RATINGS Scenery 8 Difficulty 3 to 9 Solitude 2 to 8 ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE 9 miles to Packwood Lake; 25.4 miles for loop ELEVATION GAIN 300 feet to Packwood Lake; 4350 feet for loop OPTIONAL MAPS Green Trails: Packwood, White Pass USUALLY OPEN May to November for Packwood Lake; late July to October for loop BEST TIMES Late July to August AGENCY Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (Gifford Pinchot National Forest) PERMIT Required. Free at the trailhead. Northwest Forest Pass required.

to Packwood Lake

Highlights

Packwood Lake is a huge subalpine gem with a scenic island and terrific views up to the snowy crags of Johnson Peak. It is also accessible along an easy trail from a trailhead reached by a good paved road. Not surprisingly, the place is very popular. What many visitors don’t realize, however, is that the lake is only the starting point for a magnificent backcountry loop. The trail along Coyote Ridge is one of the finest high-elevation ridge walks in our region, with outstanding views, plenty of wildlife, and abundant wildflowers. The amazing thing is that the ridge is so little traveled that you may have the entire route to yourself.