We did an overnight to Ingalls Creek - a great early season backpacking destination. We arrived to the parking lot at 4:15pm on a Friday, there were about 10 cars and plenty of parking for more. The cars were all decked out with flyers noting that there's a manhunt for Travis Decker. The outhouse did not have TP. There is a trail register to fill out at the trailhead. NW forest pass is required.
We set off down the trail and only saw a couple of parties headed out. Campgrounds dot the creek and we were aiming for the one at 4.2 miles. We enjoyed the sound of the rushing creek and all the wildflowers along the way, including ladyslippers, which appear after about 3.4 miles. There are no water crossings until after mile 3, all are easily crossable and on a hot day you may want to have water available for your dog. The trail is brushy at times, so I liked having long pants. We found a lovely campsite adjacent to the stock camp at 4.2 miles. Bugs were out a bit in the evening but not bad at all.
Hiking out in the morning we encountered one party backpacking in and a few other day hikers. I look forward to exploring more along this trail.
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