Skookum Flats Tr1194
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Overall: 8
Aerobic: 5
Technical: 5
Steepness: 5
Flow: 8
Singletrack: 100%
The White River Washington Skookum Flats Trail packs a lot of fun into a fast ride.
Type
Loop
Length
Avg: 10.5mi
Ascent
Easy
Elevation Change
TH:2100'
Avg Ascent:2400'
Ascent Incline
6%
Duration
Avg: 2.5hr
Weather
Forecast
NOAA
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USFS
Trail
Review
White River Trails
About 1.5hrs from downtown Seattle, the White River area trails are extremely popular...and happen to also cover some great terrain.
Skookum Flats Tr1194 can be ridden nearly all year, although the glacial water flow of the White River demands some thermal protection most of the year. The higher elevation trails become available when the snow melts (April-July).
The other major rides in the area are Crystal Mt Tr1163, Noble Knob Tr1184, Palisades Tr1198, Ranger Cr Tr1197 and Suntop Tr1183.
Easy access from Seattle, combined with some moderately technical singletrack makes this ride extremely popular...and sometimes a little over-rated.
Skookum Flats Tr1194 follows the rugged terrain of the south side of the White River.
The area is often soaking wet and also expect lowered temperatures, due to the glacial water flow of the White River.
Even during high summer months, be sure to bring an extra thermal layer.
Skookum Flats Tr1194 can be combined with White Rvr Tr1199 into a relatively easy CW loop.
More aggressive loops can be created by combining Skookum Flats Tr1194 with Palisades Tr1198 or Suntop Tr1183, covered on those pages. See the Area Map.
A CW White Rvr Tr1199 to Skookum Flats Tr1194 loop, starting from FR7300 or the Dalles Campground, provides the best ride profile, although the terrain is flat enough that the loop can be started from any point.
Near Camp Shepard, Buck Cr Tr1169 includes a pedestrian bridge and enables the loop to be cut in half, but why shorten a 10mi ride? Buck Cr Tr1169 leads to Snoquera Falls Tr1167, but expect heavy pedestrian traffic in this area.
Skookum Flats Tr1194 continues beyond FR7160, paralleling the Ranger Creek emergency airstrip and FR7190, then becoming primitive and ending near the Silver Springs Campground (at the Mount Rainier National Park boundary).
Mount Rainier Hiking: The northeastern section of Mount Rainier is easily accessible from FR7300, with the main eastside entrance at Sunrise Park (From Skookum Flats TH, 12.5mi on SR410 and 16mi on Sunrise Park Rd).
FR7300 leads to FR7340, to the Huckleberry Creek TH and a 8.4mi hike along the creek, to the McNeeley Peak-Mt Fremont saddle. With another vehicle, a shuttle to FR7550 would be a 20mi (5700' ascent) hike.
Glacier Basin is a gradually intense hike, leading to the Emmons Moraine Glacier climbing route (and the Liberty Ridge route) at Glacier Basin, passing through a wetland area to the base of the Inter Glacier. Camp Schurman and other sites are used by climbers on their way to Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the continental U.S.
Wonderland Trail is 93mi and circumnavigates Mount Rainier, crossing varied terrain, from lowland forests to high alpine. The northwestern section of Wonderland Trail is covered on the Christoff Tr1171 page, along with Frog Mountain Tr1180 and nearby Clearwater Wilderness trails.
For much more information, check out the Mount Rainier National Park Trail guide, which includes descriptions of all trails and a variety of maps.
Directions: SR410E 24.8mi from Enumclaw to Huckleberry Cr FR73. Turn right (south) onto FR73 and go .4mi to trailhead just past bridge, on on left (east). View Larger Map. No Map?.
Loop Directions
aquatrail
- TH: Ride across the paved White River bridge, then go right onto Dalles River Tr1204A. Ride to the Dalles CG and go the entrance, then cross SR410, onto FR7150. Ride until FR7150 merges with SR410, then go left and ride to the Palisades Tr1198 TH.
- 2.6mi: From SR410, go left onto Palisades Tr1198 and ride .1mi to White River Cutoff Tr1199.01, which leads to White Rvr Tr1199.
- 3.9mi: Go past the Buck Cr Tr1169/Snoquera Falls Tr1167 intersection, making some attempt not to run over any day hikers. The trail turns to doubletrack near Camp Shepard, with a detour trail (look for the 'Trail' sign), which wanders above Camp Shepard. Pass the Moss Lake Nature Trail.
- 5.1mi: Go left at intersection, to SR410. Go left, then take FR7160 on the south side of SR410. If you make it to Ranger Cr Tr1197, then either you have gone too far on White Rvr Tr1199, or maybe are wanting to do some other ride...
- 5.3mi: Go right onto Skookum Flats Tr1194. The trail forks several times prior to crossing the Doe Creek wooden bridge. Go left at the first fork, then right at the second fork.
- 6.5mi: After some cliff exposure, a view of the Palisades Cliffs, and the Buck Creek bridge crossing, go past the Buck Cr Tr1169 intersection, then go over some more bridges and short climbs before the trail levels off. The remaining section includes some technical, rooty singletrack which may challenge those who are more accustomed to the usually buff pumice trails found in the Cascades.
- 8.5mi: Skookum Falls creek crossing, followed by some wooden bridges and easy terrain back to the TH.
Trail Index
This Ride
Buck Creek Trail 1169, Dalles River Trail 1204A, Skookum Flats Trail 1194, White River Trail 1199
Area
Bone Lake Trail 1172.1, Christoff Trail 1171, Crystal Mountain Trail 1163, Dalles Ridge Trail 1173, Deep Creek Trail 1196, Divide Trail 1172, Doe Falls Trail 1174, Grass Mountain Trail 1170, Hen Skin Lake Trail 1193, Noble Knob Trail 1184, Palisades Trail 1198, Ranger Creek Trail 1197, Silver Creek Trail 1192, Suntop Trail 1183
Hiking
Doe Falls Trail 1174, Snoquera Falls Trail 1167
Mount Rainier NP
Burroughs Loop Trail, Burroughs Mountain Trail, Glacier Basin Trail, Hidden Lake Trail, Huckleberry Creek Trail, Lake Eleanor Trail, Mount Fremont Trail, Northern Loop Trail, Palisades Trail, Sourdough Ridge Trail, Wonderland Trail
Campgrounds
The Dalles Campground, Silver Springs Campground, Corral Pass Campground, White River Campground
Trail Rankings
Ranking consistently applied to all of the listed trails.
- Overall Rating: Ride quality and challenge
- Aerobic: Ascent challenge
- Technical Difficulty: Terrain challenge
- Steepness: Average incline
- Flow: Uninterrupted riding
- Elevation Change: Total elevation gain
- Ride Difficulty: Terrain challenge
