Accessible Trails within the Hwy 12 Corridor of Southwest Washington

The bulk of the trails in this section are inside Lewis County. Within county borders are portions of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. Packwood, a small town in the heart of Volcano country is nestled between Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, and Mt. St Helens. Packwood is the gateway to the eastern entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park, which is covered separately in the South Puget Sound section. The town of Randle is the NE point of entry to the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and those trails are covered here. (The SR 504, SR 503 and SR 502 sections cover Mount St. Helens' western and southern trails.)

Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife

Directions:

From Packwood, follow Hwy 12 west to Randle. At the stoplight turn south on SR 131 which becomes Forest Service Road 23/25. Cross the bridge just outside town, and bear right at the next fork in the road.

Features:

The Woods Creek Trail 2.5 mile trail loops through five habitat areas, offering hikers an opportunity to learn about wildlife and the habitat different species need. This is a 4 feet wide, accessible trail with compacted gravel surfacing. There are four very short sections where the grade reaches 8%. Trail guides are available at the trailhead and correspond to interpretive markers along the trail.The trail passes through a mixed hardwood conifer forest and breaks into the bright openness of a meadow. From the meadow, the main trail crosses a bridge spanning the wetlands. Just before the bridge, a side trail leads away to the east. This trail is a 1-mile loop through old-growth forest and large grassy meadows. For the best views of a beaver pond, cross the bridge and travbel the loop in a counterclockwise direction. Benches are along this trail for resting and wildlife viewing. Back on the main trail, you will enter a hardwood forest that is a burst of color in the fall with big-leaf maple, vine maple, and alder. You eventually cross back over Woods Creek and return to the parking area.

Other Info:

Bring insect repellent as the mosquitoes and flies can be nasty in the wetlands. Facilities include nine individual picnic sites, three charcoal grills and a restroom, all barrier-free.

The Woods Creek Information Station is directly across from the trailhead. The few minutes it takes to pull into this station may help you plan an event-filled day (or more) at Mount St. Helens. Stay in you car for drive-through service, or come inside to browse through the Northwest Interpretive Association sales outlet. Open daily May 27 to Oct. 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oldgrowth Loop Trail #247A

Directions:

Randle Area, Ranger District: Cowlitz

Features:

This 1-mile loop trail takes off from Woods Creek Trail #247. It is barrier-free, but is more difficult than the main loop. The trail is 3 feet wide and is a mix of native surfacing and compacted gravel. Rating is difficult due to grades increasing in short sections of up to 20 percent. This loop takes hikers into an old-growth Douglas fir forest. From here, the trail drops back down into a mixed hardwood conifer forest, where it loops back to the beaver pond and ties back in with Trail #247.

Iron Creek

Directions:

From Packwood, follow Hwy 12 west to Randle. At the stoplight turn south on SR 131 which becomes Forest Service Road 23/25. Cross the bridge just outside town, and bear right at the next fork in the road. Follow Road 25 to the Iron Creek Camp area, about 11 miles from the road fork. There are two trails here. The Iron Creek Campground Trail loops around the perimeter of four camping areas. The picnic area serves as the primary trailhead for both trails. The picnic area is open year-round.

Features:

The .3 mile signed Iron Creek Oldgrowth Trail #87 begins and ends in the Iron Creek Picnic Area, with the option of continuing on the Iron Creek Campground Trail #187. The trail is four feet wide, level, with compacted gravel surface. Three interpretive signs help explain how root disease is impacting this old-growth forest and is actually adding to the diversity of the ecosystem.

The 1.5 mile Iron Creek Campground Loop Trail is a universal, barrier-free trail. It can be accessed from various locations in the Iron Creek Campground and from Iron Creek Picnic Area. The first half of this trail follows the beautiful Cispus River. There are occasional benches and turnouts to rest and listen to the sounds of the forest and river. There's the remains of an old railroad trestle over the riverbed. The trail leaves the river on the northwest corner of the loop through magnificent stands of Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar. There are a few hemlock and hardwood trees just to make it interesting. The trail connects with Iron Creek Oldgrowth Trail #87 at the Iron Creek Picnic Area.

Other Info:

Iron Creek Campground and Picnic Area is located 12 miles south of Randle on Forest Road 25. It's close enough to Mount St. Helens for day trips and is in an area of many recreation possibilities within the Cascade mountain range. This 98 site campground is in an old-growth setting, with the Cispus River as a backdrop. Campsites are available for reservations by calling 1-800-280-CAMP. Sites are also available on a first come, first served basis. Iron Creek is a fee campground-water and garbage services are provided. The Iron Creek Picnic Area is just south of the campground entrance on Forest Road 25. Facilities include two picnic shelters, eight individual sites, charcoal grills, water and restrooms. All facilities are barrier-free.

The Iron Creek Campfire Program is held every Saturday evening throughout the summer. In June and July it begins at 8 p.m. Shortening days shift starting time to 7:30 p.m. in August. The programs are for the entire family and include songs and interpretive talks.

Yellow Jacket Ponds

Directions:

From Packwood, follow Hwy 12 west to Randle. At the stoplight turn south on SR 131 which becomes Forest Service Road 23/25. At the next fork in the road bear left on Road 23 and drive 8 miles to Road 28 (signed Cispus Learning Center). Turn right, and after 0.9 mile, Yellow Jacket Ponds is on the right.

Features:

This moderate trail loops around the north pond with side paths on either side of the south pond to explore. If you like to fish, don't miss this one! Fishing is good for rainbow trout. There are several accessible fishing piers.

Other Info:

All picnic tables are accessible (on compacted gravel pads). These small ponds south of Randle were destroyed by the 1995-96 winter floods. They may be rebuilt in the future by the USFS, call before planning your trip.

Cispus Braille Trail

Directions:

From Packwood, follow Hwy 12 west to Randle. At the stoplight turn south on SR 131 which becomes Forest Service Road 23/25. At the next fork in the road bear left on Road 23 and drive until you come to Road 28. Turn right on Road 28 and drive for 1.3 miles, then bear right on Road 76. After .7 mile, turn right into the Cispus Learning Center. Take the first right after the office. There is a parking area on the lest. The trail enters the forest across from the parking area and after 200 feet crosses Road 76 to the official trail head. [Map]

Features:

A vibrant second-growth forest recovered from a pair of forest fires makes for an excellent interpretive trail, complete with interpretive stations with Braille markings. To assist the visually impaired, the right side of the trail is bounded by a system of stakes every 15 feet, connected by a rope. The first .13 mile of the trail is narrow, but then opens to about 48 inches in width.

Other Info:

The Tower Rock Campground is nearby managed by the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District.

You might want to drive to the Burley Mt. Fire Lookout (45 minutes from Cispus). The view from the 5,300 ft. Burly Mountain Fire Lookout is absolutely spectacular. Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, and Mt. Adams can all be seen, and on clear days, Oregon's Mt. Hood is also visible on the southern horizon. Sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.

Quartz Creek Big Trees

Directions:

From Packwood, follow Hwy 12 west to Randle. At the stoplight turn south on SR 131 which becomes Forest Service Road 23/25. Cross the bridge just outside town, and bear right at the next fork in the road. Follow Road 25 until you reach an intersection with Road 26. Take Road 26 a little over 8 miles, then turn right on Road 2608. You will reach the parking area after 1.3 miles.

Note: the parking area is above the trailhead and requires a steep descent in loose gravel to the trail head. It may be necessary to have someone drop you off down by the trailhead and then park the vehicle.

Features:

This trail is rated difficult due to some short sections that have up to 12% grade. Most of the trail however is less than 5% grade. A short section of the route is on a boardwalk with approximately a 10 percent incline. Know your limitations, it is hard to turn around on a boardwalk! The trail makes a loop and rejoins the parking area nearer to the parking area. The trail is only .3 miles long, but don't underestimate its potential. The loop trail takes you through towering ancient Douglas fir and Western red cedar. Trail guides are available at the trailhead.

Other Info:

This site also features barrier-free campsites, picnic tables, water, and grills.

Takhlakh Lake

Directions:

I-5 to State Highway 12 to Randle, Washington. State Highway 131 for 1 mile, stay left at Y on FS Road 23 all the way to the lake. Forest Road 2329. At least four miles of gravel road to campground.

Features:

Accessible 1.1 mile trail and restrooms at a drop-dead gorgous lake with Mount Adams in the background. Camping sites and picnic tables are partially accessible. There is also a wheelchair-friendly fishing ramp.

Other:

This is a popular campground so it is best to reserve a campsite. Fishing for cutthroat, rainbow, brown, and brook trout. Open year-round. Electric motors only.

State Park Campgrounds

Several state parks with campgrounds serve as a jumpoff to these locations and may be a destination in their own right (especially if you love to fish). Presently none of them have made their trails accessible however.

Lewis and Clark State Park:

Lewis and Clark State Park is home to the nation's last remaining old- growth lowland forest, huge hemlock and Douglas fir form a natural cathedral and softly-carpeted forest floor that creates an inspirational setting. There is a self-guided half-mile interpretive trail in the park, featuring information on the park's old growth forest. According the the state's ADA website, the interpretive site is accessible and there are accessible campsites, water, and picnic tables. The restrooms are not accessible. The park is on the historic Jackson Highway, near I-5 at Exit 68 12 miles south of Chehalis.

Rainbow Falls State Park:

Rainbow Falls State Park 17 miles west of I-5 for wilderness camping options along the Chehalis River. Situated in stands of old-growth forest, the park features a waterfall and a small fuschia garden and lists several miles of non ADA trails within the park.

Ike Kinswa State Park:

Ike Kinswa State Park is a camping park on Mayfield Lake near Mossyrok that lists lists several miles of non ADA trails within the park. (For you RVers, site #16, right pull-thru, hookups has a view of the lake. Standard sites 78 and 88 are also nice pull-thru sites. ) This park was possibly going to close September 2002 unless the state came up with some leasing agreement with Tacoma Power so check on this one. It would be a shame to lose such a great spot.

Mayfield Lake Park:

Mayfield Lake Park on opposite sides of Mayfield Lake and is now owned and operated by Tacoma Power. Mayfield Lake has year round open season and is home to the fighting tiger muskies, rainbow trout, brown trout, cutthroat trout, and coho.

Mossyrock Park:

Mossyrock Park on Riffe Lake's is also owned and operated by Tacoma Power. With more than 200 campsites (some accessible) set in a beautifully landscaped environment with striking views of Riffe Lake, 275-acre Mossyrock Park is an outdoor lover's dream. There is a .5 mile nature trail but it is unknown at this time on whether it is accessible. Riffe Lake is an 11,830 acre reservoir on the Cowlitz River with an abundance of cutthroat, brown and rainbow trout, coho and kokanee salmon, as well as largemouth bass.

Taidnapam Park:

Another Tacoma Power operated park is Taidnapam Park near the town of Morton. This beautiful 50-acre park on the Cowlitz River is nestled among Douglas fir trees that spread out over maples, and is surrounded by thousands of acres of wildlife area. It has an ADA-accessible pedestrian fishing bridge and two designated camping site. You will many times see eagles & ospreys on this lake. Fish that are in the lake are silver trout, landlocked Chinook salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, and perch. Also, some of the planted catfish from nearby Swafford Pond take up residency here. Fishing can be from the bank, or from a non-moving boat. Many still-fishermen use cocktail shrimp with a bit of Power-Bait. (Tip: Put the shrimp in a micro-wave for a couple of minutes to toughen them up so they will stay on the hook better.) Drop the bait to the bottom & then bring it up a few feet.

Stan Hedwall Park:

This is a city RV park bordering the Newakum River in Chehalis (360) 748-0271.