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GPS COORDINATES

Hiking It

The trail starts next to a small sign on the north side of the highway across from the parking lot. Initially the path takes you over the remains of a massive debris and mud flow that devastated this valley in October 1947. The flow was triggered by heavy rains, which caused a partial collapse of the Kautz Glacier. Landslide events like this are fairly common on Mount Rainier, although they are usually smaller in size—a major one can cause extensive damage to park roads and trails, even forcing closures, so be sure to check conditions before hiking this route. On the remains of the 1947 slide, trees now crowd the area (mostly western hemlocks and western red cedars), but in more open and sunny areas, deciduous trees—especially red alders—predominate. The dense undergrowth is mostly composed of salal, along with various ferns and mosses.

Initially the trail is gentle, wide, and strewn with gravel to accommodate tourists interested in exploring the geology of the mudflow. At 1 mile, however, the trail crosses silty Kautz Creek on a seasonally installed log bridge and becomes a wilderness trail. The much narrower path now enters an old-growth forest unaffected by the 1947 mudflow and begins a long, persistent, and at times moderately steep climb. The way is viewless but shady and pleasant throughout. Numerous short switchbacks help keep the climb from becoming overly steep. You cross a trickling creek at about 3 miles (the first reliable source of clear water) then continue climbing in a series of short, steep switchbacks. Still not done with the uphill section, you ascend at a gentler grade on a wide ridge and slowly enter more open high-elevation terrain. Mount Rainier is frequently in view, while closer at hand are rocky buttes and increasing numbers of heather, huckleberries, and various wildflowers. A final short, steep uphill leads to a high point on the southeast shoulder of Mount Ararat (a name that significantly overstates the size of this small butte), and then you descend about 150 feet to a junction at 5.7 miles with the Wonderland Trail.