Wanted: a cancelled Wonderland Trail reservation starting 4th or 5th Sept

There are so many equally beautiful places to hike in the Washington and Oregon Cascades that I wouldn't worry too much about missing the Wonderland. Our National Forest Wilderness Areas are just as beautiful as and far less crowded than our National Parks. Except for a very few highly impacted areas, they also involve far less bureaucracy–you can generally hike and camp where you chose.

A very few suggestions–there are many, many more!:

Washington: Spider Meadow/Lyman Lakes/Image Lake/Buck Creek Pass Loop, Glacier Peak Wilderness. Hoh River/High Divide Traverse (can also be done as a partial "lollipop" loop), Olympic National Park (this one is in a national park, and does require backcountry camping permits). Chelan Summit Trail, Chelan/Sawtooth Wilderness.

Oregon: Three Sisters Wilderness Loop. Or, if you don't mind a long drive to get there, anywhere in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon.

I'll second Mary D, there's no end of great places that require no permit or where they are readily available. Most of the North Cascades, for example (although Sep may be a bit late, depending on the snow).

Thanks, Mary & Elliot for your suggestions. Will def consider the alternatives (but still have my lil' heart set on WT, for personal reasons!)