27 cars passed us going down as we were driving up Johnson Creek Road. (Btw, please don’t drive like a maniac on the way down. I saw vehicles traveling 40-50 mph. We happened to see a bear on that road. Remember to be kind and courteous to the wildlife and your fellow human beings as you drive on FS Roads.). If you arrive at a 3 way intersection you’ve got too far. FS 2150 will be on your left. We decided to heed advice given on here and do the loop hike Snowgrass, Lily Basin, Goat Lake, Jordan Basin and then Goat Ridge passing trailhead Berry Patch trailhead before arriving back at Snowgrass Flats T.H. The trail starts out in the forest, crossing an excellent bridge at Goat Creek. There is a nice waterfall to rest at before continuing on. There are plenty sources of water so no need to carry up a bunch of water. You’ll see a few peekaboo views. When you emerge from the forest you will see a sign that says “Snowgrass Flats” where someone also penciled in PCT. To the left will be Lily Basin Trail. Now if you’re just dayhiking and don’t feel like killing your self off take a left on Lily Basin and head up to Goat Lake- (particularly if you’re out of flower season.) If you’re overnighting continue on. I highly recommend hiking up to the PCT to overnight. You’ll be tempted to stay at a few great spots along the trail but I assure you even better sites lie ahead. You will arrive at a T where the PCT runs. If it’s not windy go to the left and up to some epic viewpoint campsites. If you are looking for some shelter from the elements take a right on the PCT. The 2nd footpath to the right has an absolutely epic campsite with ridiculous, grand views of the Flats below and the mountain range in full. Just yonder on the PCT is a great Creek for filtering water. Prior to the sun falling we headed up the PCT towards Old Snowy Mountain to watch the sunset. It was spectacular. Don’t forget your headlamps for the way down. The next morning we headed over to Cispus Basin. For this time of year, I found Cispus Basin more appealing than Snowgrass. The hike to Cispus is relatively easy with little elevation change. Along the way you will find other enchanting campsites on your right. There is a beautiful waterfall just a bit past when you enter the Basin. A great spot for a photo, water, or to just plain cool off. But don’t stop there. Make sure to at least go over to the farthest creek where you can see down into the valley. A gorgeous place for a snack. Here you can either continue on up Cispus Pass or call it a day and turn around. Snowgrass Flats did not have any flowers still blooming but there was flowers still in full bloom near the water sources in Cispus Basin. We took down camp and hiked down to Lily Basin Trail and took a right following it to Goat Lake. There are some gorgeous views to take in. A friendly reminder, please do not camp on the meadows. They are fragile! There are plenty of established campsites. I thought it would take me an hour to travel to my next campsite but the rolling trail took a bit longer than that. As I entered the last ridge before Goat Lake I watched beautiful birds of prey soaring with grand views of Mt Rainier as a backdrop. This would make it worthy in itself. But alas, more grandness awaits you! There is a stunning waterfall dropping from Goat Lake. As we approached there were about 25 mountain goats grazing in camp. There was only one other campsite occupied. We decided to camp at the lake and watch the goats perform incredible feats of agility. Occasionally a mountain goat would dislodge a large rock; thus the rock thunderous decent into the lake. It was wonderful to watch and a reminder how precarious their perch is. I sat on the rocks alternately taking in an epic sunset and switching my gaze to the goats behind me. If you are ambitious continue on the trail climbing Hawkeye Point for a birdeye’s view of the entire area. The following morning we reluctantly left heading towards Jordan Basin. A fellow hikers spotted bear here but alas we had no such luck. Jordan Basin is a pretty spot with a few great campsites but in my opinion does not hold a candle to Goat Lake. After Jordan Basin there is some views from Goat Ridge but it quickly becomes fairly unremarkable. There are additional campsites along the way if there is no campsites available. You will arrive at a fork with Trail 96 on your left or 96A on your right. I highly encourage you to take the time and take 96A. The little distance it adds is worth the effort. You will see a trail on your right blocked off with a few branches. Take this footpath. I heard a few hikers walk past it and boy did they miss out! At this former fire lookout you will have superb views of Mt Rainier and Mt Adams. This is a fantastic cap to a great backpacking trip. After the lookout you will cross a few boulder fields where if you’re quiet you can spot Pika and Marmots. You will re-enter the forest with a couple of peekaboo views and then it is fairly unremarkable for this time of year. I could see evidence of lupine and such but all the flowers are long since gone. We arrived at Berry Patch T.H. and continued on 96 to go to Snowgrass Flats T.H. I couldn’t imagine why I couldn’t find the T.H. I walked an additional 2 miles when it was supposed to be only .6 miles! I kept thinking, “It’ll be right around this corner.” Yeah no. PSA: Hiker Trail No 96A is what you want for the parking lot. The trail from Berry Patch is called "Horse Trail No. 96". This was a little confusing to me. Oh well. Highly recommend this particularly if you can go on weekdays as this area gets very busy. Wildlife seen: mountain goats, marmots, pika, birds of prey, bear, snake (harmless variety) butterflies galore!
Footnote to WTA- in your description it says 8 miles “TO” Snowgrass Flats when it’s actually the distance round trip. You may want to alter the wording.
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