This is one of Washington's premier alpine backpacking trips and an absolute must for your hiking wish list.
The Snowgrass Trail is a 15.2-mile point-to-point route with moderate traffic, located near Randle, Washington, and famous for its stunning wildflower displays.
The route is quite long and can be difficult in places. I wouldn't recommend it for families unless they're experienced adventurers ready to carry food and water for many hours. For young children, this probably isn't the most suitable route given the significant distance.
🛣️THE ROUTE:
Since this is a loop, you can start from either the Snowgrass Trailhead or Berry Patch Trailhead. We decided to use the Snowgrass Trail (#96) and go counter-clockwise, which saved us 0.4 miles compared to starting from Berry Patch.
The initial part of the trail offers shaded areas, making it comfortable, though unfortunately also insect-infested. Make sure to apply insect repellent before starting your hike.
During our ascent, we took breaks to rehydrate and snack. At approximately 4.9 miles, you'll find the junction with Lily Basin Trail (#86), which goes to the left - this is where we spent our night camping. This area, known as Snowgrass Flats, has many great camping spots and water sources within short distance.
Camp setup at Snowgrass Flats with mountain views.
The next day, we had breakfast, broke down camp, and began our ascent to the summit of Old Snowy Mountain.
We encountered a small snowfield on the way up to Old Snowy. I highly recommend this summit as long as you're comfortable with some loose rock scrambling, which you'll encounter before reaching the top.
The 360-degree views, taking in Rainier, St. Helens, and Adams, will leave you speechless. We took some amazing photos and spent time enjoying the summit before descending toward Goat Lake. We were surprised to see so much snow remaining despite it being late July (mid-summer), though records show snow can persist into early August.
The final scramble section approaching Old Snowy's summit.
It's truly beautiful with about a dozen camping spots in that area. After enjoying the summit, we took the Goat Ridge Trail to begin our descent to Berry Patch, then followed the connector trail back to the Snowgrass Trail where we had parked our vehicle. The entire trail is in excellent condition. Even though the area is well-marked, I recommend bringing a map of your intended route, especially if it's your first time (as it was for me)
🏕️CAMPING
Yes, there are many camping areas along this route. Avoid high-traffic camping zones. There are many sites beyond Snowgrass Flats - you might try finding a spot between Snowgrass Flats and Goat Lake.
☀️CURRENT CONDITIONS:
⛰️MY RECOMMENDATIONS:
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Be prepared to encounter several groups, especially on weekends. I'd recommend going on weekdays to avoid crowds.
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This trip can be done in a day, or you can stay 1-2 additional nights to fully appreciate this wonderful area. I highly recommend the latter option.
- The MSR Reactor Stove System creates a windproof cooking system that heats quickly and maintains constant pressure for optimal fuel regulation and consumption. It can boil a liter of water in about 3 minutes.
- Japanese-designed, the Snow Peak Titanium Spork is the ultimate outdoor cooking tool in three words: durable, lightweight, and versatile.
- An essential item for remote areas is the Garmin inReach® Mini, which lets you send messages, post to social media, send SOS signals, track your location, and more - all from the palm of your hand.
- I recommend using the Alltrails for digital maps (you can use them even without phone service).
If you want more detailed recommendations, feel free to contact me!
I hope this brief information helps you plan your adventure to Old Snowy Mountain.