Zigzag Mountain Loop Hike

Overview

A stunning high ridge loop with frequent views of Mount Hood and other Cascade peaks begins at the South Burnt Lake Trailhead, the least enjoyable part of this excursion being the slow, potholed trundle to the parking area via Enola Hill (Enola, though sounding musically exotic, is merely 'alone' spelled backwards). On this tour of Zigzag Mountain's finest features, you'll encounter lush wet meadows and blooming dry meadows, two former lookout sites, a secluded mountain lake, and vistas from Mount Rainier to Mount Jefferson, with nearby Mount Hood always dominating the scenery. Mid-summer is the best time - make sure you start early to get the best out of the sights along the way! The Burnt Lake Trail #772 heads up an old road bed in woods of western hemlock, cedar, alder, silver fir, Douglas-fir, rhododendron, salal, and vine maple. Henry Creek rushes down to your left. Soon, reach the the wilderness permit box. You'll step over a small creek, and then cross a larger stream over a culvert. The road bed enters a lush bracken, mertensia, and thimbleberry clearing rimmed with Sitka alder and willow. Finally, the road ends at the site of the abandoned Devils Meadow Campground. A spur leads down to the right towards Devils Meadow, but the tread is lost among the thick growth of willow and alder thickets. The path rises, and noble fir enters the forest mix. Cross a trickling brook in an alder thicket, and get a view down to the right to the expanse of Devils Meadow. Mosquitoes breed in their masses here in early summer. The trail passes through a lush meadow and then levels and drops through more mountain meadows. When you come to the Burnt Lake-Devils Tie Trail Junction, keep straight. Cross a creek, and switchback up among lodgepole pine, bear-grass, huckleberry, and rhododendron. Note also some western white pine and mountain hemlock. The trail levels to cross a small creek before you head up in silver fir woods. Three switchbacks take you to a lush meadow riddled with mountain beaver burrows. Then the path sw

Trail Stats

Photos

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