Table of Contents
INTRO
Packwood was the last stop on our summer 2022 honeymoon road trip. We wanted to stay somewhere that allowed us to pause and reflect on the incredible summer of travel that we were so fortunate to have.
LODGING & RECS
Heartwood Cabin, Airbnb ~$309+/night | Review: 4.9
This cabin is everything that A-frame “staycation” dreams are made of. It has a hot-tub, it’s thoughtfully decorated and has a great kitchen. Because Packwood is such a small town, we cooked most of our meals at the airbnb, curled up with books and wine, and enjoyed the hot-tub. It’s also dog friendly.
Airbnb: 4.98
Packwood has a whopping population of ~319 people. It’s located between Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens. It’s ~2.5 hours from Portland and Seattle, which makes it a great quick getaway.
I recommend Packwood for a weekend getaway from Portland or Seattle. It’s also a great stop on a Washington road trip. 3-days will be enough time to “slow-down” and enjoy the scenery. If the eartwood Cabin Airbnb is booked, there are plenty of other A-frame, staycation worthy airbnbs. I recommend an airbnb over a hotel for this location. Some include:
HIKES
A number of trails near Packwood cross the Pacific Crest Trail. When we were there, not all of the snow had melted yet, so we were more limited in what we could hike. Still, there were beautiful spots nearby. Note, the Packwood Lake Trail has camp sites near the lake that didn’t appear crowded.
Skate Creek Trail
2M | Easy
chill stroll along a really pretty river that makes for a great picnic spot or area for a dog (Leia) to swim.
Tatoosh Trail to FR 5290
7.5M | Moderate
another really nice stroll through Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The elevation gain is pretty light.
Packwood Lake Trail
11.9M | Moderate
a must do, stunning hike. Can shorten it (to lake is less than ~6 miles).
Food & Drink
Packwood, again, is small and the options are limited. For this trip, I highly recommend bringing a cooler with groceries.
Packwood Brewing Co. 
We frequented this spot, because it is one of the best options around. The food was standard bar food and hit the spot after a long day of hiking. The drinks were good and the outdoor area was nice. I give this spot a 4.25.
Cliff Droppers, a burger spot, is supposed to be good, but we didn’t have a chance to try it. There also appear to be some decent taco spots within ~30-45 minutes away, but we didn’t venture that far.