Had a great day trip to the lookout. Wild flowers still in bloom on the way up, fall colors starting to come out a little. Saw a mountain goat at the lookout. Beautiful day, trail was definitely steep, but do able. The lookout volunteer was there, so helpful. Had a panoramic pic of the area to identify the peaks in view.

What a great day for a hike! This was my first time hiking to Kelly Butte. I went with my Sister and her dog Lasso. We had planned to stay overnight but found it occupied by volunteers. Based on the information they provided I would assume it is occupied every night during the summer months. The trailhead was easy to find using the directions here on WTA. I'm glad I printed them out as we were out of cell service for most of the drive in. The roads are in pretty good condition with some minor washboarding and a couple rough spots. We had a truck but it would be passable with any regular vehicle. You can't quite see the lookout from the parking lot but if you walk back out to the main road you can see it peeking out just above the trees. The trail itself is also in good condition. It can been broken up into three separate sections. The first .6 or .7 miles are along an old road that is no longer drive-able and has been converted into trail. It's a gentle and easy walk in the shade. The next section is another story. About .5 miles of steep climbing and constant switchbacks. The trail is narrow here but well taken care of with stone steps and well formed corners. Depending on the time of day you will be in and out of the sun, but mostly in. Make sure you bring all the water you need as there is nowhere to fill up along the trail. Once you reach the top of the switchbacks you enter the third section of the trail. It continues to ascend, but at a more gentle pace. The trail here is still very narrow and dug deeply into the surrounding meadow. It looks like it would fill up with water and form a small river on a wet day but was dry and hard packed today. After about .5 miles of this you will crest a small ridge and the lookout will be in view. Just a few more minutes will get you there. Enjoy the 360 degree views, have lunch and chat with the volunteers that watch over the lookout. The two ladies and their teenage boys who were working today were very nice and had plenty of information to share about the volunteer program. We only encountered two other groups along the trail on a Tuesday afternoon. Total time up was about 65 minutes (we were carrying 25-30 lbs. packs each) and about 45 minutes down. I will absolutely be doing this hike again, and hopefully volunteering to man the tower overnight next year.

My son and I hiked up to the Kelly Butte Lookout on Thursday. We were the National Forest Service volunteers to man the lookout that evening. It was a hot day so required us to pack more water than we wanted to take, but the road to the trail as well as the trail were in good condition. There was a great sunset and the full moon lite up Mt rainier. Around 3am the wind really started to pick up. I posted a link to our blog below that includes more pictures and details on how to volunteer and man the lookout.

What an incredible hike! I have done this hike twice before, but with today's weather, it was perfect. My boyfriend, my dog, and I decided to get in one last hike near home for the hike-a-thon before we left for school. We arrived at the trail head just after 6pm. The road up to the trail head is pretty rough, but I think pretty much all cars could make it up there. We drove up in a Jeep Wrangler, but the problem was the road was pretty washboarded, so even cars with low clearance should still be able to make it. The first part of the trail is pretty gentle and opens up at a perfect view of Mount Rainier. After this, the trail turns steep and begins going up some switchbacks. I had just worn regular tennis shoes, but I would suggest wearing hiking boots. I immediately regretted not wearing my boots, especially going back down on the switchbacks. Also through the switchback area, we were treated to seeing a couple marmots hanging out on the rocks. After making it to the lookout, its hard to take it all in. The views are absolutely incredible! We really lucked out with a perfect evening to watch the sun start to set. After taking in all the views for a few minutes we headed back down and we made it back to our car right about 8pm. I highly recommend this hike, the views are worth every bumpy minute on your drive up to the trail.

Excellent day hike and worth the drive! Wildflowers are everywhere. The forest roads were a little rough, so take it easy out there, but I was able to get to the trailhead in my Civic with no issues. The WTA directions are spot on. The first half mile is nice and shaded, but be sure you bring enough water on days like this! The switchbacks up are in full sun. The lookout was open and is in excellent condition. Beautiful historic building and beautiful views!