Riley Camp to Crystal Lake Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
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- Start point: Riley Camp Trailhead
- Ending point: Crystal Lake
- Hike type: In and out
- Distance: 13.2 miles
- Elevation gain: 2860 feet
- High point: 6,265 feet
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Seasons: Midsummer into fall
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
The Riley Creek Trail #64, also called the Riley Camp Trail, is one of the more enticing approaches to the Mt. Adams Wilderness, especially now since almost the entire south side has been consumed by burns in recent years. You will pass through a small burn area, but the views to Mount Adams open up as you hike through the extensive Riley Creek Meadows past Riley Camp. This description takes you to Crystal Lake, about a third of a mile off trail up the Burnt Rock ridge and an increasingly popular backpacking destination. If you are camped at the lake, you can explore high alpine parklands to visit several tarns and high fells.
Historically, Trail #64 was the Sled Camp Trail, which departed from the Table Mountain Trail #8 at Sled Camp, an early 20th century sheep camp. The Table Mountain Trail (now Trail #18 on the north side of FR 23 at the Riley Camp Trailhead) had gone up from the Lewis River to Sled Camp and thence south on what is now the Riley South Trail #64A to join the Pacific Crest Trail. Trail #64 was essentially abandoned by the Forest Service from the 1970s to the 2000s and only began to show up on their maps again in the 21st century, when it was restored by the Washington Trails Association (WTA). The trailhead is still unsigned from the road, but there are a new kiosk and permit box just up from the parking area.
Fill out a wilderness permit at the kiosk, where the trail passes over a small creek. Then, hike up in a slope forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock and western white pine with a carpet of bear-grass, wintergreen, and small huckleberry bushes. The trail levels briefly before ascending again next to a dry gully. After the trail levels again, you’ll reach the Riley Creek-Riley South Trail Junction in a forest dominated by silver fir.
Keep left here, to hike along in a carpet of lupine, bear-grass, huckleberry, and grouseberry. In 40 yards, you’ll past the entrance sign for the Mt. Adams Wilderness. Keep walking in this flat area before the trail rises a little to a junction marked by a 64 sign on a tree - the trail left leads to the site of Sled Camp, an old pre-World War II sheep camp. You’ll notice the remains of an Anita wood stove at the junction. A little farther in, the trail branches, the left fork leading to a meadow and the right fork leading past an old outhouse in the trees, then through a meadow and on into the woods.
Continue up the Riley Creek Trail, which now is stepped to prevent erosion. Start winding up, sometimes intersecting with the former tread of the Sled Camp Trail. Switchback twice, keep up, and then switchback four more times. Head up a ridge crest in a huckleberry understory. Make two short switchbacks, and traverse up to switchback twice more. Silver fir continues to dominate as the trail tread steepens and becomes stepped again. Enter the area of the 2015 Riley Creek Burn, and pass an expansive meadow on your right (This is where fire crews camped in 2015). Heading up, you’ll get views to Luna Lake, also known as Bertha Lake: a user trail leads down to the lake and around its shore.
As you ascend, reach a large false hellebore meadow: this is the jumping off point for the trip along an often very faint user trail to Island Lake, about half a mile due south. The Riley Creek Trail winds up, still in the 2015 burn, around a series of rocky outcrops and lush hollows and then undulates along to head up through several small meadows. At this point the Riley Creek Fire reached the northernmost edge of the much more devastating 2012 Cascade Creek Fire. You’ll soon leave the burn area altogether, however, and enter a lush montane parkland of mountain hemlock, noble fir, and silver fir. Pass a large tarn on the left, with a smaller pool tucked behind it. Reach another meadow and its tarn off to the right. Past a small meadow, rise to a Trail #64 sign, and see a tarn down to the left. Undulating along, pass another tarn, and then reach the beginning of Riley Meadow.
Here the way is marked by posts installed by the WTA a few years ago although the tread is very obvious by the end of the summer. Enjoy views of Mount Adams’ west slope, including the Adams Glacier and the rubble-covered Pinnacle Glacier, as you walk the meadows. Riley Creek flows to the left, and a spur leads across it to Riley Camp. Keep on, following the posts, to cross two branches of Riley Creek before entering the forest again. The trail again is heavily stepped as you rise through a subalpine parkland of mountain hemlock and subalpine fir. When you reach the Pacific Crest-Riley Creek Trail Junction, turn right.
Wind through lush parklands, and cross rocky Riley Creek one more time. The trail rises to Sheep Lake, where you’ll find a spur leading right to campsites. Swing around through a meadow, and traverse up a slope to the saddle at Burnt Rock after entering the Cascade Creek Burn again.
The user route to Crystal Lake heads up the meadow slightly north of the ridge crest here. Keep to the meadows at first and then the center of the ridge. Drop to the north side of the ridge when you’re back in the burn area. The route then goes over the ridge, up through burned trees, and back over the crest to the north side. Follow it up to a saddle between two rock outcroppings. From here you'll get expansive views to the snow-capped peaks of Mount Saint Helens, Mount Rainier, and Goat Rocks. Then pass over to the south slope of the ridge to descend to a small tarn. From the tarn, you’ll see a track running east up the slope to reach Crystal Lake, just above. From the west end of the lake, take in the reflection of Mount Adams in the still waters. Whitebark pine, subalpine fir, and mountain hemlock dot the rocky basin that cradles the lake. The best campsites are at Crystal Lake's east end.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead
- $3.50 toll each way at Hood River Bridge
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- Green Trails Maps: Mount Adams, WA #367S
- Green Trails Maps: Mount Adams West, WA #366
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Wilderness, Indian Heaven Wilderness, Trapper Creek Wilderness
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Adams Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Gifford Pinchot National Forest
- National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Mount St. Helens - Mt. Adams
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Riley Camp to Crystal Lake Hike
- Riley Camp trail to Crystal Lake and explorations above 9/10/23
- Mt. Adams area via Riley trail, Crystal Lake a sad ending for the day
- Riley Ck to Crystal Lake
- Riley Meadows
- Riley Camp to Island Lake Hike | Mount Adams Wilderness, WA
- Riley Camp Trail #64 to Crystal Lake 8/2/14
- Riley Creek Trail – Mt Adams
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Riley Camp to Crystal Lake Hike
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- Day Hiking Mount Adams and Goat Rocks by Tami Asars
- Off the Beaten Trail by Matt Reeder
- Hiking the Gifford Pinchot Backcountry by the Columbia Group Sierra Club
More Links
- Trail #64 Riley Camp (USFS)
- Trail #2000 Pacific Crest, Mt. Adams Area
- Riley Camp (Washington Trails Association)
- “Riley Creek trail is a hidden gem” (The Daily News)
- Riley Trail #64 (Flora Northwest)
- Vascular Plant List: Riley Creek Trail (Washington Native Plant Society)
- Mt Adams Complex (InciWeb)
- Crystal Lake, Mt Adams (Dean’s Place)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)