This whole area is a hiker’s delight.  In fact, we could probably give you a different trail to hike every day of the year!  Visit our blog for more detailed descriptions and photos of hikes in this area. 

TRAILS FROM ALTA CRYSTAL RESORT

There are great places to hike here without even moving your car!  Here are our springtime favorites:

The Loop Trail:  A good 45-minute hike is our loop trail up to Corral Pass road and then back down to our field.  This trail passes by Deep Creek (one of the prettiest mountain streams around), goes through a ravine to a nice viewpoint of the White River Valley and then circles through old-growth trees back to our field.  In the spring, you’ll often see elk especially in the early evening. 

If you just want a short hike or you’re traveling with little ones, it’s also nice to just do the first 10-15 minutes of this trail across the two foot bridges on Deep Creek.  Take the trail to the left just past the second bridge to Deep Creek Falls.  Notice how the natural air-conditioning of the stream lowers the temperature by about 10 degrees.

Deep Creek Trail To Noble Knob:  This is a more aggressive hike with great views of Mt. Rainier.  Take plenty of water since the trail is steep. This is one of our favorite trails since it’s usually deserted and, about 3 ½ miles up, you’ll come to a clearing with great Mt. Rainier views.  Along the way, there are also some nice viewpoints of the White River Valley.  In the springtime, you’ll generally hike part of the trail and switch to snowshoes at some point.  Check with us for current conditions. 

Goat Falls:  (See our blog page for a description and photos of this hike.)  This is a great hike with kids (and it’s pretty wonderful for adults too)! Although it’s listed in The Mountaineers’ Best Hikes With Kids, the trail isn’t usually crowded   Along the way, you’ll get great views of the White River Valley, pass some very old (approximately 250-500 year old) trees and charming old cabins, and pass some really nice wading spots.  Goat Falls itself is a 20-foot waterfall that’s absolutely gorgeous!

White River Trail to Dry Creek, Camp Sheppard and Snoquera Falls:  This trail goes approximately 2 miles each way to Camp Sheppard, which is a Boy Scout Camp.  You can continue on the trail about another 1 ½ miles to Snoquera Falls, which is especially pretty in the spring and early summer.  Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of large log cabins and some pretty streams.  Many trail runners like this one because it is relatively flat. 

Forest Trails:  There is a whole series of forest trails that start from our field and driveway and wind through the trees.  These are especially nice in the early morning and evening when you’ll often surprise elk and deer grazing.  Again, consult the map for more details, but you shouldn’t get lost as long as you remember which side the highway is on.

NEARBY TRAILS IN THE NATIONAL FOREST

Greenwater Lakes:  (Photos and more information on our blog page.)  Another one of our all-time favorites and a great hike year-round!  This trail meanders across rivers to two gorgeous mountain lakes surrounded by jagged peaks.  This is a good hike in all weather as you’re sheltered by trees for much of the way.  The lakes are a great place for a picnic!  The trail is fairly flat so it’s good for kids, and it’s about 1 ½ miles to the lower lake and another ½ mile to the upper lake.  People fish in both lakes, although we’re not sure how much they catch! 

Camp Sheppard to Snoquera Falls.  This is an especially nice 3-mile roundtrip hike in the spring and early summer while the water is running.  It’s not as good other times of year. 

Palisades Trail:  Another trail that is a favorite hike of locals.  It is steep but also gives you absolutely incredible cliffside views of the White River Valley.  The whole trail is 6.6 miles each way, but you can easily do a shorter section.

Suntop Lookout:
The length of this hike will really vary based on the snow pack in the spring.  Suntop Lookout itself is relatively exposed with great 360-degree views, but as the road winds to the top, the conditions vary between snow in the shadows and sun. Our suggestion is to be conservative and stop when you hit snow.  It’s really expensive to get a tow truck up there if you get stuck.

Again, this is one of those springtime “hikes” that will be a combination of hiking and snowshoeing, but the views from the top are worth it!  One of our favorite things to do is visit Suntop at the beginning or end of the day and bring a picnic.  The sunsets from here looking out towards the Enumclaw plateau are phenomenal! 

Sheep Lake:  (Photos and more information on our blog page.)  Spring lasts longer here than in many parts of the country, but this is a great hike for early wildflowers and once the snow starts to melt up on Chinook Pass.  Sheep Lake is 2.1 miles from the trailhead and it’s a gorgeous spot to rest and have a picnic.  This is where most people stop – but you can actually keep going and hike all the way across Sourdough Gap to Crystal.  (If you decide to do this, you may want to try to arrange to leave one car at Chinook Pass and the other at Crystal.)  Sourdough Gap is a steep 1.2 miles past Sheep Lake and is an excellent secondary destination!