Sheep Lake & Sourdough Gap Backpacking Trip

Sheep Lake is an easy backpacking destination near Mount Rainier, offering subalpine scenery and a short hike to sweeping views from Sourdough Gap.

ITINERARY

• day 1 – hike in to Sheep Lake: 1.8 miles, 400 ft. gain
• day 2 – Sourdough Gap hike: 2 miles, 575 ft. gain

TRIP PLANNING

• best months: July – October
• location: Chinook Pass
• land management: Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Ranger District
• trail conditions: Mount Rainier Trails and Backcountry Camp Conditions
• hike description: Washington Trails Association: Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap
• permits: none required
• passes: NW Forest Pass (trailhead)

Day 1 – hike in to Sheep Lake

This was a one-night backpacking trip with my husband. Since he doesn’t backpack or hike nearly as often as I do, I chose Sheep Lake because it’s a beginner-friendly destination that packs a lot of scenery into a relatively easy hike. The trail starts on the Pacific Crest Trail at Chinook Pass. You’re surrounded by beautiful subalpine scenery from the drive through much of Mount Rainier National Park all the way to camp.

This is a very popular area that can be crowded on weekends, so we planned our trip for mid-week. The trail parallels above the highway for the first mile, then heads into the forest before reaching the lake.

When we arrived at the lake, no one else was camping there yet, so we had our pick of campsites. I wanted a site set back from the lake for a little more privacy, so we dropped our packs and explored a few options. We found a great spot up a small hill across from the lake’s outlet. We still had a view of the lake, but no other campsites were nearby.

Since it was early July, I expected plenty of mosquitoes. There were a few, but nowhere near as many as I’d anticipated. Camping away from the lake and marshy areas definitely helped, and there was almost always a nice breeze. Later, that breeze turned into much stronger winds, but more on that in a bit.

I was super hungry, so I collected water from the lake’s outlet to filter, then we enjoyed a quick lunch of Japanese-style rice and a salmon packet while taking in the lake views.

After setting up camp, we explored around the lake and the rocky slopes above our campsite. We found a great spot on a series of rock slabs with views of the peaks to the south and decided to return there for sunset.

A few other campers arrived later in the day, but the area was still surprisingly quiet. We also saw a handful of small groups of day hikers passing through.

That evening, we returned to the rocky overlook and spent about an hour watching the sky change color. As the sun went down, wind gusts began to pick up, making it feel much colder, so we headed back to camp for the night. The strongest gusts reached around 30 mph and shook our tent off and on throughout the night. My husband didn’t get much sleep because of the wind, while I’m more accustomed to windy nights and managed to sleep a bit better.

Day 2

In the morning, it was still cold with high wind gusts. We debated hiking out early but decided to wait it out while eating trail bars instead of trying to cook breakfast in the wind. About an hour later, the gusts finally eased, so we decided to hike up to Sourdough Gap.

Once the wind died down, conditions were nearly perfect, with blue skies and warm temps.

The hike to Sourdough Gap is only about a mile from camp, so we took our time enjoying the scenery and the colorful wildflowers along the way.

 

Clouds drifted over the surrounding ridges, and we had beautiful views looking down on Sheep Lake below.

As we approached the final uphill section of trail, I looked up and spotted a mountain goat walking toward us. It was a full-grown goat with impressive horns, and I didn’t want to disturb it, so we climbed the slope beside the trail to give it plenty of room.

We talked loudly so it knew we were there, and when it came within about three feet of us, it calmly jumped off the trail and headed downhill. It was a magnificent sight. The goat seemed wary of people, so we watched each other from a safe distance before continuing our hike.

We reached Sourdough Gap soon afterward, where a trail crew was taking a break. After enjoying the views for a while, we turned around and headed back toward camp.

Along the way, we spotted the mountain goat again in nearly the same location. Both times, it tilted its head to the side as it watched us. This time it headed uphill, allowing us to continue along the trail. I’ve seen mountain goats on backpacking trips before, but never this close. It was an especially memorable experience since my husband had never seen one in person.

Back at camp, we packed up for the short hike back to the trailhead.

Before making the three-hour drive home, we stopped in Packwood for lunch at the Naches Mexican restaurant. Mmm.

I love the scenery of this area and hope to return in the fall to repeat a previous trip heading south from Chinook Pass to American Lake.