Pine Creek Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Pine Creek Trailhead
- End point: Pine Creek Shelter or Muddy River Lahar
- Hike type: Out and Back
- Distance: 0.8 miles round-trip to the shelter; add another 1.2 miles round-trip to the Muddy River Lahar
- Elevation gain: 90 feet
- High point: 3010 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: Summer through Fall for hiking; Winter - early Spring for snowshoeing
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Description
The short Pine Creek Trail #216C heads through quiet woods to a historic shelter. From here, there is the option of following an unmaintained portion of trail to the edge of the Muddy River Lahar. It is worth noting that the trail does not follow Pine Creek and the shelter is marked on topo maps as the Jackpine Shelter.
Cross FR 83 and pick up the signed Pine Creek Trail as it heads into a dry forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and silver fir. Much of the tread is carpeted with Douglas-fir and hemlock cones. Also, in late summer, there are huckleberries and strawberries ripe for the plucking. The tread rises almost imperceptibly to the Pine Creek Shelter. A sign here tells that the shelter was constructed in 1921-22 and restored in the early 1990s.
West of the shelter is a dry creek bed that offers views up to Mount Saint Helens. If you want to continue hiking, head up northeast of the shelter to pick up the unmaintained old route of the Pine Creek Trail that mostly keeps on a level contour as it veers east towards the Muddy River Lahar. Noble fir, western white pine, lodgepole pine, and mountain hemlock dominate these woods that have established on an older lahar. There are dry creek beds to cross and a few detours are needed to circumvent blowdown. When you reach the edge of the Muddy River Lahar, the trail peters out due to huge washouts and lahars after the 1980 eruption. Trees have grown up here and it would be easy to lose your entry point if you wander too far in, so this is a good place to turn around. (The Pine Creek Trail used to continue up to Ape Canyon and Windy Pass.)
Note that there is no water near the shelter in summer. It is an excellent winter destination from June Lake and a snowshoe/ski loop is also possible using FR 83, Trail #216C, the Muddy River Lahar, and then the Loowit Trail back. Adventurous summer hikers may want to attempt a loop by heading cross-country about 1,200 feet up the Muddy River Lahar along Shoestring Creek to the Loowit Trail, go east and then down the Ape Canyon Hike route. It would be one mile back along FR 83 to the Pine Creek Trailhead.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- none
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Mount St. Helens, WA #364
- Green Trails Maps: Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument, WA #332S
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument & Administrative Area
- Adventure Maps: Hood River, Oregon, Trail Map
- Adventure Maps: 44 Trails Area plus the best of the G.P.N.F.
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Pine Creek Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Pine Creek Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hiking: Mount St. Helens by Craig Romano & Aaron Theisen
- Day Hiking: South Cascades by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer
More Links
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)