Horseshoe Meadow-Lookingglass Lake Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Williams Mine Trailhead
- Ending point: Lookingglass Lake
- Trail log: Trail Log
- Hike type: Lollipop loop
- Distance: 13.2 miles
- Elevation gain: 2000 feet
- High point: 6,075 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Summer - early fall
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The Pacific Crest Trail curves around the west slope of Mount Adams, with the route described here being the southern entrance/exit route. Much of the area of this hike was charred by the 2012 Cascade Creek Fire, including the principal destinations of Horseshoe Meadow and Lookingglass Lake. Young conifers have sprouted up, and you'll see more wildflowers now that there is no longer a forest canopy. This option to the alpine area is an easier drive to the trailhead than the Lookingglass Lake via Stagman Ridge Hike, the latter route perhaps a little more scenic, however.
Fill out your wilderness permit at the trailhead, and head up the Pacific Crest Trail. The forest is a mixed woodland of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, silver fir, western red-cedar, noble fir, Engelmann spruce and the occasional western white pine. Cross rushing Swampy Creek on a footbridge. A lush carpet of bunchberry, vanilla leaf, huckleberry, twin flower and foam flower underlies the coniferous canopy. Enter the wilderness, and pass a seasonal spring that issues from under a silver fir. After crossing a brook, follow the trail as it heads up more steeply in silver fir/Douglas-fir woods. Keep straight (right) when you get to the junction with the Riley South Trail. (The Riley South Trail #64A runs north a level two miles to connect with the Riley Creek Trail #64.)
Soon after the junction, you'll enter the 2012 burn area to hike on the level in a lush carpet of wild strawberry, bear-grass, and huckleberry. The trail then reenters unburned forest, and drops a little. A spur right leads to a campsite above a gushing spring that feeds the White Salmon River. After this, the PCT rises in a woodland of noble fir, Engelmann spruce, and silver fir to switchback among huckleberry bushes that are ripe for the plucking at the end of August. The trail traverses up and switchbacks again in a carpet of bramble. Soon, it rises more steeply to pass below a large bouldery outcropping. Then you'll hike by a large boulder which, in an emergency, could shelter two bodies stretched flat. After this, hike up through bouldery hummocks interspersed with glades of false hellebore, partridge-foot, lupine, sedge, and woodrush. You'll arrive at an unmarked four-way junction. To the right is a tarn meadow below an andesite outcropping: there are a couple of campsites here. The trail to the left can be followed for about half a mile to the meadow with two tarns that accommodates Lake Camp. Swing right up the slope to pass through a small patch of unburned forest and, back in the burn, reach the Pacific Crest-Stagman Ridge Trail Junction, where you should keep left. (You'll be returning to this junction on the recommended loop.)
Traverse up among islands of unburned subalpine fir and mountain hemlock, and in short order, come to the Pacific Crest-Round-the-Mountain Trail Junction. Bear right here to reach Horseshoe Meadow, getting a splendid view to the southwest slopes of Mount Adams and a section of the massive 1997 debris slide. In the meadows, paintbrush, lupine, lovage, subalpine daisy, pussytoes, partridge foot, Newberry’s knotweed, cinquefoil, and pussypaws will all be blooming in mid-summer. Unfortunately, most of the subalpine firs and mountain hemlocks surrounding this spot were scorched in the 2012 conflagration. There are good campsites on the west and south sides of Horseshoe Meadow although the creek here does not always run through the summer. The high knoll of the Bumper, an excellent scramble opportunity, looms above.
Continue out of Horseshoe Meadow on the Round-the-Mountain Trail, passing through another meadow and crossing a dry creek. Then you'll traverse along the dry nose of a rocky ridge with a panoramic view south to Mount Hood. The scar of the 2011 Dollar Lake Fire is clearly visible. Also catch the view to the Indian Heaven ridge and Sleeping Beauty. The trail enters lush parklands to rise and cross two gullies. When you come to the Round-the-Mountain-Lookingglass Lake Trail Junction, bear right.
Take the Lookingglass Lake Trail #9A, which here has a somewhat stony tread as it heads down through subalpine glades along Cascade Creek’s Middle Fork. Cross the creek, and then cross two small streams, each with its own little waterfall tumbling above. The second creek has a shady campsite. Cross another little creek and pass a second campsite on the right. Now negotiate the East Fork of Cascade Creek and descend past a viewpoint of Mount Saint Helens. The trail gently drops from a low ridge. Pass the unsigned Lookingglass Lake-Graveyard Camp Cutoff Trail Junction, and make one last drop to the verdant shore of Lookingglass Lake, now unfortunately nestled amid the scorched snags of the Cascade Creek Burn. Keep to the west shore of the lake to get your view of Mount Adams’ southern flanks. There are also campsites here.
To make the loop, return to the unsigned Lookingglass Lake-Graveyard Camp Cutoff Trail Junction, and turn left on cutoff trail for 0.9 miles. (Note that this path is more indistinct since the 2012 fire, with several trees down: hike it at your own risk!) Immediately, you will need to find your way across Cascade Creek, perhaps on logs that have been placed there earlier in the season. Hike over a ridge, and descend through a boggy area fed by springs. This rough trail, sometimes difficult to find, drops steeply over two creeks and passes a campsite. The route then crosses four rocky gullies before heading through a lupine meadow to reach the Stagman Ridge-Graveyard Camp Cutoff Trail Junction.
Turn right on the Stagman Ridge Trail. This trail rises and then makes a level traverse through a woodrush meadow. Then you'll rise again on a somewhat rubbly tread to reach the Pacific Crest-Stagman Ridge Trail Junction. Make a left here to return to the Williams Mine Trailhead.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Self-issued wilderness permit; wilderness rules apply
- $3.50 toll each way at Hood River Bridge
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Mount Adams, WA #367S
- Green Trails Maps: Mount Adams West, WA #366
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Trapper Creek Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Horseshoe Meadow-Lookingglass Lake Loop Hike
- Mt. Adams area and a plane crash site. 072623
- Mt Adams - The Bumper
- Mt Adams southwest side sept 2022
- West Side of Adams Backpack 9/28-30/2020
- Horseshoe Meadows, Mt Adams
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Horseshoe Meadow-Lookingglass Lake Loop Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- Day Hiking Mount Adams and Goat Rocks by Tami Asars
- Day Hiking: South Cascades by Dan A. Nelson & Alan L. Bauer
- Hiking Washington's Mount Adams Country by Fred Barstad
- One Night Wilderness: Portland by Douglas Lorain
- Pacific Crest Trail: Oregon & Washington by Jordan Summers (PCT section)
- Exploring Washington's Wild Areas by Marge & Ted Mueller
- Hiking the Gifford Pinchot Backcountry by the Columbia Group Sierra Club
More Links
- Trail #2000 Pacific Crest, Mt. Adams area (USFS)
- Trail #9 Round-the-Mountain (USFS)
- Trail #9A Looking Glass Lake (USFS)
- Labor Day Weekend – Mt. Adams Wilderness Day 1 (wanderingyuncks)
Contributors
- User:retiredjerry (creator)