Indian Heaven Wilderness is my favorite place for fall color, and this year was exceptional with spectacular color and warm weather.
On this two night backpacking trip, we hiked in to Burnt Lake to setup camp and day hiked to East Zigzag Mountain and Cast Lake.
On this two night backpacking trip, we camped near Killen Creek’s upper waterfall and hiked to High Camp, then left a day early when high wind and wildfire smoke threatened to impact the area.
On this 3 night backpacking trip, we hiked in via the Snowgrass Trail and camped near the Pacific Crest Trail, then did day hikes on the PCT from Old Snowy to Cispus Pass.
On this four day backpacking trip, we hiked in to Camp Mystery to setup a basecamp and hiked each day to Marmot Pass and explored the area.
The McKenzie River Trail is popular with mountain bikers, but it’s also a good location for a backpacking trip. The southern section of the trail parallels the river (and the highway) as it travels through old-growth forest.
The Lower Lewis River is a good early season option when there’s still snow at higher elevations. Highlights include old-growth forest, uncrowded trails, and of course, the Lewis River.
My favorite place to see fall color is at Indian Heaven. On this two night backpacking trip, we hiked in via the East Crater Trail, camped at Bear Lake, and day hiked to Lemei Rock.
On this challenging three night backpacking trip, we stayed at Rachel Lake the first night, then continued up to Rampart Lakes for two more nights.
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