This section of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses Indian Heaven Wilderness and Mt Adams Wilderness. Scenic views are available all along this trail. A detailed map, with descriptions of points of interest on the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000, is available at all Forest Offices.

Route Description

The Pacific Crest Trail enters Gifford Pinchot National Forest from the south just north of the Yacolt Burn State Forest. The trail drops through the Wind River Experimental Forest and crosses Trout Creek with a bridge crossing. The trail crosses Road 43 and then runs parallel with the road for 1 mile through an old-growth forest. The trail skirts what was formerly the Wind River Nursery before intersecting Road 417. The trail then skirts the east side of Bunker Hill and intersects Bunker Hill Trail #145. The trail climbs to Road 54, crosses Wind River, and Road 30 in quick succession, then crosses Road 6517 and runs parallel with the road in an easterly direction for 2 miles. It crosses Road 65 just south of Panther Creek Campground.

Crossing Panther Creek, the trail gradually climbs through a second-growth forest toward Big Huckleberry Mountain (4,202 feet elevation), and crosses Road 68. The trail begins climbing rapidly, and crosses Grassy Knoll Trail #146. From this point, hikers may take a 0.25-mile climb to the summit of Big Huckleberry Mountain – the site of a former fire lookout. The Pacific Crest Trail continues north, skirting Big Lava Bed (a 14,000 acre lava flow). A water trough for stock is located 1.5 miles south of Crest Horse Camp/Trailhead. Crest Horse Camp is located at the junction of the Pacific Crest Trail and Forest Road 60.

From Forest Road 60, trail generally travels north, passes Sheep Lake, and then crosses the southern boundary of Indian Heaven Wilderness. The trail crosses the center of the wilderness for the next 17 miles, passing numerous lakes and meadows. Bring water filters or purification tablets. The trail leaves Indian Heaven Wilderness and passes through the Sawtooth Berry Fields. These are some of the most productive huckleberry fields in the Pacific Northwest. A council in 1932 between the Yakama Indian Nation and the Forest Service resulted in a handshake agreement, designating part of the Sawtooth Berry Fields as an area of exclusive use for local Native American people. From the berry fields, the Pacific Crest Trail heads northeast toward Mosquito and Steamboat Lakes then on to Forest Road 23 and Mt. Adams Wilderness.