Wonderland Trail: circumnavigation around Mt. Rainier
- This topic is empty.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Topic
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Campfire › Member Trip Reports › Wonderland Trail: circumnavigation around Mt. Rainier
I completed an outstanding thru-hike on the Wonderland Trail starting at White River Campground on July 28 and finishing back at my truck on August 2nd. There was a little snow but I had no difficulties navigating the well marked and maintained trail. The NPS put some flagging on the snow that made it easy to locate the trail but was probably left over from when there was significant snow. I had five and half wonderful beautiful, clear and sunny (hot!) days and one huge thunderstorm with buckets of rain and hail.
This was my first visit to MRNP and I really had little idea of what to expect regarding the reserved camps. Each camp has multiple individual tent sites for 1-5 people and one or more group sites. The following was my itinerary:
White River CG to Indian Bar: 11.1 mi.
Indian Bar to Paradise Creek: 16.7 mi.
Paradise Ck to S. Puyallup R: 15.9 mi.
S. Puyallup R. to S. Mowich R: 17.3 mi.
S. Mowich to Mystic Lake: 20.1 mi.
Mystic Lake to White River CG: 11.9 mi.
Total mileage 93.Approx. 20,000 feet gain/loss.
The trail essentially climbs a ridge (these are steep trails not horse trails) goes down the other side, crosses a raging glacier river and climbs the next ridge and repeats itself around the mountain. Sometimes in the trees, often with an awesome view of "the mountain."
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Backpacking Light helps hikers and other backcountry enthusiasts overcome their barriers to living a life outside in Wild Places.
Inform. Educate. Inspire. Learn more
Get Backpacking Light news, updates, gear info, skills, and commentary delivered into your inbox 1-2x/week.
+1-406-640-HIKE (4453)
You're currently viewing a free preview of a member exclusive premium article. Our premium articles include in depth journalism and insights from the Backpacking Light editorial team.