William O. Douglas Heritage Trail — Rainier Approach

The Rainier Approach is roughly 26 miles one way from Sand Ridge Trailhead on US 12 to Laughingwater Creek Trailhead at SR 123. It follows Sand Ridge and Shellrock Lake trails to the Pacific Crest Trail, passes Snow Lake and Fish Lake, climbs beyond Crag Lake to Laughingwater Creek, then descends past Three Lakes to the highway. Plan a two- to three-day backpack and a vehicle shuttle.

The mapped corridor is about 25 miles. A commonly cited 52-mile figure is labeled round trip even though its directions connect two different trailheads; we represent those directions as an approximately 26-mile one-way traverse. The route is rated hard, with long climbs and descents; allow about 16 hours of hiking time, generally spread over two or three days. Verify the shuttle and finish parking plan before starting.

At Sand Ridge, fill out the free self-issue wilderness permit required to enter the William O. Douglas Wilderness. Overnight camping inside Mount Rainier requires a separate park wilderness permit, and use is limited to designated sites. There are no food services along this remote route; carry food and treat natural water before drinking. Fires are prohibited in the park section, and pets are not allowed on park trails.

Sand Ridge climbs through the eastern wilderness to the Shellrock Lake junction and the PCT. The PCT rolls past Snow Lake and the Bumping River headwaters at Fish Lake, then gains about 1,500 feet beyond Fish Lake and Crag Lake before meeting Laughingwater Creek Trail. From the junction, the final descent is about eight miles to SR 123. At Three Lakes, the route passes a historic patrol cabin and designated backcountry camps; an open viewpoint beyond the third lake looks toward Rainier.

The wilderness and trail honor William O. Douglas, a longtime Supreme Court justice who wrote about his Cascade hiking in Of Men and Mountains. The wilderness was established in his honor in 1984. The traverse moves from forested lake basins to high, open ridges, where clear-weather views can include Rainier, Goat Rocks and Mount Adams.