Читать книгу One Night Wilderness: Portland. Quick and Convenient Backcountry Getaways within Three Hours of the City онлайн

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Not far to the southeast of Mt. Rainier is a less famous, but no less worthy, mountain treasure: the Goat Rocks, the ruggedly scenic remains of an eroded volcano. The trails in both areas are justifiably popular, but with reservations in the national park and careful planning in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, it is possible to enjoy a welcome degree of solitude in your backcountry adventures. Even without solitude, the outstanding mountain scenery in both areas will delight you and keep you coming back time and again.

RATINGS Scenery 8 Difficulty 5 Solitude 6 ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE 6.8 miles to Goat Lake; 9 miles to Gobblers Knob ELEVATION GAIN 1650 feet to Goat Lake; 2850 feet to Gobblers Knob OPTIONAL MAP Green Trails: Mount Rainier West USUALLY OPEN Mid-July to October BEST TIMES Mid-July to October AGENCY Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (Gifford Pinchot National Forest) and Mount Rainier National Park PERMIT None

Highlights

The tiny Glacier View Wilderness, which borders the west side of Mount Rainier National Park, includes similar scenery to the park, but avoids that more famous preserve’s traffic jams and crowds. Long-distance hiking is limited by the small size of the wilderness, so most people who come here are dayhikers. The area is large enough, however, for a wonderful one-night outing to quiet Goat Lake with access to a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier from Gobblers Knob.