Loowit Hikes (St. Helens)
Coldwater Lake | 12 miles | 1800 ft of elevation gain | If you can get over the inevitable mosquito bites and overgrown spots, the wildflowers on the north and views of Loowit on the ridge to the south (along with the abandoned logging equipment) are pretty great.
Butte Camp Trail | 7.5 miles | 1700 ft of elevation gain | All the good Loowit vibes, but a slightly shorter commitment, on the way to the Loowit (round the mountain) Trail and a close up view of the mountain.
Sheep Canyon Loop Trail | 12.5 miles | 3000 ft of elevation gain | Old forests, recovering forests, vast canyons, lots of wildflowers, and even a few mount goats on a distant ridge.
Mt. St. Helens via Worm Flows Trail | 11 miles | 5500 ft of elevation gain | I would start from Climber’s Bivouac if I summited Loowit again, and there’s no way to make the summit hike a piece of cake, especially with all the boulders and scree, but it’s still quite the accomplishment.
Ape Canyon, Plains of Abraham | 13 miles | 2500 ft of elevation gain | A good first Loowit-area hike, with most of the trail along a forested ridge (I LOVE ridges) leading to the otherwordly plains of Abraham.