Badger Peak
Moderate (to Badger Lake)
8.6 miles round trip
1300 feet elevation gain
Open mid-July through October
Use: hikers, horses, bikes
Difficult (to Badger Peak)
10.2 miles round trip
2000 feet elevation gain
This convenient but overlooked section of the 56-mile Boundary Trail between Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams is currently open to motorcycles. The policy is damaging and annoying, but the hike is great and the trail is worth saving. Visit here to witness some of the unbelievably beautiful wilderness scenery in Washington that should not be abandoned to motor vehicles.
The Boundary Trail follows the crest of the Dark Divide, with views of Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Admas, to a little subalpine lake that makes a great lunch stop. A side trail climbs to the rocky site of a former fire lookout, where views spin around the compass.
Start by driving Interstate 5 . . .
This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon