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4	Goat Lake and Gobblers Knob

	RATINGS	Scenery 8 Difficulty 6 Solitude 6
	ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE	6.8 miles to Goat Lake; 9 miles to Gobblers Knob
	ELEVATION GAIN	1,650' to Goat Lake; 2,850' to Gobblers Knob
	OPTIONAL MAP	Green Trails Mount Rainier West (No. 269)
	USUALLY OPEN	Mid-July–October
	BEST TIME	Mid-July–October
	AGENCY	Cowlitz Valley Ranger District (Gifford Pinchot National Forest), 360- 497-1103, fs.usda.gov/ recarea/giffordpinchot/recarea/ ?recid=31180; Mount Rainier National Park, nps.gov/mora
	PERMIT	Wilderness permits required for all overnight camping within Mount Rainier National Park (but not at the recommended site at Goat Lake, which is outside the park); reserve permits online starting March 15. Reservation applications are $20 per party per trip (nonrefundable).

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 day hikers. The area is large enough, however, for a wonderful one-night outing to quiet Goat Lake with access to a spectacular view of Mount Rainier from Gobblers Knob.

Getting There

From I-5, 67 miles north of Vancouver, Washington, take Exit 68 and travel 31 miles east on US 12 to a junction at the town of Morton. Turn left on WA 7 and drive 17 miles to a junction with WA 706. Turn right (east), proceed 11.1 miles to an unsigned junction near milepost 11, and turn left on gravel Forest Service Road 59. After climbing 4.3 miles, turn sharply right on Road 5920 and slowly drive 1.6 miles on this rough and rocky road to the road-end Mount Beljica/Lake Christine Trailhead.

GPS COORDINATES N46° 46.396' W121° 56.910'

Hiking It

The Lake Christine Trail starts in an ancient clear-cut now populated with 45-foot-tall Douglas and Pacific silver firs growing above a tangled mix of thimbleberry bushes, Sitka alders, fireweed, pearly everlasting, and various other shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses. The rocky path climbs very steeply 0.1 mile and then becomes more moderate when it enters uncut forest. In one switchback the intermittently steep path ascends through forest and then across a hillside choked with elderberries, bluebells, salmonberries, cow parsnip, devil’s club, stinging nettle, and various other moisture-loving flowers and shrubs. At the top of the ascent, 0.8 mile from the trailhead, you arrive at the forested bowl holding tiny and rather shallow Lake Christine. Backed by a rugged, unnamed ridge to the east, this pretty little lake has nice views and features plenty of heather and other colorful wildflowers around its shore.

The trail circles to the right around the lake’s south and east shores before reaching a pair of campsites just after a log bridge over the tiny inlet creek. From here the path pulls away from the lake and slowly climbs a meadowy ravine that is alive with midsummer wildflowers such as bistort, aster, wild carrot, Sitka valerian, arnica, groundsel, and pink heather. At 1.2 miles is a signed junction with a spur trail to the viewpoint atop Mount Beljica. This makes a good side trip, although better views will come later in the hike.

Go right at the junction, pass through a forested saddle, and then make a winding descent to a junction with Puyallup Trail at 1.8 miles. Turn right on this gently rolling trail as it rounds the north end of a ridge and then gradually descends to a campsite at the northern tip of Goat Lake at 3 miles. Although not spectacularly scenic, this long and narrow lake is lovely, surrounded by stately forest with a narrow strip of grasses and flowers along the shore. The only views are of the long ridge of Mount Wow rising to the southeast. For a larger and better campsite, continue on the trail that goes east and a bit uphill from Goat Lake 0.1 mile, and then turn right on an obvious path that goes downhill about 150 yards to an attractive camp on the east shore of Goat Lake.

In spring Lake Christine is surrounded by colorful wildflowers.

photo by Douglas Lorain

So far the scenery on this hike has been pleasant, but not particularly dramatic. For a big scenic payoff, set up camp at Goat Lake and spend the afternoon on a side trip to the top of Gobblers Knob. From the junction with the access trail to the camp on Goat Lake’s east shore, take the main trail, which steadily ascends a forested hillside and enters Mount Rainier National Park after about 0.5 mile. Firearms, livestock, and pets are prohibited beyond this point. The trail then continues uphill, now mostly over open slopes, to a minor saddle at the top of a ridge. Just 100 yards down the other side of the ridge is a junction. Veer left (uphill) on the Gobblers Knob Trail and in 0.4 mile ascend 10 well-graded switchbacks to the staffed lookout building perched atop the rocky summit.

The views west of the route of this hike are superb, but you probably won’t notice them because your attention will be drawn to the east and the breathtaking view of the towering mass of nearby Mount Rainier. Huge Tahoma Glacier tumbles down in an awesome display of white, while below that is a mantle of alpine meadows, rocky ridges, and forested valleys. This is one of the best views of the mountain anywhere. After plenty of time spent staring in awe, return the way you came.