Starting at the Grouse Vista trailhead there are gravel parking spots and pit toilets as well as a general map and discovery pass required. The road up to the trail is fairly rough but it is passable with my VW golf but take is slow and careful. The first half mile to a mile is quite steep there’s typically a spring that runs down the first part of the trail and 500 meters from the trail head there’s a creek deep enough to filter water from if that’s your thing or you forgot to fill up.
In Summer it’s a straight forward hike if you don’t feel like going all the way to Silver Star there is pyramid rock which is a blast to climb up there are some decent read climbing routes and some camp sites around pyramid rock. Keep going around pyramid and the trail goes up up and up to Silver Star mountain off to the right of the trail 3/4s to the summit there’s a nice camp spot for two tents there’s a spring 0.2 mikes from there.
In Summer beautiful wild flowers and mountain goats roam the area. In winter my favorite time to be there you can easily ski or snow show in and I have had to use an ice axe and crampons to reach any of the summits but mostly as precautionary tools not so much that I absolutely had to but I had them with me so I used them for extra safety.
The area has its own mini climate so watch the weather carefully it’s a great place to be.
Make sure when you get to the parking lot you don’t hike up the trail closest to the pit toilets that is a nice trail but it takes you to latch communication site so face the toilets turn 180 degrees and there’s got grouse vista trail. Also to the right on the begging of the trail there’s some decent campsites.
In winter there usually no one in the area so plan for a long stay if you get stuck cell service is available on almost all parts of the trail. In Summer and spring there can be a full parking lot. If you just hike the trail and don’t spin off anywhere else except to be gone 4-5 hours of trail time to silver star summit pyramid rock is probably only 3-miles from the trail head so if you get there and your tired take a break in the little cave that has a nice rock shelter.
Be careful lots of ankle busters not a trail for children and I would bring 3L of water. It’s the perfect alpine training area have fun. I have seen cougars along with bear prints so watch out but none of them have ever bothered me. Last time I was there I saw quite a few beer cans and a tent floor looks like someone forgot please help and keep our trails clean.
Ryon WA mountaineer
Silver Star Mountain (Skamania County, Washington) – Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering information
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