Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap
Fall colors are outstanding
4 this month · 76 reports
Mount Rainier Area
Skookum Flats is currently snow-free, and the road is suitable for all vehicles, with no reported bugs as of October 19. The trail itself is in good condition, though some muddy patches may exist in side creek drainages. Skookum Falls are dry, presenting as a soft trickle of drops October 10 or completely dry. Trail workers have recently cleared downed trees, making the path easier to navigate after high winds. Parking is generally available, with reports of no cars at the trailhead on a weekday morning October 19 and at 9 am on a Sunday, though crowds can be light with only a few other hikers seen. Fall colors are still present in the vine maples, adding to the scenic experience.
Generated from 55 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 3 weeks ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 3 weeks, so everything below is at least that old.
No, as of October 10, Skookum Falls are only a soft trickle of drops, and were completely dry on October 1 and October 19. Hikers report that the falls are often dry this time of year.
The trail is generally in good condition and has been recently cleared of downed trees. However, some muddy patches can be found in side creek drainages.
Parking appears to be generally available, with no cars at the trailhead on a weekday morning October 19 and at 9 am on a Sunday. Hikers have noted that the trail is not typically crowded.
Wildlife sightings have been minimal. Elk prints were spotted in muddy areas, and a bear with a cub was seen near the beginning of the trail on August 14. Otherwise, wildlife has been described as nonexistent on recent hikes.
Fall colors are outstanding
4 this month · 76 reports
Fall color is currently peaking
3 this month · 48 reports
Icy bridges and freezing temperatures
3 this month · 35 reports
Fall colors are arriving, views are spectacular
2 this month · 47 reports
Gorgeous birdwatching and spectacular fire tower views
2 this month · 44 reports
Fall colors are fading and intermittent snow appears
2 this month · 37 reports
Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
We had a great fall hike on Skookum Flats today!No cars were at the Buck Creek south trailhead entrance when we pulled in at 9:50.The trail head lot was muddy with several potholes.It was 48 degrees w...
Pleasant hike with fall colors and great views of the river. We arrived at 1pm on a Sunday and had no trouble parking. The trail is across the road from the lot, and was not crowded. We opted not to h...
Started the trail at 9:30 am on a Saturday morning and ran into a handful families and dogs at various points, but only in passing except at the falls.Clear trail from the parking lot to the base of t...
What a great fall day on the gorgeous Skookum Flats hike! We started from FS73 and did the shorter version to the Falls - which were of course BONE DRY as they often are this time of year. Only saw on...
Arrived at the trailhead at 9am, no other cars. This was a nice and easy hike for my 3rd trimester pregnant self. A beautiful walk through the Forrest with lots of moss, lichen, fungi and the white ri...
We arrived around 4 pm to hike the trail and had it all to ourselves. We did spot a bear with a cub at the beginning of the trail about 30ft away from the main trail, luckily once they noticed us they...
Several fallen tree step-overs and duck-unders. It's a decent hiking path but I would not recommend trail running here, as the terrain is awkward and technical. I usually enjoy technical runs, but I r...
We got to the trail head at 7:00 AM and we were the only ones in the parking lot. When we returned a few more cars had shown up including vehicles for a work crew we met on our way out. Mostly had t...
We went to Suntop Lookout today and hiked Skookum Flats. The last 2 driving miles up to Suntop Lookout are super rutted and large rocks are exposed. I would not attempt driving up here in a low clea...
We got to the trailhead around 8:30 and there was only one other car. The trail is mostly a pretty forest trail along the river, nothing spectacular, but still worth it. It is in decent condition, som...