Indian Henry's Hunting Ground

Starting from the Kautz Creek trailhead near Longmire, you'll cross a rocky washout zone before the trail ducks into old-growth forest so thick the canopy swallows the sky. The first few miles climb steadily through Douglas fir and western red cedar, gaining enough elevation to make your calves register a complaint. Around mile four, the forest thins and the trail breaks into subalpine meadows that stop you in your tracks — a vast wildflower carpet stretching toward the south face of Mount Rainier, which fills your entire field of vision like a wall of glaciated rock. The historic patrol cabin sits in the meadow, looking like it belongs in a painting. The return follows the same route, but somehow the mountain views hit differently on the way back. This trail rewards hikers who don't mind putting in a full day for a payoff that rivals anything on the Wonderland Trail without the permit lottery.