If you're headed to the east side of Mount St. Helens and want a lovely place to picnic and/or camp among old-growth trees near a river, consider stopping at Iron Creek, a Forest Service picnic area and campground south of Randle. This rustic retreat features a majestic forest glen along the Crispus River, an area of very tall, old-growth trees on basically flat terrain of lush vegetation with room to roam.
The Iron Creek picnic area is open year-round, while the campground is open from late May to mid-September. Several trails connect to the 1.5-mile Loop Trail as well as the Oldgrowth Trail from both the picnic area and the campground.
The cache: Leave the picnic parking area and take the Old Growth Trail and look for the trail signage across from the bathrooms and take the left turn toward the Loop Trail and the cache location, as you head back toward the Forest Service Road 25. When the campground is busy, you may encounter someone camped fairly close to the cache location. Enjoy your walk through this beautiful old-growth forest!
Directions: From Randle, travel south on Hwy 131 (Forest Roads 23 and 25). Veer right in 1 mile at the Y of Forest Road 23 and Forest Road 25. Continue to follow Forest Road 25 for 7.8 miles to Iron Creek.
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.
