Surrounded by Volcanoes: Backpacking Goat Rocks Wilderness

Ever since moving to Washington state, I have wanted to visit the Goat Rocks Wilderness. The Goat Rocks Wilderness lies in the South Cascades, surrounded by three of the state’s largest volcanoes: Mt. Rainier to the north, Mt. Adams to the south, and Mt. St. Helens to the southeast. Like many other areas in the Cascades, the Wilderness is home to whistling marmots, vibrant wildflowers, and fluffy mountain goats. 

While many people chose to explore the area in July and August, my boyfriend and I decided to backpack 16 miles through the Wilderness on the first weekend of October. The weather looked clear and sunny, so we wanted to squeeze in one last overnight trip before the rain and snow arrived in full force.

On Saturday morning, we left Seattle bright and early and drove 3 hours to the Snowgrass Trailhead (Trail #96). We would hike almost 9 miles to Goat Lake (including a 2 mile round trip side trail up to the Pacific Crest Trail junction), where we would spend the night. From there, we would hike a little over 7 miles back to the car on the Goat Ridge Trail (#95).

Bridge over Goat Creek

Snowgrass Trail guided us through a forested area with steady elevation gain for the first 4 miles. We crossed Goat Creek over a little bridge and admired the leafy bushes that were beginning to turn yellow and red. Around the 4 mile mark, the trees started to thin and we arrived at Snowgrass Flats, a meadow where we caught our first glimpses of Mt. Adams through the trees.

We continued a mile on Snowgrass Trail to its junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). By this point, Mt. Adams was clearly visible to the south. Even though the wildflowers were long gone, the meadows had begun to turn red, bringing color to the magnificent landscape. One of my long-term goals is to hike the entirety of the PCT, so to at least set foot on it this year was very exciting for me.

Mt. Adams from PCT Junction

I wished that we could have hiked along the PCT for a while, but it was getting late and we were getting tired. After taking several pictures trying to capture the view, we headed back the way we came on Snowgrass Trail to meet up with Lily Basin Trail (Trail #86). Lily Basin Trail continues up to Goat Lake and is mostly exposed, with pockets of trees along little creeks that run through the meadows. 

Before the trip, I was a little worried about water sources being dried up so late in the year. While that may be true in some years, we crossed lots of little streams (most not marked on the map) and had many opportunities to filter water.

Fall colors on display

The trail became a little steeper as we made the final climb to Goat Lake, which sits at 6,300 feet above sea level. Upon arrival, we picked the first available site and set up camp. We got lucky with an area away from other people and a fantastic view of Mt. Adams. We had some time to relax and admire our surroundings before eating dinner and getting everything set for the night. Watching the mountain turn pink and purple in the sunset was an incredible end to our day. 

During the night, the wind really picked up, and because we were camped in an exposed area, there wasn’t any protection from the trees. My tent really began to sway and flap in the wind, which woke me up several times. I opened my eyes at one point to see one wall slanted in at a 45 degree angle. Cozy in my sleeping bag, I told myself there was nothing I could do until it actually collapsed, so I managed to go back to sleep. Thankfully, my tent did not collapse. 

Perfect sunset views at camp

In the morning, I got up to make tea and watch the sunrise, which was just as amazing as the sunset the night before. Once my boyfriend was awake, we had breakfast and packed up camp quickly. We wanted to hike up Hawkeye Point, a peak towering over Goat Lake, before returning to the car. We continued along Lily Basin Tail to its junction with Goat Ridge Trail one mile from the lake. Goat Ridge Trail continues south, but Lily Basin Trail turns north towards Hawkeye Point. The trail began to climb quickly, as it must ascend from 6,600 feet to 7,400 feet over the course of one mile. 

The wind began to pick up as we climbed, and before long, we were both freezing and exhausted. We reached a false summit at half a mile in, and decided to turn around. It was only another half mile to the summit, but at least another 300 feet of elevation gain, and we did not want to do that with 25 lbs packs on our backs. 

Mt. Adams (left) and Mt. Rainier (right) from false summit

Even though we did not make it to the top, the views from the false summit were breath-taking. Mt. Adams was still visible, but so were Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Hood down in Oregon. We were truly surrounded by volcanoes. We enjoyed the view for as long as we could, but quickly descended to escape the bone-chilling wind.

Once we reached the trail junction, we continued on Goat Ridge Trail, which runs along the western slope of Goat Ridge. Whereas Mt. Adams was the main focal point on the day before, Mt. St. Helens was on the horizon until we dropped below the tree line. 

Mt. St. Helens in the distance from Goat Ridge Trail

The majority of Goat Lake Trail was an easy descent, except for the last mile when we had to drop from 5,600 to 4,700 feet. My toes began to slam into the end of my boots and my boyfriend rolled his ankle during this section of trail, so it was a painful, steep mile for both of us. Finally, we reached Berry Patch Trailhead. From there, we turned onto Snowgrass Trail, which we followed for half a mile back to our car. 

My first introduction to the Goat Rocks Wilderness was better than I could have imagined. The trail was very diverse with both forested and exposed areas. Brilliant red and yellow fall colors created a picturesque foreground for Mt. Adam, who completely stole the show. I can’t wait to go back and explore other trails in the area!