Destination
Back to the rig.
Directions
From I-5, take Highway 12 east about five miles past the town of Morton. Turn right on Kosmos Road, then left on Riff Lake Road. Drive south to Forest Service Road #2750, then turn left and drive east for just under a mile to the Goat Creek trailhead (trail #205).
Notes
This hike is best split into two days.
Begin on Trail #205 for two miles. Turn left at the fork onto trail #218. This trail follows the flanks of Tumwater Mountain. After about 11 miles, you'll reach Deadmans Lake, where you'll pick up Goat Mountain Trail #217 heading northwest toward Vanson Lake. At the Vanson Peak junction, travel about half a mile to the lake and choose your campsite.
The remainder of the trail uses #205 as it zig-zags north and south until you close the loop just past mile 17 of your hike. From there out, you'll have just over two miles back to the starting point.
At the ridgeline near Vanson Peak take note; the side facing Mount St. Helens was wiped clean by the volcano's blast in 1980, while the northern face was protected and spared from the devastation.