wonderland trail

The Wonderland Loop is one of the most spectacular treks one can experience in Washington State. It offers beautiful flowery meadows, hillside full of berries, wildlife sightings and of course incredible views of Mt. Rainier. Prepare yourself for lots of ups and downs. The trail often drops you to a bottom of a valley just to take you all the way up on the other side.The 93 mile loop can be comfortably done in 9 days by average backpacker but the park allows up to 14 days per permit. Permits can be arranges ahead of time by faxing or mailing application to the park service, several permits are available on first come first served basis.

We conquered the Wonderland Trail in 11 days, cut it one day short than planned and walked 20 miles the last day, other than that we averaged 9ish miles per day. The camps we slept at were very well kept with flat spots for your tent and toilets, The trail is well marked with signs at every camp, footbridges and a couple impressive suspension bridges, also cairns kindly placed by fellow backpackers/hikers. Be sure to prep by taking several backpacking trips conditioning your knees, legs and feet for the constant up and downs on the Wonderland, approx. 23,000 ft in 93+ miles. Cache your food. Bring warm/rain gear just in case, and bring poles! Be prepared for the elements, weather can be unpredictable. Down and Gortex is our friend. I'd also recommend investing in some nice hiking boots for traction and ankle support. I was surprised at how many people wearing sneakers hiked this trail. Narrow loose rocky ledges, sharp edges, slippery slopes, mossy rocks, steep ascents and descents, prickly meadows, snow, dry river beds, and roots are just a few things good boots will really help a lot with. If you're lucky like us you'll see bears, elk, marmots, pekas and lots of birds. We watched 3 momma bears with 2 cubs each! It was truly amazing. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls, elusive mountain views and the quiet made this trip one of the best vacations I've ever taken. Imagine reading a book next to a lake, 5000 ft above sea level, several miles from any road with Mt. Rainier painted in the skyline. Breathtaking. Book we used for planning: MOUNTAINEERS BOOKS Hiking The Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide To Mount Rainiers Premier Trail by TAMI ASARS15.00$ park entrance fee.Permit lottery fee: 5 bucksGear: $$$

My wife and I do a 1-2 week backpacking trip about every other year. We just completed the Wonderland Trail in 10 days and it is now my favorite for the U.S. It has everything. Waterfalls, wildlife, glaciers, great mountain views, and wild flowers. Plus, the place is carpeted with berries (especially blueberries) in a lot of areas and you can access them right on the trail. A lot of the trail has tree cover so you stay cool and avoid sunburn (but do bring sunscreen). Also be sure to bring rain gear because if you do the whole thing, you are bound to get a few days of rain even during the driest period of the year. There are good food caching options so it's possible to do the trail only carrying 3-4 days of food at a time.

It was intriguing when we read it is a 93-mile trail looping around Mt. Rainier. We covered only a part of it near Sunrise Point. It was really beautiful and surely Wonderlandish! :)

Take 10 days away from the world and spend it in peace. This 97 mile trail goes around the base of Mt. Rainier and will bring you back to your center.

The trail has its parts that are tough but it is worth it. We did not camp here so of course we did not do the whole trail but it was worth doing the 10 miles that we did. You will not be disappointed with the amount of things you see and enjoy!!!

We did a small segment of Wonderland that we accessed from near one of the parking lots. It was very woodsy and steep. Beware of mosquitoes!

Wow, it was hard to keep my eyes on the trail as I was continually snapping my head to the left to take photos of the great views of Mount Rainier. While on the Wonderland trail, we crossed below two glaciers on exciting "bridges" over raging rivers of glacial water.

Just got back from our 8 day trip around Mt Rainier. In a nutshell, we had a fantastic trip. We did not have reservations and had to travel from Vancouver Island, so I was worried that we would get there and not be able to get a permit. However, once we got to Longmire, the ranger on duty worked his nimble little fingers to the bone and got us an itinerary that was pretty close to ideal. Speaking of rangers, we ran into about 6 of them throughout the time on the trail and without exception they were all great. Professional and helpful.We hiked from Sunrise clockwise around the trail. Camps at Indian Bar (unbelievably beautiful and the most unique outhouse I have ever used), Maple (buggy but OK), Pyramid (again buggy), North Puyallup (surprisingly devoid of bugs and quite pleasant), Golden Lakes (second favourite campsite), Eagles Roost (do the Spray Park alterative route) and Mystic Lake (you camp below the lake but it was still a nice camp). Avoid Mowich Lake camp if you can.The hiking was much harder than I had anticipated (estimate 24,000 of vertical gain and loss over the 93 miles) but we got our trail legs going and took lots of mini-breaks. Highlights included a mountain goat herd at Summerland, the alpenglow on the last morning, Carbon glacier and every visit to the sub-alpine and alpine areas of the trail.This is not a trail that is to be taken lightly. It is physically demanding and only has a handful of bail points if you get in over your head. I am thrilled to put a check beside this one on the list of trails to accomplish.

I hiked the whole trail, and I would go back to the north and east sides, but would mostly avoid the south and west sides. The north and east are scenic and wild, with good trail and a lot of alpine hiking. The west side is often low, hot, buggy, and mountain views are rare. The south side is a slog up a steep overgrown trail.If I had limited time I would not hike the whole trail, but would concentrate on the best parts.

I have only done it in pieces. It is glorious but at almost 100 miles it is a major undertaking. Backpackers go for it! Research thoroughly before you go. You can cache supplies. You need permits.

An incredible diverse adventure. I have been visiting for over 38 years

I've hiked the trail in 2 parts. Some of the foot bridges are not for the faint of heart otherwise all you need is strength and to be well prepared and have your campsites reserved. We've encountered rangers that were not very nice and for no good reason! Mice are a problem in areas and bring bug repellent. Water is everywhere and I just boil it and don't bother pumping it.

Disclaimer: I've never hiked the whole trail (93 miles).This trail takes you all the way around Mt. Ranier. Mt. Ranier is one of the most beautiful places in the USA. I hike a few miles near the 'Paradise' visitors center and it's gorgeous.

My girlfriend and I did the entire Wonderland Trail in September, 2011. The trail is 95 miles long, circumnavigating the base of Mount Rainier. The big challenge on this trail isn't the distance, but the 20,000' of elevation gain, and 20,000' of elevation loss you encounter over the course of the trail. We started at the White River Campground and went clockwise, and completed the trip in 10 days. There are many trailheads along the trail, so day-hikes or even short overnight trips can be done as well. I can't even describe the beauty of the scenery. You just have to see it for yourself. There are plenty of campsites (permits required), and lots of water sources. If you are planning to go, make sure you understand the physical demands of this trail. Plan your trip according to your skills and abilities, pack as light as possible, and utilize the food cache system. You must have a perk service permit, which must be applied for in early spring (info is on the park website). Important info sources include Bette Filley's "Wonderland Trail" book, the park service website, and get a good waterproff topographic map of the trail. I also strongly suggest using trekking poles, as they are invaluable for the steep ascents and descents, and crossing snowfields (depending on time of year and previous winter's snowfall). Also check out NWHiker.net, which has forums for hikers and people often post trip reports which have good info and pictures of the trail. Be prepared for mosquitoes and black flies. They were bad on the Southwest (wettest) side of the mountain. Most of all, have fun and enjoy it! Feel free to contact me if you are serious about hiking the trail and would like more info.