Tara Warolin

The hike to Upper Lena Lake is a beautiful one. It first takes you past Lena Lake, which is a very popular weekend destination for families. Luckily you're pushing on to Upper Lena Lake that sits in a peaceful alpine meadow with Mt. Lena and Mt. Bretherton towering above. The first part of the trail takes you past Lena Lake. You cannot see Lena Lake from the main trail. You need to take a sepa...

The Coldwater Lake Recreation Area has restrooms, telephones, and a picnic area. Make sure you have already acquired your permits for camping in the Mt. Margaret back country.Follow trail #211, which runs along the entire 4.5 mile length of Coldwater Lake. It is a beautiful and fairly flat hike with great views of the lake and tons of wildflowers during the right season.After the lake, the #211...

This hike down to Drift Creek Falls is more of an easy stroll. But before you reach the trail head, if coming from the north, make sure to stop at Oregon's oldest covered bridge off Bear Creek Rd. The trailhead to Drift Creek Falls will be farther south on Bear Creek Rd where you will branch off onto NF-17 for 10 miles and the trail head parking lot will be on your left. The hike starts with ...

Park off the Old Pali Highway before the lookout in the dirt parking lot. There is an entry along the fence that will go through. The first part of the hike takes you through a bamboo forest. Most of the time it will be muddy, so be prepared to get dirty. This will lead you to an open grassy valley that gives you spectacular views of the valley. Follow a small path in the grass, or walk to the...

The trail takes you on a gradual climb up to Heather Lake with beautiful second growth to admire along the way. The trail can be very wet and muddy with many tree roots to catch your toes, so make sure to wear a sturdy pair of tennis shoes or hiking shoes. Dogs are permitted on this trail on-leash.  Make sure to notice the huge rotting stumps with the springboard notches alongside the trail; s...

The trail begins just below Artist Point and is well marked from a paved parking lot. Make sure to have a Northwest Forest Pass for your vehicle. Start your hike by descending on switchbacks through sub-alpine forest. It's a nice start, but remember, that means an uphill hike out. After entering the wilderness, the trail briefly opens up to a picturesque alpine basin. As you descend, the trail...

This hike starts off with a bang! The first thing you do is walk out into a rocky riverbed and get an amazing view of Mt. Rainier. From there, you'll cross a long log bridge to get over the river and head into the woods. After 1.1 miles, you'll come across Carter Falls, and about 100 feet down the trail, you'll see a smaller falls above Carter. From here, it's another 1.6 miles to Narada Falls...