The Toutle Trail may be the best kept secret in all of Southwest Washington, which is to say, the world.

Meandering down the length of the Kalama River, it gently switches back and forth as it makes its way some 682 feet in elevation over the 4.4-mile one-way trip to a tiny cutoff.

You'll see songbirds, signs of elk (even elk, in season), wildflowers all through the summer, and if you're lucky like me, you'll see a few other critters along the way.

But the payoff is what you see here, a completely unimpeded view of the entire southwest flank of Mount St. Helens. To get a better view, you have to be at the foot of the mountain (or at the Plains of Abraham -- see earlier posts).

But in those spots, you won't have a cascading river and tall, shady trees to accompany you the whole way. And when you make that turn at 4.4 miles, you will get the big, cartoon eyes that characterize those which are witnessing overpowering and indescribable beauty for the first time.

And here's the best part. The trailhead shares space with a relatively active horse camp, which means you might meet a horse or two along the way, but most hikers steer clear of the place.

We went on a very warm, summer-like day, one essentially designed for a trail like this, where you keep a view of a river to your flank but hold the cover of trees the whole way. We met two horses and their owners, one coyote, two chipmunks, more songbirds than you might believe, and a very gregarious squirrel.

That was it.

This trail is like a gift to those who want all the attractions of a more popular hike (think Angel's Crest in Oregon, or Silver Star Mountain in Washington), without having to deal with the crowds and the conditions that result from them.

A gem of a place. A true discovery. And you can only find it here in Southwest Washington, probably the most beautiful place you never heard of before.

Well, you've heard of it now.

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