If you love pleasant strolling
through deep, old growth forest this trail is a must do for you. There
is a road at either end of the trail so the obvious choice for most folks
is to begin at Mowich Lake, hiking out to the pass and down Ipsut Creek to
the road at Ipsut campground. If transportation can be arranged, it
isn't a bad way to go. But if you believe the beautiful views at Mowich
would have greater meaning for you by gaining them the old fashioned way,
("we earn it") then hike up from the campground. Transportation will
still be a problem but it is probably easier on the psyche to think of returning
to your car by walking downhill for a change. The trail is the same
either way, just considerably easier going down.
The trail is described in the "going up" manner
because that is the only way I have ever hiked it. It starts at the
upper end of Ipsut Campground and is called the Carbon River Trail. A short
side trail leads to a view of Ipsut Falls. Take the time. About
a quarter mile up the trail there is a junction and the Ipsut Pass Trail branches
upward to the right. The trail climbs gently through the forest with
just an occasional view out through the trees to the cliffs on the opposite
canyon wall. At 2.5 miles the trail enters an opening in the forest and begins
climbing to Ipsut Pass. The last mile before the pass climbs about 1500
vertical feet so it is a good pull to the top. Along the way you will
pass the world's largest known Alaska Yellow Cedar Tree. See if you
can spot it. At the pass, elevation 5100, gaze back over what you've just
accomplished and feel proud! By the way, the view's not bad either.
Two hundred feet from the pass the trail forks. Continue straight to
Mowich or take the side trail out to Eunice Lake and a classic view of Mount
Rainier. The trail continues nearly level for 1.5 miles to Mowich Lake camp
and the road.
The trail is short on views of Mount Rainier but is
great for solitude and a good workout. An old trail goat one time told
me that the climb over Ipsut Pass is the steepest trail in the Park. I
disagreed privately as I didn't want to offend the goat. There are other
trails at Mount Rainier that seem steeper to me.
From Seattle, drive south on SR 167 to SR
410. Drive east on 410 to Buckley. Turn south on SR 165 through
the tiny towns of Wilkeson and Carbonado, then to the Ipsut Creek Camp. The
Carbon River Trail begins near the parking lot at the upper end of the campground.
