Porter Trail

A 13-mile one-way hike in Capitol State Forest near Olympia. The trail is open to hikers, bikes, horses and dogs.

getting there

Wedekind Picnic Area Site

Take the Black Lake Blvd exit off of US 101, turn left at the light and drive 3.5 miles  where the road becomes 62nd Ave SW. Continue 0.7 mile, turn left onto Delphi Rd SW, and in 2.1 miles bear right onto Waddell Creek Rd SW. In 2.7 miles, continue straight on Sherman Valley Rd. In 1.3 miles, it becomes the C-Line Road. Drive for 7 miles to a junction just beyond a borrow pit and bear left to stay on the C-Line Road. Continue for 1.6 miles to the trailhead at the former Wedekind Picnic Area (1,850 ft).

Porter Creek Campground

From SR 12 in Porter, drive northeast on Porter Creek Rd. At the intersection, continue straight on the B-Line. The trailhead (200 ft) is ~4.5 miles from Porter and is across the road from Porter Creek Campground.

on the trail

Setup a car shuttle and hike this mile one-way route from east to west. You can also do out-and-back hikes of any length. The trail conditions are excellent and you will traverse through a variety of Northwest scenery.

INFORMATION FOR LEADERS

  • Permits are required in this area for all fee-based (course-related) activities, regardless of group size.  Leaders may list trips at this route/place with the understanding that they need to verify that a permit has been obtained before running the trip (if required as outlined above). Permit applications are submitted to WA Department of Natural Resources annually in December. Please contact info@mountaineers.org with any additional questions. More details about permitting on WA DNR land as it applies to Mountaineers trips, as well as our current year Land Use License, can be found here.
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Length: 13.0 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 400 ft
  • 2,500 ft
Map
  • WA DNR Capitol State Forest
Activities

Upcoming Activities

Day Hike - Porter Trail

Day Hiking Trip
Summer solstice hike on a long trail in the Capitol State Forest. Leader's permission required.
Difficulty: Moderate
Fri, Jun 21, 2024
No Prerequisites, Leader's Permission Required
4 participants
Registration opens Jun 3
Olympia Branch
Monty Pratt
Trip Reports
Resources

There are no resources for this route/place. Log in and send us updates, images, or resources.