Loowit Trail around Mount Saint Helens
Mount Saint Helens from the east at sunrise My friend Sheri and I hiked the Loowit Trail counter-clockwise around Mount Saint Helens, beginning and ending at the Climbers Bivouac trailhead. We took 4 days, though it's doable in 3. Overall, Loowit is a challenging but fabulous hike with a wide variety of scenery. Per my Garmin, we hiked 36 miles overall, with roughly 11,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Hiking Tip: Just three water sources on the trip (June Lake, a stream in the blast zone and the Toutle River), and most of the hike is exposed, so plan to carry a gallon of water and be prepared for sun. Trail map of Loowit Trail circling the volcano Day 1 - Climbers Bivouac to June Lake 5.75 miles, up 1600' and down 2162' Mt St Helens from the south We hit the trail at 12:30pm, beginning with a 2-mile ascent up the Ptarmigan trail to the junction with the Loowit Trail. Once on the trail, we alternated strolling through lovely forest with rock hopping across lava fields. ...