There are so many views of Mount Rainier from all over Washington, but few are as close up and unobstructed as Gobblers Knob. It’s an old fire watch tower that sits atop a rocky peak on the western edge of Mount Rainier National Park.
From Gobblers Knob, you can spot massive glaciers spilling down the sides of Mount Rainier’s slopes, and also get a good look at the ridges extending up the side of this dormant volcano.
In this guide, I’ll share everything you need to know before hiking to Gobblers Knob, including how to get there, what to expect on the trail, and tips from our own experience to help you make the most of your hike to this panoramic viewpoint in Mount Rainier National Park.
Gobblers Knob Hike Complete Guide
Gobblers Knob is a historic fire lookout tower on the western edge of Mount Rainier National Park. The tower sits on a rocky peak 5,485 feet in elevation with a completely panoramic view of the surrounding area. From the tower, you get a head-on perspective of Mount Rainier’s western face, including the Tahoma Glacier and Emerald Ridge. It’s a well-marked, moderately challenging hike with around 2,600 feet of elevation gain over 12 miles round-trip.
The hike to Gobblers Knob follows along the old Westside road for 3.6 miles before getting to the Lake George Trail junction, where it transitions onto a forest trail.
From the Lake George Trail junction, it’s another 0.9 miles to Lake George. From the lake, the trail steepens as it climbs toward Gobblers Knob. It’s 1.6 miles from Lake George to Gobblers Knob. Expect occasional blowdowns and minor snow patches in early summer.
Once you reach the Gobblers Knob Fire Lookout, take a peek inside. The interior is mostly unchanged. Just a couple of wooden platforms, a table with a map, and a couple of chairs. It’s something you would expect to find in the wilderness. The interior of the tower is not open to the public, but you are free to walk around its deck.
The views from the tower are incredible, but in my opinion, the views from the rocky outcrops next to the tower are even better. Scramble up the rocks carefully and take a seat to witness Mount Rainier and its glaciers towering above you, and the surrounding valleys spread out far below.
Gobblers Knob Hike Details
- Hike Distance: The total distance of the hike is about 12 miles roundtrip to Gobblers Knob and back. It is about 6 miles each way; 3.6 miles are spent hiking or biking along the Westside Road, 0.9 miles are on the trail to Lake George, and 1.6 miles are on the trail from Lake George to Gobblers Knob.
- Hike Duration: The hike takes about 7 hours total, including time spent enjoying the views at the lookout tower and the return trip.
- Hike Difficulty: The trail’s difficulty is hard because of its distance. Much of the trail is along a road, though.
- Hike Incline: The total incline for this hike is about 2600 feet. The trail is uphill the entire way to Gobblers Knob. After you get onto the Lake George Trail, there are a few steeper portions.
- Dogs are NOT allowed on this trail because it is located in Mount Rainier National Park.
- A Mount Rainier Entrance Pass is required to hike to Gobblers Knob. Gobblers Knob is located in the Longmire area of Mount Rainier National Park, and the best access is through the Nisqually Gate.
How to get to the Gobblers Knob Trailhead
The hike to Gobblers Knob begins at the entrance to the Westside Road in Mount Rainier National Park. The best way to get there is through the Nisqually Gate on the southwest side of the park.
The Westside road is now permanently closed to vehicles, so your journey to Gobblers Knob starts with a 3.6-mile hike or bike ride up the unpaved Westside Road, then another 0.9 mile hike to Lake George, then 1.6 miles to Gobbler’s Knob
The map location below for the Westside Road is accurate. That is where you will park and begin your hike to Gobblers Knob.
Gobblers Knob Hike: Our Experience
We were fortunate to score a campsite at Lake George in June. Camping there let us time our hike to Gobblers Knob for sunset, and we made it back to our camp at twilight with our headlamps.
Our hike began at the Westside Road entrance in the Longmire area of Mount Rainier National Park. Since the road is closed to vehicles, we hiked 3.6 miles along the Westside Road to the Lake George trail junction by foot.
Once we reached the Lake George Trail junction, we were stoked to get off the wide road and onto a proper trail. That next stretch was short, just 0.9 miles through the forest until we arrived at Lake George.
We dropped our backpacks, went for a quick swim in Lake George, then packed snacks and water for our hike up to Gobblers Knob.
As we hiked up the trail to Gobbler’s Knob, we climbed over a few blowdowns from the past winter. Nothing was impassable, but it added a little scrambling over the dead trees. We also crossed a few lingering patches of snow, but nothing technical or sketchy.
As we continued up the trail, it steepened as the canopy opened up. The sun’s rays started filtering through the trees, poking out and hitting the trail. Then I looked up and spotted the Gobblers Knob fire watch tower. It sat on the highest point of the peak, right on the rocky summit.
When we reached the top, we met two off-duty park rangers who were spending the night in the lookout. They explained to us that the tower is not open to the public for overnight stays, but park rangers get the perk of staying there while off-duty. They invited us in for a look.
The interior of the towerwas rustic as could be: it had a couple of wooden platforms for sleeping, a table with a map, and just enough room to sit. No frills here.
As sunset approached, we found a quiet spot on the rocks to sit and enjoy our snacks. A couple of Canada jays (camp robbers) swooped in to check us out, nosy as usual.
As the sun began to set behind us, it lit Rainier up with glowing orange light, casting long shadows over the mountain’s surrounding ridges and valleys.
When twilight was fully set in, we put on our headlamps and hiked back down to Lake George in the dark. We were tired, hungry, and totally stoked from what turned out to be an epic sunset hike at Gobblers Knob.
Gobblers Knob Hike Photos
Here are more photos from our adventure up to Gobblers Knob to give you an idea of what the hike there is like.
More Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park
We’re based in Seattle and have done a ton of hikes in Mount Rainier National Park. To help fellow adventurers, we’ve put together guides to the best trails we found. You can check them out by clicking the links below.
- Hike to a subalpine meadow with views of the Tahoma Glacier: Emerald Ridge Hike
- An old fire watch tower sitting atop a rocky peak: Gobbler’s Knob
- Lesser-known spot for camping in Mount Rainier: Lake George
- Wooden fire watch tower with one of the all time best views in Mount Rainier: Fremont Lookout
- Explore the wildflower meadows below Rainier at Summerland, or proceed further to glacial moraines of Panhandle Gap
- Hike through a rocky, tundra-like landscape with close-up views of Rainier’s summit: Burroughs Mountain Trail
- A short hike in the Sunrise area that has big views without big crowds: Dege Peak
I hope you enjoyed our guide to the Gobblers Knob Hike in Mount Rainier National Park. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any questions 🐸
