What a fun trail this is! I hiked this with my 10 and 14 year old kids and it was very quick and accessible. We arrived around 11 am on a Friday and found just a few cars parked in the lot, enjoying the trail mostly to ourselves for the trip up to the lookout. The views the entire way up are absolutely incredible! We have visited many lookouts, but this was our first experience getting to walk inside as it was manned by volunteers that day. Thanks to the awesome couple with the SFLA that gave us a tour and told us all about the lookout and the job they are doing there. The forest service road is long and fairly rough, but taken slow enough any car should make it.

There have been many mixed reviews about the road conditions, so I wanted to share my honest take. I usually drive a Honda Civic but decided to carpool in a higher-clearance vehicle after being concerned by some recent reports.

Road Overview:

The road is 6.4 miles of unpaved terrain leading to the trailhead. While it’s definitely rough in spots, a low-clearance vehicle can make it—if the driver has experience with backcountry roads and proceeds slowly and carefully. The drive in is more challenging than the way out.

Here are some key mile markers:

• 2.0 mi – Double pothole that may be difficult for low-clearance vehicles.

• 2.2 mi – Short stretch of washout.

• 2.9 mi – Some washout areas.

• 4.4 mi – Clustered mid-depth potholes.

• 5.0 mi – Potholes get deeper.

• Last mile – The road surface becomes rough in texture on and off, but still manageable.

We saw a low-clearance car in the parking lot, so it’s definitely possible—just slow-going and best attempted by confident, experienced drivers.

Trail Conditions:

The trail itself is in overall good condition. Some areas are overgrown and a bit sandy. Trekking poles are helpful. Beautiful views nearly the entire trail.

A few months post hip surgery, Hiker Bill got the 3 amigos back together for a hike. I recommended Kelly Butte (Mount Rainier Area>Chinook Pass-Hwy410), as it afforded an opportunity to visit WA Fire Lookout Tower #8 on my list. Slow pace to accommodate Bill, but he completed it! Groomed trail in last mile gave me chance to do a bit of solo trail running and break-in some new gear swag. My current aches not comfortable during trail run pace but benefitted from the undulating terrain during hiking/climbing. Got to tour the Lookout Cabin and chat with volunteer ranger (hmm, post-retirement “job” for me..?) Clouds parted on the descent, providing unique view of the “blown out” side of the Mt. Rainier summit-looking at the NE Sunrise/Winthrop Glacier side. Still awe-inspiring, no matter how many times I see it. 

A fantastic hike for a younger hiker or someone with a bit less experience. The reward for effort is right up there. Excellent views, a fire lookout and a short hike make it a welcome objective for hikers of all skill levels.

The road in was a bit rougher than I had expected from some reviews saying it was in great shape. There was quite a bit of washboard and some larger potholes.

We heard and saw a lot of people target shooting on the way in. On our way out there were 3 sheriffs cars parked and it looked like they were issuing fines.

Kelly Butte is flower heaven right now!

We arrived around 8am with a few cars at the trailhead. It has been quite a few years since we were here last and it was fun to visit on the 4th. The previous times I’ve visited there were very few flowers but this time they were everywhere.

The paintbrush is incredible right now and some of them are so huge! A fair amount of bear grass is still in bloom and combined with the lupine and penstemon, the combination made for a wonderful celebration of the red, white, and blue. Tons of flowers to keep your eyes moving and some wild strawberries if you look hard.

We met Amanda, the SFLA volunteer staffing the lookout and she pointed out all the peaks in the distance and invited us into the lookout. Thank you for volunteering!

We were also treated to a bonus goat viewing from the small herd nearby. There was even a baby goat! Such a fun trip to celebrate the 4th!

Watch out for ticks. Our dog had one on his leg fur at the top that hadn’t latched on yet.