Hiked the Goat Creek Loop with my girlfriend from August 6-8. We came away feeling like this spot is a bit of a hidden gem. We only ran into one group of hikers the entire time and had the campsites at Deadman’s Lake and Vanson Lake to ourselves. The only critical thing I can say about our experience is that we were attacked by a hoard of ravenous mosquitos at Deadman’s Lake, forcing us to hide in the tent during peak hours. Surprisingly, there were hardly any at Vanson Lake.
Getting there:
Many of the trip reports mentioned the road being in bad shape but when we went a crew had just finished working on it so it was in excellent condition.
Aesthetics:
We saw lots of frogs, newts, and a few chipmunks, but not much else in terms of wildlife. The forest floor was littered with a wide variety of mushrooms and there were quite a few wildflowers at higher elevations. Cavernous Cathedral Falls was awe-inspiring, although water flow was seasonably low. Deadman’s Lake is stunning, serene, and surprisingly warm. A large section of it is very shallow and sandy. Vanson Lake is also very beautiful but very cold since it;s fed by a creek (so not ideal for swimming). The stretch from Tumwater Mountain to Deadman’s Lake features a few breathtaking views of the surrounding area, including a nice shot of Rainier. The Vanson Peak lookout seems like it too, would offer some incredible views but it was very foggy when we were there. The section from Vanson Peak down to about 3 miles shy of the trailhead meanders through a lush old growth forest, full of towering cedars, doug firs, and grand firs. There’s also numerous waterfalls and much of the forest is covered in moss and lichen. Truly majestic!
Topography:
(Note: we did the hike clockwise, so I’ll describe the loop in that order). Virtually the entire hike is tree-covered.The first couple of miles are rolling and relatively easy. At mile 3, you'll cross Goat Creek. This is where the ascent up to Tumwater Mountain begins, which I found surprisingly steep. You stop climbing at about mile 7, and then you enter a less challenging rolling section—maybe 3 miles long—followed by another relatively steep stretch up to Deadman’s lake. which is at around mile 13. The section from Deadman’s to Vanson Lake is realtively flat and short—about 3 miles. If you’re doing the 1.5 mile Vanson Lake Loop (which we did) you’ll encounter a steep ascent leaving the lake. Along the loop there’s an unmarked turnoff to Vanson Peak, which is 0.1 miles away—so definitely worth checking out. The hike down from Vanson Peak back to the trailhead is a 6 mile long gradual descent.
Water Sources:
Goat Creek at mile 3 is your first major water source. There are a couple of small creeks between Goat Creek and mile 4, but they look like the type that could dry up, so I would recommend filling up at Goat Creek prior to hiking the stretch to Deadman’s Lake, which is 9 miles away. After Deadman’s, your next water source is Vanson Lake, which is 3 miles away. The Vanson Lake Loop has no water sources. The hike down from Vanson Peak crosses numerous creeks. In fact, much of the time you’ll be hiking alongside a creek.
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