Eastside Loop

Eastside Loop is a roughly 35-mile backpacking circuit linking the Owyhigh Lakes, Eastside, Cowlitz Divide and Wonderland trails. From Owyhigh Lakes Trailhead it passes Deer Creek, turns north on Cowlitz Divide, visits Indian Bar and Panhandle Gap, then descends through Summerland and returns by Fryingpan Creek and Sunrise Park Road. Plan four or five days and roughly 7,400–9,000 feet of climbing; reported distances range from about 34 to 36 miles.

This is a hard, remote trip with long climbs and high-country travel. Allow about 19–22 hours of hiking, then divide that effort across several days with camps that fit your permit. There are no services on the route. A long dry stretch lies between Indian Bar and Olallie Creek, so carry enough water before leaving either end.

The Owyhigh Trail climbs on forest switchbacks to Owyhigh Lakes, then crosses the pass and drops to Deer Creek. Southbound on the Eastside Trail, the route follows the Chinook Creek and Ohanapecosh River valleys through dense forest; waterfalls punctuate the canyon, but the lowland views stay limited. At Stevens Canyon, the loop links through the Silver Falls area to Cowlitz Divide.

Cowlitz Divide climbs north through forest and huckleberry patches before reaching open ridge country. On clear stretches, the route looks toward Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, the Tatoosh Range and the Cowlitz Chimneys. This section brings another sustained climb after the Eastside's gentler river corridor.

The Wonderland Trail crosses Indian Bar, a broad subalpine valley split by the Ohanapecosh River, with waterfalls below the rocky basin and small glacier remnants near its head. The route then climbs above the meadows to Panhandle Gap before descending to Summerland. Snow can linger around the gap and make footing and route-finding harder; stay on the marked tread to protect the fragile meadows.

From Summerland, follow the Wonderland toward Fryingpan Creek, then use the Sunrise Park Road connector to return to Owyhigh Lakes Trailhead. Arrange your days and transport around that road walk, and carry a map for the long, remote sections.