Loowit Trail itinerary
Every published mile marker on the Loowit Trail route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one — and which permit each stretch needs. To watch dates and set alerts, go to the Loowit Trail permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Loowit Trail. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. June Lake Trailhead is the one on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 8
- Across the markers
- 26.0 mi
- Published route length
- 30 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 3,834 ft
How long it takes: 2-3 days. That is the figure the permit publishes — this page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The Loowit Trail route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
2,750 ft
June Lake Trailhead
Entry point — the permit is issued for this trailhead
Most popular access point. 1.3-mile approach to Loowit junction.
5.0 miles · 1,710 ft up to Plains of Abraham
Mile 5.0
4,460 ft
Plains of Abraham
Vast pumice plain with wildflowers and views of the crater.
5.0 miles · 421 ft up to Windy Pass
Mile 10.0
4,881 ft
Windy Pass
High point at 4,900 ft with views of Spirit Lake and Mount Rainier.
2.0 miles · 162 ft down to Loowit Falls
Mile 12.0
4,719 ft
Loowit Falls
150-foot waterfall dropping from near the crater rim. 0.7-mile spur trail.
2.0 miles · 854 ft down to Spirit Lake Viewpoint
Mile 14.0
3,865 ft
Spirit Lake Viewpoint
Views of the lake still filled with logs from the 1980 eruption.
4.0 miles · 724 ft down to South Fork Toutle River
Mile 18.0
3,141 ft
South Fork Toutle River
Major crossing requiring scrambling down unstable canyon walls.
4.0 miles · 1,703 ft up to Butte Camp Dome
Mile 22.0
4,844 ft
Butte Camp Dome
Prominent lava dome on the south side. Good camping nearby.
4.0 miles · 658 ft down to Ape Canyon
Mile 26.0
4,186 ft
Ape Canyon
Dramatic canyon with views of Mount Adams.
Getting a Loowit Trail for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Loowit Trail dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations — they return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag watches Loowit Trail around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.