We went out for a Summits on the Air (SOTA) activation of this peak. See the link for a full blog of trip report. A great day out in the mountains!

No views (very cloudy day), but a very nice hike.

Mother, daughter and beagle hiked this on Monday. No one else around. Wild flowers are slightly past their prime, but still beautiful. Minimal beargrass in bloom as it apparently is a sporadic bloomer (looks like last year had tons of beargrass blooms on the butte itself). The interior of the lookout was available for exploring. Probably 10 deg. cooler at the lookout than it was at the TH. There was a nice breeze at the lookout to keep the bugs down. Views from the lookout were awesome. Directions from WTA were spot on.

My partner in crime had mentioned years ago about a "back entrance" to Kelly Butte via the I90, but today we climbed the actual trail. Views of Mt Rainier start from the trail head and just get better as you climb. It is hot with no shade and there is a pathetic tarn once you get to the lookout... if you want to filter water instead of hike it in... I recommend hiking it in. Kelly Butte Lookout is a first-come-first-serve campsite. There were 3 people relaxing from an overnight with nice views of Mt. Rainier, the I-90 Cascades and The Enchantments. The bugs were annoying once you stopped to take in the views, but not a problem if you kept moving. This would be a great spring hike when all the Bear Grass is in bloom! ^_^