Day Hike - Packwood Lake

Meet at 9 AM at the Mountain Goat Coffee Shop, 105 Main St.E, Packwood, located on SR 12 near the center of town.  For most people, the fastest driving route will be through Enumclaw on SR 410, right at Cayuse Pass onto SR 123, right onto SR 12 at the T junction and left at Main Street in Packwood.  For those driving from the Olympia area, the fastest driving route will be south on I-5, east on SR 12 and right at Main St, in Packwood.

A restroom and breakfast food are available at the Mountain Goat Coffee Shop.  Arrive early, if you want to order food.  We will caravan from there the short distance to the trailhead parking lot, where there is ample parking space.  A Northwest Forest Pass or the equivalent must be displayed by each car parked there.  A restroom is located there.

The hike to Packwood Lake is on a good trail almost entirely under an evergreen forest canopy.  It  gradually gains 1,200 feet before gradually dropping 300 feet to the lake.  We will have our lunch break, and a possible swim, at the north end of the lake, where there is an outhouse nearby.  We'll hike out by the same route, so there will be 300 feet gain in that direction.

Following the hike, there will be an optional refreshment stop in Packwood on the drive home.