The Paradise - Stevens Glacier has lost more than 50% of its area since 1896, and separated into two sections of stagnant ice higher up the valley. The Paradise Glacier Trail explores the barren expanse left in its place, with a rare look at an exposed glacial bed. Unmaintained travel continues across glacial remnants to Cowlitz Gap.

The unmaintained route follows an upper branch of Stevens Creek to Cowlitz Gap; the creek originates from Stevens Glacier and joins the Cowlitz River near the Box Canyon Overlook Trail

The Cowlitz Rocks stand along a divisive ridge between the Paradise River and Muddy Fork Cowlitz River drainages

The North Pacific Alpine-Subalpine Dwarf-shrubland and Heath group is dominated by ericaceous shrubs such as mountain heather and huckleberry, which favor acidic soils

View of Mount Adams (12,776') from Stevens Glacier, which lies in the middle of a 500 sq mile area that holds at least 120 (mostly) basaltic volcanoes

Krummholz - a German word meaning twisted wood - describes the stunted, irregular growth patterns of trees in the ecological transition zone between subalpine forests and alpine tundra

Paradise Glacier has split into 3 lobes; the route to Cowlitz Gap travels up the middle lobe known as Stevens Glacier

The absence of natural shade (eg cliffs) at lower regions of Paradise Glacier contributes to its propensity for rapid melt

Bear grass, found throughout the subalpine zone, is frost tolerant and can thrive in low-nutrient soils

The unmaintained route climbs 860' in 1.4 miles to Cowlitz Gap

The Skyline Trail is the longest maintained trail in Paradise, and the most direct route to the Muir Snowfield

The general evenness and absence of crevasses on Stevens Glacier enables snow to compress in the center, fairly ideal conditions for backcountry travel

The Paradise Glacier Trail clears treeline and traverses gravelly moraines to the end of maintenance along the creek near the base of the glacier

The upper west branch of Stevens Creek joins the main stem below Fairy Falls

View from Cowlitz Gap of Little Tahoma (11,138') and the terminus of the Cowlitz - Ingraham Glacier

The west lobe of Paradise Glacier produces the Paradise River

Down-valley views stretch across the Tatoosh Range to Mt St Helens, which erupted on May 18, 1980

The unmaintained route climbs 860' in 1.4 miles to Cowlitz Gap

Lupine derives its name from the Latin word for wolf (lupus), a reference to the belief it consumed a lot of mineral content in the soil

Small tarns dot the expansive glacier bed

Though bears are infrequently encountered on the trail, they are sometimes seen in adjacent meadows where there is no human traffic