Box Canyon Loop Trail

This is one of those trails that delivers a jaw-dropping payoff for almost zero effort. From the parking area along Stevens Canyon Road, a paved path winds through old-growth forest before arriving at a bridge spanning Box Canyon — a slot canyon so narrow you could practically toss a pinecone across it, yet deep enough to swallow a seventeen-story building. Peer over the railing and watch the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River rage through volcanic rock far below, the sound echoing off walls polished smooth over millennia. The loop circles back through subalpine meadows with Mount Rainier looming above when skies cooperate. The whole thing takes maybe twenty minutes, making it the perfect leg-stretcher on the drive between Paradise and Ohanapecosh. Families with small kids, anyone with limited mobility who can handle a short unpaved section, and photographers chasing dramatic depth will all find this trail punches well above its weight.