Gifford Pinchot National Forest Badger Peak Hike Hike 24
Length: 3 Miles round trip Elevation Change: 1164' Elevation gain / 400' loss Season: Mid-Summer thru Fall Difficulty: Challenging Permit: NW Forest Pass Required Features:
There are couple of ways to climb Badger Peak.
For this narrative I drove to the end of
Forest Road #2816. The trail immediately
descends a couple hundred feet in elevation
before it climbs steeply to the first ridge.
In season the wildflowers are abundant and
make this a delightful little hike. When
you reach the crest of Badger Ridge there
are great vistas especially if you walk
just a bit off trail to the west where
there is a rocky outcropping.
The trail now descends again a couple hundred
feet in elevation. At that point it meets
Trail #257A which takes you to the top of
Badger Peak. The trail is steep but well
maintained. Watch for snow as late as
mid-July.
The trail curves around the southwest face
of the peak and approaches from the southeast
side of the mountain. There used to be a
fire lookout on top and some of it is still
there.
The reason for taking this hike becomes
very clear as you gaze at all the surrounding
peaks; Mt Rainier to the north, Mt Adams to
the east, Mt Hood to the south, and of course
Mt St Helens to the southwest.
A Virtual Hike in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest
