Government Meadows Cabin

About

Government Meadows Cabin, commonly known as Urich Cabin, is a backcountry log cabin situated at the edge of Government Meadows in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, about 24 miles northeast of Mount Rainier. The cabin was built in 1992 when the Sno-Jammers Snowmobile Club replaced an earlier structure; the pre-cut logs were delivered by a Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopter. It is named in honor of local forester Mike Urich. The cabin features a wood stove for heating and a sleeping loft accessible by ladder. Two outhouses stand a few yards away. The surrounding meadow is expansive and grassy, attracting elk and deer at dawn and dusk during summer months. Wildflowers bloom in summer, and berries ripen by late summer. The cabin is a well-known rest stop for Pacific Crest Trail through-hikers. Access routes vary by season. In summer, the shortest hiking approach is 0.8 miles from the informal PCT access point on Forest Road 787, or 1.5 miles from the Government Meadows Horse Camp trailhead at the end of Forest Road 70 via the Pacific Crest Trail. In winter, snowmobilers reach the cabin from Pyramid Creek Sno-Park. A Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking at trailheads.

Directions

From Enumclaw, head east on Highway 410 approximately 35 miles. Turn south on Forest Road 70 and continue to the end at Government Meadows Horse Camp. From the trailhead, hike south on the Pacific Crest Trail about 1.5 miles to reach the cabin. Alternatively, a shorter 0.8-mile route begins from an informal PCT access point on Forest Road 787.