Fossil
Fossil Trail is a 7.6-mile trail in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 46.1437° N, 122.3238° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 46.1689° N, 122.2601° W · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 7.6 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 24-36 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Open to at least one motorized use |
| Accessibility | Evaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines |
| Trail numbers | 242 |
| Forest | Gifford Pinchot National Forest (unit 0603) |
| States | Washington |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed |
| Mountain biking | Allowed year-round |
| Motorcycle | Allowed 07/01 to 09/30 (month/day) |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Trailheads
Trailhead: Blue Lake (Mt St Helens) No season published · listed unreachable Horses are prohibited on: Toutle Trail #238 north of the Sheep Canyon Trail #240 intersection Sheep Canyon Trail #240 east of the Toutle Trail #238 Butte Camp Trail #238A | 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Trails nearby
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedCrazy Piles Rx - South
22 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedMoe Pile Rx - North
24 mi from the trail midpoint · 32 acres
- PrescribedTyee Piles Rx - South
28 mi from the trail midpoint · 329 acres
- PrescribedOpal Piles Rx -South
28 mi from the trail midpoint · 73 acres
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Guidebooks for Washington
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Fossil Trail?
The Forest Service records 7.6 miles under this name in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Fossil Trail?
Hiking, horse and pack stock, mountain biking and motorcycle are allowed. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Fossil Trail start?
The line begins at 46.1437° N, 122.3238° W and ends at 46.1689° N, 122.2601° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Trailhead: Blue Lake (Mt St Helens), 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Fossil Trail in a wilderness area?
No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Where can I camp near the Fossil Trail?
Kalama Horse Camp (0.1 mi) is within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists it with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Fossil Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Fossil Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 24-36 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Fossil Trail accessible?
No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Fossil Trail?
Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Forest Service unit 0603. The trail is in Washington.
Is there a fire near the Fossil Trail?
The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Crazy Piles Rx - South at 22 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Fossil in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0603. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.