Decided Labor Day was a good day for activatiing Larch Mountain on the Washington side.  Larch Mountain is the highest point in Clark County and is easy to access with most any two-wheel drive vehicle.  We had great weather and enough chasers to make the activation a success.  This route would also be good in the winter for a snowshoe activation.

There are two main routes to the summit and I have done both of them.  The best one is from a fairly new parking lot, with bathroom facilities, near the Larch Mtn Corrections Center.  A Washington Discover Pass is required and there is no way to pay the fee at the site so be prepared.

If you do an Internet search for Larch Mountain it will usually come up with the Larch in Oregon.  If you are succssful in finding information on the Washington Larch it will usually take you up the Tarbell Trail on the east side of the mountain out of Camas.  The below directions are the easiest and best way to reach the summit.

Directions to trailhead:

Take I-205 exit 32 Padden Parkway and head east 8 miles on Padden Pkwy

Road name changes to NE Ward Road then NE 182nd but keep going

Turn right onto NE 139th St. which then turns into NE Rawson Road

The road goes through what used to be an old gate (hard to see)

The road is unmarked but you are now on the L-1400 Road which turns into the L-1500 Road

After a while you will come to a large 4-way intersection - distance is about 8.5 miles from turn onto 139th

Keep going straight on the dirt road a little less than 1 mile

Turn through a large metal gate with "L-1510" on it about 1/4 mile to the parking area

The trail is a road that goes up the hill in front of the parking lot - about 1 mile to the summit