The area north of Hwy 410 lies just outside the Mt Rainier National Park. It’s a network of interwoven trails allowing you to create your own hike by mixing & matching experiences. I combined a ridge hike through a burnt out section of forest, lunch at Noble Knob, and a side trip to George Lake for a quick swing in the hammock. I had the place pretty much to myself.
Life returning to the forest floor after the 2017 Norse Peak fire
The price to pay to get here is a very long series of predictably-crummy forest roads climbing most of the way up the mountain. A 4x4 is definitely needed to maneuver amongst the pot holes. I was the only car at the parking area on arrival. Two others were there when I returned a few hours later. I doubt many people would make this trip, so it was perfect for me.
With the canopy gone, flowers were everywhere
The first section of the trail winds through the burn-out which is quite beautiful in its way. The trail itself is a fine soil mixed with ash. Flowers cover the floor on either side. The trees provide peak-a-boo views of Mt Rainier on one side and the North Cascades on the other. There’s very little elevation change in this part of the trail because it stretches across the ridge (hence the name).
The Dalles Ridge Trail blends into the Noble Knob Trail after a couple of miles. The views then look to the North Cascades and the forest thins. A quick hike up to the top of the Knob where an old fire lookout used to sit and I was ready for lunch.
Views to the north. Mt Stuart and The Enchantments can be seen on the horizon
The “knob” itself is a very visible landmark. From the distance, it looks structural and almost manmade. Touch this and you’ll know you made it to the top. From here there are many nice places to sit and relax while eating lunch. Just choose your view.
The Knob
I was feeling energetic at this point so I decided to head down to George Lake and loop around to meet up with Dalles Ridge in the valley to the west. I’m so glad I did.
Next destination: George Lake below
I thought I spotted the perfect place to put up my hammock from the top, so I had to go check it out. The lake was idyllic. Nobody was there. The water was clear. If I didn’t dislike cold water so much, I would have jumped in. I stayed for about an hour, relaxing and reading. I found my new “Happy Place”.
It doesn’t get any better than this
Forcing myself to leave, I hiked back up to the ridge and connected with another trail that would loop me around Noble Knob and back to the Dalles Ridge Trail. In doing so, I hiked straight through some of the best huckleberry grows in the area. Two older men were foraging amongst the plants and said they’ve been coming to this valley for 30 years collecting berries. Every red bush you see in these photos is a huckleberry plant. There’s no wonder the bears like this area too.
Trail through the huckleberries
Once reunited with the Dalles Ridge Trail, it was the same as the beginning - a beautiful walk through a previously devastated area. After four years, life is returning to the earth. Even burnt, the forest is stunningly beautiful. There’s no place I’d rather be.
My route