Blue Hole Trail
Randle, Washington · on Ohanapecosh River · Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- river
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $27/night
- SEASON
- May
About Blue Hole Trail
Blue Hole is a natural swimming hole on the Ohanapecosh River, reached by a very short, easy trail (Forest Service Trail #167) starting at La Wis Wis Campground in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, near Packwood, WA. It was historically used by the Upper Cowlitz people as a fishing site, and the trail itself appears on a 1917 Forest Service map. Visitors confirm people swim here, describing this stretch of the Ohanapecosh as a cold but refreshing river to swim in.
The Blue Hole sits within La Wis Wis Campground's old-growth forest setting, at the junction area of the Clear Fork Cowlitz and Ohanapecosh Rivers along US Highway 12, roughly 4 miles east of Packwood, WA. The Forest Service describes the destination as a pool on the Ohanapecosh River with an overlook and interpretive site, accessed from the campground's Hatchery Loop.
Swimming at Blue Hole Trail
A WTA trip report from a family with a 6-year-old and a 10-week-old described the water as 'freezing but so refreshing,' and called the Blue Hole 'a beautiful blue hole in the middle of the river,' reached via a 'super easy trail.' No official swim designation or lifeguard service was found; this reads as an informal but well-known natural swimming pool.
How to get to this swimming hole
From Packwood, WA, travel about 4 miles east on State Route 12 to La Wis Wis Campground on the left. Trail #167 (Blue Hole) begins at the campground's Hatchery Loop.
The hike in
Blue Hole Trail (USFS Trail #167)
- To the water
- approximately 0.1 miles one-way (per an unofficial trail report; not confirmed by an official USFS source, and not independently corroborated elsewhere)
- Time on foot
- a few minutes each way
Difficulty: easy, a WTA trip reporter called it a 'super easy trail'; NWHikes lists ~167 ft of elevation gain over the 0.1 mi
Trailhead: Starts at the Hatchery Loop within La Wis Wis Campground, about 4 miles east of Packwood, WA off State Route 12 (campground entrance on the left).
The entire trail is the access to the Blue Hole itself, there is no separate longer trail; it is a short spur from the campground loop to the river pool.
Trail is designated hiker-use only (closed to stock/bikes). Located near Purcell Falls Trail #162A, which also starts at the campground.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
One visitor who brought a 6-year-old and a 10-week-old described the pool itself as calm enough to wade into ('freezing but so refreshing'), but campers staying at La Wis Wis report cliff jumping at the Blue Hole, and American Whitewater documents the river immediately around this exact spot (La Wis Wis Campground day-use area is the take-out of a Class V whitewater run with wood/sieve hazards). No lifeguards, mossy rocks, and cold glacial-fed water. Fine for wading/supervised swimming in the pool proper; adults should keep kids away from the current/rapids beyond the pool and off any jump rocks.
Parking
Lot
Park at La Wis Wis Campground's day-use area / Hatchery Loop (also the take-out for the Ohanapecosh whitewater run, per American Whitewater). No separate day-use parking fee was found; camping fees are $27/night single site (2026, reduced $4 for an ongoing water-system issue). During the mid-September-Memorial Day campground closure, the trail can still be reached via Highway 12.
Restrooms
Yes
Vault toilets at La Wis Wis Campground (no flush facilities), a very short walk from the Hatchery Loop trailhead.
Water clarity
Varies with season and flow
Official and first-hand accounts call it 'a beautiful blue hole' with vivid blue-green color; visitors familiar with this general stretch of the Ohanapecosh describe the water ranging from clear to a milky green-blue at deeper points, consistent with glacial silt influence from the Ohanapecosh's Mount Rainier headwaters. No source graded it as simply 'clear' or 'murky', so recorded as variable.
Hours
La Wis Wis Campground operates mid-May through mid-September (trail still reachable via Hwy 12 off-season). For 2026: recreation.gov lists no potable water at the campground for the entire season due to an ongoing water-system issue, and Stage 2 fire restrictions are in effect July 1-October 31, 2026.
On the water
Restrictions: Not a casual paddling spot: American Whitewater documents the Ohanapecosh Campground-to-La Wis Wis Campground reach (take-out is this exact location) as Class V whitewater with wood/sieve hazards, suited only to expert whitewater kayakers running a specific put-in/take-out shuttle, not casual kayak/canoe/SUP use at the swim spot. The Blue Hole Trail itself is hiker-only (no boat carry-in via the trail).
No mentions of recreational kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding at the Blue Hole swim pool itself were found in any source.
What regulars say
Campers staying at La Wis Wis confirm people swim and cliff-jump at the Blue Hole. One family trip account (2024) described the water as very cold ('freezing but so refreshing') but the pool as swimmable even with young kids. No rental or outfitter businesses were found within a reasonable distance; the nearest self-launch paddling put-ins (Dog Lake Campground, Walupt Lake Campground, Clear Lake Recreation Area) are all 14+ miles away and unrelated to this river.
Backstory
The Blue Hole was used by the Upper Cowlitz people as a fishing site. The trail appears on a 1917 Forest Service map and was most likely built by sheepherders grazing flocks through the area in the early 1900s.
Blue Hole Trail: FAQ
Does Blue Hole Trail charge a fee?
No separate day-use fee for the Blue Hole Trail was found. Camping at La Wis Wis Campground costs $27/night for a single site, $50/night for a double, $115/night for the Coho group site, and $8/night per additional vehicle (2026 rates, per USFS), with a $4 reduction currently applied due to a water-system issue.
Is Blue Hole Trail kid friendly?
One visitor who brought a 6-year-old and a 10-week-old described the pool itself as calm enough to wade into ('freezing but so refreshing'), but campers staying at La Wis Wis report cliff jumping at the Blue Hole, and American Whitewater documents the river immediately around this exact spot (La Wis Wis Campground day-use area is the take-out of a Class V whitewater run with wood/sieve hazards). No lifeguards, mossy rocks, and cold glacial-fed water. Fine for wading/supervised swimming in the pool proper; adults should keep kids away from the current/rapids beyond the pool and off any jump rocks.
How hard is the hike to Blue Hole Trail?
A hike is required, about approximately 0.1 miles one-way (per an unofficial trail report; not confirmed by an official USFS source, and not independently corroborated elsewhere) to the water (a few minutes each way). Wear real shoes, since approaches to natural swim spots are often rocky or rooty.
Where do I park for Blue Hole Trail?
Park at La Wis Wis Campground's day-use area / Hatchery Loop (also the take-out for the Ohanapecosh whitewater run, per American Whitewater). No separate day-use parking fee was found; camping fees are $27/night single site (2026, reduced $4 for an ongoing water-system issue). During the mid-September-Memorial Day campground closure, the trail can still be reached via Highway 12.
When is the best time to visit Blue Hole Trail?
Low-elevation snow in the area typically melts by mid-May (per USFS); La Wis Wis Campground, from which the trail is reached, operates mid-May through mid-September.
What are the rules at Blue Hole Trail?
Trail #167 is designated hiker-use only and closed to other uses (e.g., stock, bikes). No campfires are permitted at La Wis Wis Campground. The campground, and the trail's easiest access from it, is open mid-May through mid-September; the USFS page notes potable water at the campground was affected by benzene contamination as of the source date.
What water body is Blue Hole Trail on?
Blue Hole Trail is on Ohanapecosh River, a natural river verified in USGS hydrography data.
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