Westside Road to Round Pass

Westside Road to Round Pass is a 7.6-mile out-and-back from the Dry Creek vehicle barricade: follow the closed road 3.8 miles to the pass, then return the same way. Allow about four hours for a steady climb of roughly 1,000 feet. The wide dirt-and-gravel road can be rutted, holed and rocky, so expect uneven footing rather than a smooth path. Tahoma Creek’s broad, boulder-strewn channel shapes the lower stretch; near Round Pass, a brief Mount Rainier view may open before you reach the Marine Memorial. Bicycles share the road. The 7.6 miles stops at Round Pass; it does not include the separate hikes starting there or the longer road north. At Dry Creek, frame the road against the rocky channel and fallen logs for the walk’s defining view.

The Marine Memorial at Round Pass honors 32 U.S. Marines killed when their plane crashed into the South Tahoma Glacier on December 10, 1946. The Lake George and Gobblers Knob route also starts at the pass, but it is a separate hike and is not part of this distance. Westside Road was planned as part of a road network around Mount Rainier but never completed; repeated floods and debris flows along Tahoma Creek closed vehicles beyond Dry Creek.

Park in the small lot south of the barricade at Dry Creek; beyond it, travel is by foot or bicycle. Vehicle access to Dry Creek is seasonal, typically May through November. In winter, walkers and snowshoers start at the separate Westside Road Winter Trailhead near the Nisqually Road junction, adding road miles to the outing. There are no restrooms along Westside Road; the nearest comfort station is at Kautz Creek, about 5.5 miles from the Dry Creek lot. The first stretch is an active rockfall and geohazard area, so avoid lingering there. If the ground shakes or you hear rumbling, move immediately at least 150 feet uphill. Pets are not allowed beyond the closure.