Trail of Two Forests Loop Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Trail of Two Forests Trailhead
- End Point: Tree Mold Tunnel
- Trail Log:
- Hike Type: Loop
- Distance: 0.3 miles
- Elevation gain: 30 feet
- High Point: 1,895 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: all year
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Sometimes
Contents |
Description
This short interpretive trail can be done in conjunction with the Ape Cave Hike. The trail highlights the tree molds formed when the same lava flow that formed Ape Cave flowed through an old growth forest and incinerated the trees. The "two forests" are, of course, the vestiges of the woodland consumed by the lava flow and the forest that has since established itself in the same spot.
The trail is almost entirely a boardwalk as it passes over the moss-covered 2,000-year-old lava flow in an emerald woodland of western red-cedar, Douglas-fir, and western hemlock with an understory of vine maple, salal, and bear-grass. At the junction, go left to do the loop clockwise. Interpretive signs along the way explain the volcanics and tree mold formations. Some tree molds are vertical, i.e. the trees were still standing, and some are horizontal. You can climb down a ladder into a large vertical mold and crawl along two other horizontal molds. There are also some small collapsed lava tubes in the vicinity.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Northwest Forest Pass required
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Mount St. Helens, WA #364
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument & Administrative Area
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Trail of Two Forests Loop Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Trail of Two Forests Loop Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hiking: Mount St. Helens by Craig Romano & Aaron Theisen
- Best Short Hikes in Washington's South Cascades & Olympics by E.M. Sterling & Ira Spring
- Best Hikes With Kids: Western Washington & the Cascades by Joan Burton
- Day Hiking: South Cascades by Dan A. Nelson and Alan L. Bauer
- Washington's South Cascades' Volcanic Landscapes by Marge and Ted Mueller
- 95 Virtual Hikes of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument by Northwest Hiker
- Washington Hikes by Scott Leonard
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Scott Leonard & Megan McMorris
More Links
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)