Mt Rainier straddles the Cascade crest with a dry continental climate to the east and the luxuriant moisture of the Pacific Ocean to the west. The mountain’s geographical positioning coupled with its 14,410 ft elevation and 35 square miles of permanent ice and snow cover creates its own weather. The Wonderland trail is a 93 mile (150 km) circular loop trail around the mountain that traverses all drainages resulting in 22,000 feet of net elevation gain.

Many seek the Wonderland Trail out as a continuous 7-12 day trek. This poses a challenge even for fit and experienced backpackers given the trail's rugged course coupled with the unpredictable weather even in mid-summer. I have witnessed several thru-hikers on their last day on the trail and wondered if they were still enjoying the riches the trail offered up at each turn, or were simply trying to finish and return to the comforts of home.

A Section Hiking Approach to the Wonderland Trail

Much can then be said for spacing the experience out in more manageable allotments by a section hiking approach. The advantages can be summarized as follows; day hiking sections allows one to make go / no go decisions at the last minute to optimize weather and viewing conditions, while larger sections requiring advance overnight permit planning can be kept to 2-3 days stretches so burnout does not occur. Section hiking does require planning for drop off and pickup logistics, but this is achievable with help from hiking partners or friends and family. This was the approach I took in 2013-14 where I day-hiked roughly 38 miles of the trail, with the remaining 55 miles completed in 2 overnight sections.

I chose to do the section hike in a consistent clockwise direction, and ordered the hikes by progressive difficulty (distance, elevation gain, overnight requirement) versus a linear course as if thru-hiking. My hike of the Wonderland Trail was a movement in 5 parts. The first two sections, Sunrise to Fryingpan Creek (5 miles), and Box Canyon to Longmire (15 miles) were great warm up hikes. The third section, Fryingpan Creek to Box Canyon (16.2 miles) was highly rewarding in its views of the east side of the mountain, and at the same time made me aware of the challenges ahead for overnight hikes. Section 4 (Mowich to Sunrise, 22 miles, two days) utilized the Spray Park alternative trail that is not officially part of the Wonderland trail, but it is the route most Wonderland hikers take if snowpack conditions allow, because it provides higher elevation trekking and views. That hike allowed me to see (and hear) the impressive Willis Wall, and say I had camped next to a glacier. Section 5 (Longmire to Mowich Lake, 34 miles, 3 days) was a multiday experience that presented a strong physical challenge and an up close view of the mountain's multifaceted botany, geography, and geology.

I had initially become interested in the Wonderland trail to obtain a more complete view of Mt Rainier. For many years, I quite honestly was deterred by the amount of uphill climbing required to do so. One must be prepared for one to two thousand foot continuous climbs where the gain is in the vicinity of 500ft / mile, followed by equally fast descents, and where total hike durations are 10-15 miles per day. For this reason, the Wonderland Trail can at times feel very much like Eschner's famous Ascending and Descending drawing where monks walk up and down a never ending cycle of stairs at the top of a tower. Fortunately, in the case of the Wonderland Trail, the unsurpassed experience of walking these mountain staircases is very much worth the effort!

Logistical Considerations

The largest limitation for any form of hiking on the Wonderland Trail is the trail's snow-free period. For example at Paradise it is quite normal for 180-200 inches of snow to be deposited each winter. This typically limits any access to the trail from mid to late July through mid to late September, and this timing can vary greatly from year to year. If snow is expected on upper sections of the trail, many hikers will make use of both hiking poles and traction devices (such as MICROspikes). Many sections at upper elevation, such as Pan Handle Gap, Skyscraper Mountain, and Emerald Ridge, have steep drops that will need to be considered especially when snow is present.

During the shoulder periods in July and late September the trail is typically largely covered by snow, and the weather can quickly become severe and difficult to navigate. In September, fog, rain, and thunderstorms can build with alarming pace. I was chased off the second highest and exposed point of the trail (Skyscraper Mountain) in mid-September when thunderstorms and clouds rapidly moved up from the lowlands in late afternoon. Lastly, at all times the trail is subject to forces of hydrology and geology, where both trail and bridges are subject to frequent washouts and landslides that will require hikers to creatively problem solve a traverse.

While August through early September usually provides the most optimal weather and trail conditions, they are also the most crowded times. Arrival at the trailhead by 7 am generally guarantees one can expect to find a parking spot and be among the first up the trail that morning. One will surely encounter a caravan of hikers as the day progresses, but at the most scenic high elevation points you will likely enjoy a reasonable wilderness experience. For those wishing for even greater quiet and photographic opportunities, starting as early as first light can be particularly rewarding at Sunrise or Paradise. Be forewarned, if you try to enter the main park entrances (Sunrise, Paradise) from noon through 3 pm in August, expect to sit in a line with the vacation crowd. Parking is limited, and rangers frequently have to withhold access at the entrance kiosk (even if you are going to a trailhead that is not Sunrise or Paradise!).

For those wishing to do overnight sections, there are two paths to obtaining a permit. One can enter a lottery of sorts where you submit an application by March 15th, then on April 1st all those collected are picked in random order. As part of the application process you provide a window of time for conducting your travel, direction and campsite preferences along that route. The larger the time window and less limitations you place, the higher the likelihood you will be successful. In 2014, by May 26th, reservation forms were no longer being accepted due to record numbers of applications. I submitted my reservation on March 15th 2014, and did not receive my reservation by mail until May 5th, which provided me exactly the two night itinerary I had hoped for. Do not give up hope if you don't hear back by April 15th! The second option is that 30% of permits are reserved on a walk up basis at the park's ranger stations, where you can obtain a permit up to a day prior to your first day of travel. This worked well for my 4th section in mid-September 2013, where I was at the station when it first opened the day before the hike.

Day Hiking Roundtrip Recommendations

For those with limited time, but interest in hiking some of the best bits of the Wonderland Trail, my recommendations in no particular order are:

• North views, Sunrise to Skyscraper Mountain (7.5 miles roundtrip, 700 ft gain)
• East views, Fryingpan Creek to Panhandle Gap (12 miles roundtrip, 2,950 ft gain)
• Section hike through to Box Canyon (16.2 miles, 4250 ft gain)
• North views, Mowich Lake to Spray Park (7.5 miles roundtrip, 1600 ft gain)
• West views, Westside Road/Tahoma Creek Trail (be sure to check current conditions of road and unmaintained Tahoma Creek trail) to Emerald Ridge (12.2 miles roundtrip, 2400 ft gain)

Need to Know

Information

See the park's website for current information and conditions.

Getting There

From Seattle or Seatac airport access to the mountain occurs via 2 main arterials coming from the I5 corridor, highway 410 for north side access to Sunrise and Mowich Lake, and highway 7/706 for south side access to Longmire and Paradise.

Maps & Books

Maps include the Green Trails Mount Rainier Wonderland Map 269S as well as the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Wonderland Trail 1014 map. For reading see Hiking the Wonderland Trail.

Editor's Note: This article by contributor Jim Grob originally appeared in Issue 20 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos and content.