Parking
Start at Carbon River Entrance. There are two vault toilets and picnic tables, but no designated parking spaces, drinking water or food service.
Overview
About Carbon River Trail
Why go
- A broad route through a lush inland rainforest beside the braided Carbon River
- The old road and mine spur add a clear story to the valley walk
Heads up
- Ten miles means returning along the same corridor
- Flood-driven erosion leaves rough gravel, roots, potholes and detours
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation1,818–2,457 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
7 active Mount Rainier alerts
- ClosureSR 165 bridge closed: no public access to Carbon River or Mowich LakeMentions Carbon River, referenced in this guideThe SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians; there is no public access or alternate route to Carbon River or Mowich Lake.Official details
- ClosureWildfire closures in the northern parkGrand Park 2 and Wonderland Complex fire closures affect trails, backcountry camps, and Sunrise access; stay out of closed areas.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Your drive to Carbon River Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this area
An Alder's Underground Helpers0:00 / 0:30
“Red alders can get a start on rocky river margins where many other trees struggle. Part of their advantage is underground.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Small Wren's Big Song
- Carbon River Ranger Station: The Farmhouse Desk
- The Bee That Shakes the Flower
- Tolmie's Botanical Journey
- 77 audio storiesacross Mount Rainier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Wolverine, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 87 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Carbon River Trail
A long river walk through rainforestThe Carbon River Trail follows the former road from Carbon River Entrance five miles one way to…
The Carbon River Trail follows the former road from Carbon River Entrance five miles one way to Ipsut Creek Camp; walking there and back is about 10 miles. It is a long, gently rising valley walk through inland temperate rainforest, with intermittent views of a wide, braided river. Allow about five hours. The route is broad, but its old road surface can be rough and uneven, so this is a better fit for someone who wants a substantial walk than a quick viewpoint stop.
Follow the corridor to campStart at Carbon River Entrance and stay on the former road, which is designated for hiking and…
Start at Carbon River Entrance and stay on the former road, which is designated for hiking and biking as far as Ipsut Creek Camp. The surface changes from pavement to dirt and loose gravel, with roots, rocks, potholes and flood-recovery detours. The route passes the turnoff for the short Old Mine Trail, then reaches junctions for Green Lake and Chenuis Falls; those are separate hikes, not part of this mapped route. Continue to Ipsut Creek Camp at about five miles, then return the same way.
A road shaped by the riverFlooding has repeatedly damaged this valley road.
Flooding has repeatedly damaged this valley road. The 2006 flood washed out part of it, and the park closed the former road to motor vehicles and converted the five-mile section into a trail. The river carries glacial silt and gravel, building shifting braided channels; that changing river is part of the walk's character and the reason the old road needs flood repairs and detours.
The old mine spurAbout 1.
About 1.2 miles from the entrance, a separate spur climbs to the gated entrance of an exploratory copper mine. The Washington Milling and Mining Company worked the site between 1907 and 1909, but it never became a commercial mine. The spur is not included in the 10-mile out-and-back distance.
Rainforest details and trip basicsLook for large, moss-covered Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and western red cedar, with ferns and…
Look for large, moss-covered Sitka spruce, Douglas-fir and western red cedar, with ferns and nurse logs in the damp understory. The Carbon River Entrance has picnic tables and two vault toilets; there is no drinking water or food service. Pets are prohibited on park trails. Bicycles are permitted on this corridor only as far as Ipsut Creek Camp; a wilderness permit is required if you camp there overnight. For a shorter taste of the forest, the separate Rain Forest Loop at the entrance is a quarter mile.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Rainier
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
