The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile hiking trail that encircles Washington's most famous volcano. My feet needed no attention and my pack was unnoticeable. Here's the video I did for this year's hike. A bucket list adventure for sure!! Rainier, Wanders through forests and meadows, crosses streams and rivers, passes by lakes and glaciers, and climbs and drops and climbs and drops through continuously breathtaking terrain, Sunday, July 29: Drive to Mt. and White River Campground about 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 1: Leave White River at 6:30 a.m., arrive back at Longmire at 7:30 p.m. In contrast, Bobby and Snorks are just getting started! I definitely recommend this trail to anyone! Helps keep the mud out of my trail runners. Pass the White River Campground and pick up the trail as it follows Fryingpan Creek up to Summerland. I highly recommend eating at, , located just down the road from Longmire Wilderness Information Center (. The first time I did the climb out of Indian Bar, it kicked my butt. To access the cascade, head down a short, signposted side trail. After the climb, everything caught up with me. In recent years, Ive covered the section along the Carbon River to the Carbon Glacier, the section between Frying Pan Creek Trailhead and Box Canyon five times, and the section from Sunrise to Mystic Lake. Where to Apply for a Wonderland Trail Walk Up Permit River crossings. Recent pickup. Iand the othershad been very attentive to our hydration, food, and electrolytes all day and it had paid off. 1:30 PM Simply Fun Cooking, St. Patrick's Day Recipes. Wei. There are three main trailhead options that have both camping and parking. The best way to increase your odds are to (1) be one of the first in line and (2) have a good understanding of the campsites so you can make decisions on the fly as to whether a certain itinerary would work for your schedule (advice from Chris, the guy who secured our permits). Good places to do this are at Mowich and Sunrise. A bit ironic, but my favorite part was the Spray Park detour. (Mountaineers Books) Also available in Kindle; 2. Over the 2 miles from Mystic to the Winthrop, we powered on hoping we would arrive before the days warmth increased the rivers levels too much. wife. Topping out affords views of Skyscraper Mountain, Mount Fremont, the valleys down to Grand Park, and the Burroughs. And a lot of mosquitoes. The application opens on March 15 every year. I was excited about day two: I knew most of the trail, loved the views, and knew that it would be a shorter, easier day that ended in burgers at Sunrise Visitor Center. Interested in a celebratory meal after completing the Wonderland Trail? Each year, hikers vie for permits to embark on a backpacking trip on it, with only a handful scoring the permits to undertake this strenuous hike. Rainier National Park, eat at the National Park Inn at Longmire, sleep at Cougar Rock Campground. To start planning, first determine how far you and your group are capable of hiking with a heavy overnight pack. This bridge also was partly submerged, so feet that had made it across the first channel dry now got to get wet anyway. View listing photos, review sales history, and use our detailed real estate filters to find the perfect place. There are no words. From here, we had about 11 miles and 3400 feet of gain to get to our next major landmark: Klapatche Park. Happy Hiking! Hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mt. mauderunner, Musings About 2020: Pandemic, Turmoil, and Running. Hike the Wonderland Trail around Washington's highest volcano: Mt. Get to know the winter safety gear you need in your pack. Reservations must be made at least 2 days in advance of the trip start. Adam, Ana, Sharon, Heidis husband Bill, and Mike had hot food and cold drinks ready for us, and I dont think we showed any manners at all as we shoveled it into our faces. Just a short few minutes walk further and take a look at the unique Devils Pipe Organ, a conglomerate of columnar lava cliffs. Your email address will not be published. If you plan for a trip longer than about a week, it may be beneficial to store your food midway at a food cache or have a friend meet up with you to help restock your supplies. Most of my past Wonderland hikes have been in the fall, so this circuit in July provided some significant contrasts. Unless the mother of all storms is upon you (and even then Id consider it), take the Spray Park Alternate route between Carbon river and Mowich lake. Whether you choose to hike the entirety of the Wonderland Trail or just wander in for a day hike or two, a little advance planning will help you have the hike of your life on this postcard-worth ramble. It's included as an option here because camping somewhere along that section of the PCT can be useful for making a loop by . The Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (Day 1) - AllAroundJoe The Wonderland Trail in 3 Days (Day 1) September 10, 2013 By Joe Bauer 0 Comments With the Wonderland Trail behind me and the soreness still lingering in my legs I write you this story about our 3 day, 93 mile journey around Mt Rainier. Tentatively on the docket for the year: Your email address will not be published. Although 1,800 applicants will be given a window to reserve, only 600 Wonderland thru-hikes are available during this early reservation period, meaning its still competitive even if you win the lottery. The trail starts rather anticlimactically by running along the road for a bit, and then starts heading up Rampart Ridge (and ironically taking us right by Cougar Rock campground). Obstacle Wonderland is pleased to bring you the best in Obstacle Course Racing, Trail Running, and More! The trail is relatively smooth, its not too steep, its all downhill, and its the homestretch. Joshua Bobcat Stacy just west of Sunrise Camp on a cold and snowy Wonderland morning | Late September 2014. The best time to hike the Wonderland Trail is mid-July through September. Our dates ended up being at the tail end of a week-plus of high temps for the region, and our first two days were pretty toasty. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Great, informative article as always Cam, and Id be highly amuzed to know how many miles the 4 of you, (mentioned in this piece), have hiked cumulatively!? Get started here, and when you have your hike planned, apply . Build a custom itinerary for hiking Mount Rainier's Wonderland Trail Use this unofficial tool to plan your hiking itinerary for the Wonderland Trail. The trail was often overgrown, which just seems to add a bit of misery when youre already hot and sweaty. Recent upgrade over my old Samsung Galaxy S7. Ive had the good fortune to hike this most aptly named of pathways on two occasions 2003 and 2014. Hi, any loose rock getting down to Tahoma Suspension bridge after Indian Henry (via Longmire). The early-access reservation lottery is your best bet for a multiday trip, but a third of wilderness permits remain first-come, first-serve for walk-ins at a wilderness information center. Since then, I always know what Im in for, and I warned everyone else in advance. Following the lottery, the remaining campsites open for reservations in late April. Monday, July 30: Drive to Longmire, start on the Wonderland Trail at 6:01 a.m., arrive at Mowich Lake at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31: Leave Mowich Lake at 6:30 a.m., arrive at Sunrise Visitor Center around 5:45 p.m. (in time for burgers!) You are constantly either going up or going down. I desire medium danger williswall.com hikethewonderlandtrail.com. I responded with a miserable, I dont care. Just as we arrived at the parking lot of Sunrise Visitor Center, my stomach called BS and I puked up the little that was left in my stomach into the bushes. Experience this 30.6-mile loop trail near Paradise Inn, Washington. 3:00 PM Reel Reviews, 02 . A steep and rocky trail took us the mile and a half from the top of Emerald Ridge to the South Puyallup River and a stunning suspension bridge. Wonderland Trail Backpacking Guide Treeline Review We test. At Mystic Lake, we all needed to refill our water and then we were off again. About halfway through the climb, we bumped into another woman, Rachel, who was also doing the Wonderland in three days, but she was solo on her trek. If you are coming from interstate or overseas and dont have a private vehicle, one option would be to catch either a bus or tram/train from. This news definitely affected our outlooks. . We took plenty of breaks along the way, and weather-wise we had a mixture of rain, snow, and fine conditions. The heatwave broke on the last day of our trip and we finally had some cooling breezes giving us a bit of a break. Spray Park. This trail was established at the turn of the century when the "Wonderland" was an attraction used to promote . Day 4: 13.7 miles to Devil's Dream campsite. The majority of hikers. The entire collection centers on the passion of Aleson for the Colorado River. My thoughts remain with the man who died and especially with his son, who witnessed everything. They drove us to Longmire and we took all the obligatory group photos, and then we were off. Legal travel provider on the territory of United States (California Seller of Travel License # 2112795-40) since 2013. We finally hit the descent to Nickels Creek, and moaned about our feet as we worked our way downhill. Thanks for sharing.on my bucket list for sure.. I wish I had some definitive, trademarkable bit of wisdom to share, but I dont. . ** Check out the photos from last years race!!!! Do you know where the closest place to purchase MSR Isobutane Fuel canisters since I cannot pack them on the plane? The, : Yes. She gave each of us a wonderful hug, and seriously it was like a smile in my soul! There's a great website that will help you map out several . I was fit enough to enjoy less suffering than last year and more time enjoying my surroundings. 2.99 + 2.69 Postage. Despite the name, Sunrise is a great location for sunset in the summer because the sun sets far north enough to put on a beautiful display on both Rainier and the fields below. Day 5: 16.2 miles to Maple Creek campsite. Perhaps two-thirds of the way up out of the canyon, theres a wash out that makes for a bit of a spicy eighth of a mile. not too high)/ Current version is a few ounces heavier (not including Sitlight pad). Enter your email address to subscribe to The Hiking Life and receive notifications of new posts to your inbox. Sunrise has many side trails and camps to choose from that are slightly off from the main Wonderland Trail. There is a trail that encircles the mountain. The meadow had been used in the 19th century by the Cowlitz and Nisqually tribes. Clearly salt was still high on the body-needs-this list. Monday, July 30: Drive to Longmire, start on the Wonderland Trail at 6:01 a.m., arrive at Mowich Lake at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 31: Leave Mowich Lake at 6:30 a.m., arrive at Sunrise Visitor Center around 5:45 p.m. (in time for burgers!) Deserts, jungles, mountains or coast; Ive never had a preference. A short climb brings you up and around Emerald Ridge for a great view of Glacier Island, a mass of rock rising from the Tahoma Glacier. I was totally demoralized by this uphill-downhill which noodles along a ridge and provides way too many false summits. Beautiful views. Our climbing was essentially done! #mtb, Tokul riding a little frozen and a little dry. After that bottle of water at 5 a.m., I decided to give the last leg of the trip a try. Elly, Angel, and Tim quickly caught up with us, and it made for cheery conversation to catch up with them. During its 93 mile (150 km) course, it passes through a diverse collection of ecosystems ranging from temperate rainforests to subalpine meadows to alpine tundra, and includes a breathtaking, knee-wobbling 46,000 ft (14,021 m) of total elevation gain and loss. This trail is a distinguishing feature of Mount Rainier National Park. Cheers, We're hiking along the crest of the Cowlitz Divide on the southeast side of Mount Rainier National Park, just a few hours into a five-day, 77-mile backpacking trip covering most of the 93-mile Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, and we've already had our first wildlife sightinga harbinger of what awaits us. The Wonderland circumnavigates majestic Mount Rainier over the course of 93 miles. The Essential Guide to Frameless Backpacks, Approx. Before long, the luscious green will transition briefly into the dry moon-like landscapes again at Panhandle Gap. A trail that would challenge me mentally and physically. Situated between the Carbon Glacier and Winthrop Glacier, Mystic Lake is a little fertile oasis nestled amongst trees. Originally, our itinerary was as follows: Enter Sunrise Trailhead and Fire Creek Camp: Friday, July 3 rd Carbon River Camp: Saturday, July 4 th Mystic Camp: Sunday, July 5 th Exit Sunrise Trailhead: Monday, July 6 th Wonderland Trail Elevation Profile (Mount Rainier National Park Website), Wonderland Trail Overview Map (npmaps.com). At St. Andrews Lake, we encountered a family of four (the kids were 6 and 8). The water was so forceful that we could hear boulders rolling underwater. Trip Report: Wonderland Trail in 3 Days Trip Report Where: Wonderland Trail When: September 20-22 2020 Distance: 93 Miles, 25,000 ft of gain Conditions: Mild. Ipsut Creek Camp is not too far from Mowich and offers a lowland experience by the Carbon River. Its amazing! Crossing the bridge was a thrill, and we all acted like children squealing and laughing as we bounced our way across one at a time. . Running Around Mt. It can be completed in 7-10 days. I highly recommend eating at Wildberry restaurant, located just down the road from Longmire Wilderness Information Center (7.6 mi / 14 minutes drive). Make sure to bring insulation and a rain shell; this is the PNW alpine, and storms arent unlikely. It's one of the most iconic trails in the region, and with very good reason. Hike the Constellation Trail System Prescott locals love to hike the Constellation Trail System, a 3.5 mile loop of interconnected moderate trails. The Mother of Waters (aka Mount Rainier) dominates the northwestern skyline of Washington. As it ended up, both forks of the river are safely bridged now and it was an easy crossing. Sign up for Outside+ today. It is a stunningly beautiful trail that oscillates between deep, volcanic valleys, dense forests of old growth trees and high alpine parks and ridges. Save some time to take a few pictures at Box Canyon, a narrow slot canyon tumbling with whitewater, before you cross the Stevens Canyon Road to follow Stevens Creek uphill. Appalachian Trail - Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. But, I was frustrated about the bridge situation, I was a little scared, and I just wanted to keep going. So, when we got there, we decided to wait for the group to be whole again so we could be assured of everyones safety. If you choose to explore the Wonderland Trail on a multi-day trip, youll need a wilderness permit to use any of the 18 campsites right next to the trail. The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile loop around the base of Mt. Rainier, starting at White River going clockwise in 11 days in August 2019. Love to all! 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