Length
Elevation Gain
Highest Point
Although primarily a cross-country ski trail network, snowshoers are welcome on the Mount Tahoma Trails Association trails and in the huts so long as trail etiquette is followed. This generally means keeping to the edges of the groomed trails and yielding right of way to skiers. As most of the trails do double duty as logging roads in the summer, there is plenty of room for all to enjoy the gently rolling terrain come winter.
Follow the signs to Forest Road 92, which leads to "North District" sno-parks and the trailhead to Copper Creek. The distance to the hut depends, as there are sno-parks that serve as parking areas, depending on snow conditions at various altitudes. The lower the snow line, the longer the distance to the hut. Plan on a minimum of a 9-mile roundtrip hike, and note that Washington non-motorized Sno-Park Permits are required at all the parking areas.
Along the way, the trail is well-signed and moderately inclined for about a mile, until you arrive at a junction marked "Cooper's Loop." No signs here indicate which way the hut is, so to reach Copper Creek Hut, take the right fork. The left fork heads uphill, following a ridgeline and a series of snowshoe blazes back to the Overlook Trail and ultimately looping back to the upper Sno-Park.
On the right-hand trail heading towards the hut, gradually gain elevation until reaching another junction, about 3 miles from the upper parking area. Here you can either take the Rainier View Trail or the Valley View Trail to reach the hut; the trees have grown enough that neither route affords a view of the mountain, but the Rainier View Trail is more direct. Take it, and after another mile, arrive at a final junction, where the hut is only half a mile away. The trail descends from here, then traverses around a knob and ascends steeply for just a few hundred feet, ending directly outside Copper Creek Hut.
WTA Pro Tip: Navigating snow travel can be difficult and dangerous! Be prepared by looking at trip reports (below), reading about the hike on the Mount Tahoma Trails Association website and brushing up on our winter safety tips.
Seasonal closure
North District trails (from the 92 Road Sno-park along the Rainier Vista Trail to the 10th Mountain) and Copper Creek Hut are only open in the winter months (typically mid-November to mid-April). This land is owned by hte Nisqually Land Trust and Nisqually Community Forest. They are federally protected as a sensitive wildlife habitat and closed from spring to fall. Dogs are not allowed at any time.
Reservations
Each of the huts are open and free to enter during the day, but from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., guests must have advance online overnight reservations. Reservations for Copper Creek Hut can be made on the Mount Tahoma Trails Association website.
Trailhead
