Gobblers Knob via Puyallup Trail

From Glacier View Trailhead, follow Trail #267 briefly, then turn onto Puyallup Trail #248. Within half a mile, turn left along the edge of Beljica Meadows. Around a mile from the start, stay left and north on #248 toward Goat Lake; Lake Christine Trail branches right. Keep an eye on the junctions so you don’t accidentally take that separate route.

The approach through timber and meadow is the gentler part. From Goat Lake, the route climbs about 1,100 feet over roughly 1.5 miles toward the park and the lookout, with the final 450 feet steep. It’s moderate overall, but this is not an easy lake stroll. If you’re only after a shorter outing, Goat Lake makes the natural turnaround before the summit push.

A wooden fire lookout has been in use here since the 1930s; it’s one of the four remaining in the park. Gobblers Knob sits at the north end of Mount Wow, whose name means “goat.” From the deck, Rainier and Tahoma Glacier are close to the east, with Goat Lake below to the west. On a clear day you can also pick out the Olympics and Black Hills to the west, and Mount St. Helens and Goat Rocks to the south. This is the photo stop: use the deck as foreground so the mountain has some scale.

A free, self-issued wilderness permit is required for the Forest Service section. The route continues into Mount Rainier National Park, where pets aren’t allowed on trails, so leave dogs at home. Treat natural water before drinking, and don’t count on backcountry creeks holding water later in the season.