWools off—Adams, Hood, and St. Helens to the south and east, the Olympics to the west, Lake George below, and Rainier looming dead ahead with front-row views of the Sunset Amphitheater and Tahoma Glacier.

Extend Your Hike: Camp at Lake George for an intro to backpacking or an easy weekend getaway within a mile of one of Washington’s premier viewpoints. If the Lake George permits have all been snatched up, take the Goat Lake Trail (at the saddle junction en route to Gobbler’s Knob) 1 mile down into the Glacier View Wilderness for less-crowded camping at Goat Lake.