What to do at camp
First, check in. Then the 80 acres are yours — old-growth giants, the river beach, and trails right off the property.
When you arrive
- Park in the parking lot. Unload your gear at the host hut, then park right away — the host hut is a load-and-unload zone only.
- Register at the host hut or with a camp host. Camp host signs are in the parking lot. Register before you set up your tent, head to the beach, visit friends, or walk the dog.
- Enjoy TRC! Once you’re registered, the rest of your stay is yours.
The shared fire-suppression system’s water is not for consumption. Do not use it for drinking, washing, or anything other than an emergency fire.
Trail guide — right from the property
A few trails start on TRC property. Grab the printed trail map from the host hut before you set out.
1. Giant Trees · about ½ mile round trip
A short, easy trail to amazing old-growth Douglas firs and "the twins" — said to be the oldest and biggest in the Robe valley, 400 to 600 years old. Legend has it the original loggers spared them to use as anchor trees, chaining logs to them to pull them down to the railroad tracks where the Mountain Loop Highway runs today.
How to find it: Head up the dirt road past the large water storage tanks on your right. Continue up and you’ll see the old homestead cabin on your left (do not enter). Across from the cabin on the right is a small grass parking strip; the signed trailhead is just uphill on the right.
2. East Falls · about 2 miles round trip
A steep trail up to small waterfalls and great views — a nice workout over rock and boulders that gets steeper as you go. The falls flow best before the snow has melted. This natural rock slide once supplied stone for a quarry at the site.
How to find it: Walk or drive up the dirt road to the end, the quarry parking lot. Facing the mountain, walk straight ahead over the berm, then continue up the gulch in front of you.
3. Upper Loop Trail to Marble Peak viewpoint · about ½ mile round trip
An easy, mostly level trail through lush forest to an open view of Marble Peak across the valley. (The old trail once continued up to West Falls but is overgrown; restoration is in progress.)
How to find it: Head to the quarry parking lot at the end of the dirt road. Facing the mountain, walk over the berm and look for the trailhead on your left, marked with branches and blue tape on a tree. It heads west from the quarry.
4. Lower Loop Trail · about ¼ mile round trip
A very easy, mostly level trail through pretty forest on the bluff above the stream bed, over a carpet of moss that glows green in the rain. (It used to connect to the Upper Loop; restoration beyond the first section is in progress.)
How to find it: Walk up the dirt road past the small white water tank on the left. A little farther up, a small parking spot sits on your left with a trail heading up the bluff — climb it to reach the level trail above.
A short drive away
5. Kelcema Lake · trail 1.2 miles round trip
A short, easy hike to a gorgeous alpine lake on the north side of Long Mountain — cobalt-blue water, great for swimming, and not as crowded as most alpine lakes nearby. Facing the lake, the trail to your right leads to a big rock with a nice view.
How to find it: From TRC, drive 2 miles east past Silverton to Deer Creek Road (NF-4052). Turn left and follow it 4 miles of gravel — most cars make it, with great views along the way. The trailhead is on your left. A Northwest Forest Pass is required.
View Kelcema Lake on Washington Trails Association
6. Big Four Ice Caves · trail 2.2 miles round trip
An easy boardwalk over bogs and a bridge over the river (which may be under repair — you might have to ford), then an uphill dirt trail to the spectacular ice caves. Big Four mountain is impressive and the caves are very cool. It’s popular and can get crowded on weekends.
How to find it: From TRC, drive about 6 miles east on the Mountain Loop Highway. Two signs sit on the right: the first is the closed picnic area; a quarter-mile past it, turn in at the Ice Caves Trailhead. There’s a paved lot, vault toilets, and a self-serve pay station for the required Northwest Forest Pass.
View Big Four Ice Caves on Washington Trails Association
7. Monte Cristo Ghost Town · trail 8 miles round trip
Monte Cristo was a booming silver-mining town of over 1,000 residents at its 1894 peak — the end of the line for the Everett and Monte Cristo Railroad. The locomotive turntable is still there, along with vacant buildings, old signs, and rusty mining equipment in the fields. Most of the trail follows an easy old road, with some forest sections and a log crossing over the Sauk River. Spectacular mountain views.
How to find it: From TRC, drive about 11 miles east on the Mountain Loop Highway to Barlow Pass. A Northwest Forest Pass is required at the trailhead.
The three drive-to hikes — Kelcema Lake, Big Four Ice Caves, and Monte Cristo — need a Northwest Forest Pass at the trailhead. Big Four has a self-serve pay station on site.