Devil's Rest (starting at Larch Mountain Rd) (2nd of three hikes)

Activity Notes

Devil’s Rest via Larch Mountain Road

12 September 2026

(This is the second of three hikes that go to Devil’s Rest, each with a very different route) 

Activity Notes:

Hike to Devil’s Rest starting at Larch Mountain Road 

8.1 miles, 1000 feet of elevation gain (Grade B)

This route starts at the intersection of Larch Mountain Road and Palmer Mill Road, about four miles below the top of Larch Mountain.  Our starting point has an elevation of 2600 feet and Devil’s Rest is at 2400 feet, so this route we’ll be the easiest, but will still have about 1000 feet of elevation gain along the way.  We’ll start by walking down Palmer Mill road, a gravel road surrounded by moss, ferns and lots of trees.  We’ll make our way down to trail 420C overlooking the Wahkeena creek basin for some good views and heading up to Devil’s Rest.  Looping back, we’ll take the She Devil trail to the south, eventually joining up with Palmer Mill Road again.  The trail follows Bridal Veil creek up the valley and will eventually cross it 10 or more times.  Certain portions of the trail at this point are very primitive and good waterproof boots are recommended.  After the creek fades away to nothing, the trail joins back up with Palmer Mill gravel road, which we’ll follow back up to our starting point.

Pace: Level 2 (2 to 2.5 mph) moderate pace, with time for breaks and enjoying the scenery.

We’ll carpool from the Gateway Transit Center, meet at 7:30 am, departing at 7:40 am.  Or, alternately, meet at the Angel’s Rest trail head at 8:25 am.  Expect to return to the Gateway transit center by 3 pm.