Nestled along Highway 7, on the road towards Mount Rainier, the 334 acres of Pack Forest land was purchased by the University of Washington's College of Forest Resources (now the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences (SEFS)) with the generous cash gift by conservationist and East Coast lumberman Charles Lathrop Pack in 1926. With that contribution, it enabled the purchase the forestland to be used for research, resources and demonstration purposes.
The Charles L. Pack Experimental Forest encompasses 4,300 acres of working forestland and has provided a forested classroom for SEFS students, faculty and affiliates for more than 80 years. Forest management undergraduates at the college spent a quarter of their academic year in residency at Pack Forest. Here they received field training and invaluable skills and have for many years. Although this requirement has been discontinued, lab exercises, case study classes and continuing education continue to use Pack Forest a day or more at a time. Today, the forest continues to provide resources in a convenient, yet isolated location, for work and study with minimal interruption.
Managed by UW, the Pack Forest is an outdoor laboratory focusing on wildlife enhancement, educations, research, timber production practices and recreation. At the entrance to the forest, take a walk through the miniature-scale Pack Forest a favorite for kids. Enjoy the trails leading along the wetlands and through old-growth forest with striking views of a series of pretty waterfalls. The forest is open to hikers, cyclists and equestrians.
There are miles of trails and are fairly well-marked but it’s easy to get confused on the Pack’s large and interconnecting network of trails and roads so definitely take along a map. You can pick one up at the trailhead kiosks or the Forestry Center near the gatehouse or download one from their website, www.packforest.org. Because the Pack Forest consists of generally low ridges, it is mostly snow free throughout the year giving trail runners some excellent terrain to train on during the winter months. However, some of the secondary trails can get quite muddy so stick with the main routes and the roads unless you like kicking up some mud.
If you want another challenge, Hugo Peak is just over two miles and 850 vertical feet to the top of the 1,740 ft summit with a stunning view of the countryside. On clear days you can see as far as the Olympic Mountains and the Puget Sound.
If you’re up for some sightseeing or just want a moderate hike with very little elevation gain, come see the not-so-little waterfall, Little Mashel Falls. A veiling horsetail falls of 120 feet; this is the highest series of three waterfalls accessible via the Pack Forest trail systems. This waterfall is named for the Little Mashel River. It is possible to hike to an overlook near the foot of the falls; the trail is steep and potentially hazardous, especially for inexperienced hikers. Allow yourself about 2-3 hours to hike 5.75 miles round trip.
If you are looking to make it a day trip there are other caches also located inside the Pack Forest.
This cache was placed with special permission by the Center for Sustainable Forestry at Pack Forest, and is an exception to the current moratorium on new caches at Pack Forest.
2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, and to celebrate, Visit Rainier and WSGA hosted the Visit Rainier Centennial GeoTour - 100 caches placed in and around Mount Rainier National Park. The geocaches highlighted the rich history, scenic wonders, quaint communities, and hidden gems of the Rainier region. Participants received geocoin and pathtag prizes for finding all the caches.
