Toutle Trail

Toutle Trail (#238) is a 13.6-mile one-way long-distance hike on the south and west sides of Mount St. Helens, run as a link route from Kalama Horse Camp to the Loowit Trail (#216). It transverses five ecozones and can be broken into shorter day hikes or combined with other trail connections for longer loops.

The trail follows the spring-fed Kalama River early on, then carries you across lava terrain and through mixed conifer forest. Along the way it junctions with Blue Lake Horse Trail #237 about 3.7 miles from Kalama Horse Camp and reaches McBride Lake before continuing northward.

A key mid-route access point is Red Rock Pass, where Forest Road 81 is crossed about 5.7 miles from Kalama Horse Camp. From there the route crosses a 1,900-year-old lava flow and enters lodgepole pine forest before continuing toward the Blue Lake area.

Past the Red Rock Pass/early lava crossing, the trail reaches the Blue Lake Trailhead area about 3.2 miles from Red Rock Pass. Blue Lake is passed as the route enters old-growth forest, then the line climbs northward to Huckleberry Saddle and the second junction with Blue Lake Horse Trail #237.

Horses are not allowed beyond the Sheep Canyon #240 intersection; the route continues from there for about 1.6 miles before terminating near the South Fork Toutle River at Loowit Trail #216.

Use permits/fees as required for the trailhead parking area: a Northwest Forest Pass (or a standard Recreation Fee site pass) is required for parking at developed sites, and a backcountry camping permit applies for overnight stays (no fee). The route is open to hikers, horses, and mountain bikes, though specific horse restrictions apply at the Sheep Canyon junction.

More information: Visitor information, Toutle Trail - Blue Lake to Loowit Trail — Washington Trails ..., Toutle Trail — Washington Trails Association