Welcome to your ultimate planning guide to hiking the Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier in Washington.
The combination of world-class scenery, diverse landscapes, and top-tier trail management makes the Wonderland Trail one of the best backpacking trails in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
We just hiked the Wonderland Trail in August 2024, and it was our favorite PNW backpacking trip we’ve ever done.
In-line with our mission to level up your PNW adventures, we’ve reflected on our hike and organized our tips, advice, guidance, and mistakes into this article.
Our goal is to help you enjoy the Wonderland Trail as much as we did by providing you easy to understand, feet-on-the-trail knowledge that you won’t find on the NPS website (though you should check there also for up-to-date information).
We’ll provide information about backcountry campsites, water sources, permits, food caching, and more insider tips we’ve learned from our experience.
Let’s plan your bucket-list Wonderland Trail hike so you can save time during the planning process and make the most of your time on the trail!
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Wonderland Trail Overview
The Wonderland Trail within Mt. Rainier National Park offers world-renowned views and is possibly the most iconic backpacking loop in Washington.
Drawing regional and international crowds to seek its views, Mt. Rainier sits as an ever-present giant within the rugged landscapes of the Cascade Mountain Range, projecting an immense influence on the central Washington region.
This epic 95-ish mile loop trail has some impressive stats that are good to keep in mind when attempting this challenging trail.
- 23 campgrounds along the Wonderland Trail (some are accessible by car)
- 22,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain
- Wilderness permits are required for all overnight camping (we’ll cover permits in detail below)
- Food can be cached at three locations along the loop
- Parties with 6-12 people can reserve groups sites at some of the campgrounds
- Most people take 8-10 days to complete the entire trail
- There are different variations that include trails not on the official Wonderland Trail
- You can hike the loop clockwise or counter clockwise
- Elevations range from around 2,600 to 6,800 feet
The Wonderland Trail circumnavigates the entirety of Mt. Rainier, providing views from all sides and guiding hikers through lower elevation forests with mighty old growth pines as well as exposed alpine ridges and precious sub-alpine meadows.
The trail truly offers a wonderland of experiences that you won’t soon forget! Let’s get to the good stuff: planning to hike the Wonderland Trail.
By the way, check out this video we made about our journey on this epic trail!
Wonderland Trail Map with Campsites
We’ve created the ultimate Wonderland Trail Map complete with all of the campsites.
You can expand the map below to view it in a new tab in your browser. Feel free to use this map as a reference when planning your hike.
It’s essential to bring a paper trail map with you when hiking the Wonderland Trail. We highly recommend this booklet-style map, because it was lightweight and easy to unfold when on the go.
Wonderland Trail Campgrounds – Clockwise from Longmire
There are over 20 campgrounds on or near the Wonderland Trail, most of which are not accessible by car.
Each campground is unique, ranging from 2 to 7 individual sites.
Individual sites are meant to accommodate up to 5 people and 3 tents but can range in size (some seemed too small for 3 tents). Some campgrounds also have group sites.
You’ll need to choose which campgrounds you will utilize when you plan your trip itinerary.
Your permit will only allow you to camp in the campgrounds that are designated to your group for each night.
The campgrounds along the Wonderland Trail are listed in the table below.
| Campground | Number of Sites | Group Sites? | Group Shelter | Elevation | Wilderness Site | Variation? |
| Pyramid Creek | 3 | No | 3765 | Yes | No | |
| Devil’s Dream | 7 | 1 | 5060 | Yes | No | |
| South Puyallup River | 4 | 1 | 4000 | Yes | No | |
| Klapatche Park | 4 | No | 5515 | Yes | No | |
| North Puyallup River | 3 | 1 | 3750 | Yes | No | |
| Golden Lakes | 5 | 1 | 5130 | Yes | No | |
| South Mowich River | 3 | 1 | Yes | 2605 | Yes | No |
| Mowich Lake | 10 | 3 | 4810 | No | No | |
| Ipsut Creek | 12 | 1 | 2360 | Yes | No | |
| Eagles Roost | 7 | No | 4885 | Yes | Spray Park Trail | |
| Cataract Valley | 6 | 1 | 4620 | Yes | Spray Park Trail | |
| Carbon River | 4 | 1 | 3195 | Yes | Spray Park Trail | |
| Dick Creek | 2 | No | 4185 | Yes | No | |
| Mystic | 7 | 1 | 5570 | Yes | No | |
| Granite Creek | 3 | 1 | 5765 | Yes | No | |
| Sunrise Camp | 8 | 2 | 6245 | Yes | No | |
| White River | 112 | Yes | 4300 | No | No | |
| Tamanos Creek | 4 | 1 | 5270 | Yes | Owyhigh Lakes Trail | |
| Summerland | 5 | 1 | Yes | 5940 | Yes | No |
| Indian Bar | 4 | 1 | Yes | 5120 | Yes | No |
| Olallie Creek | 2 | 1 | 3940 | Yes | Cowlitz Divide | |
| Nickel Creek | 3 | 1 | 3385 | Yes | No | |
| Maple Creek | 4 | 1 | 2815 | Yes | No | |
| Paradise River | 3 | 1 | 3805 | Yes | No | |
| Cougar Rock | 173 | 5 | 3180 | No | No |
The NPS webpage has a super helpful trip planner sheet that shows the mileage between sites.
Our Recommendations for Campgrounds
With limited flexibility, you may not have the option to be too picky. However, not all campgrounds are equal, and it’s worth it to take some time to consider better or worse campgrounds.
In fact, certain campgrounds are more popular than others, due to their impressive views or access to water.
We recommend Indian Bar, Summerland, and Dick Creek campgrounds. These were our favorites during our hike.
Indian Bar and Summerland
The most popular campgrounds are Summerland and Indian Bar, which are both on the east side of the mountain and 4.5 miles apart.
We thought the trail between Sumerland and Indian Bar was the most enjoyable section of the entire loop, which says a lot given the beauty of the rest of it.
Other hikers we spoke with seemed to agree. In addition, the campsites at Summerland and Indian Bar campgrounds are certainly among the best on the trail.
In fact, some of the campsites at these campgrounds have incredible views, which undoubtedly have a higher wow-factor than most of the forested campgrounds.
The group sites at both of these campgrounds have welcoming shelters, which are amazing to hang out in, especially when the weather is less than ideal.
In addition, both of these campgrounds are at relatively high elevations, which makes it easier to take advantage of hiking with open views for sunrise or sunset.
Dick Creek
We were fortunate enough to stay at Dick Creek campground, which is located on the northwest side of the mountain.
There are only two sites (no groups sites either) which gives the campground a secluded feel. One of the sites is clearly better (at least when the weather is calm) because it overlooks the valley below.
This site feels like a bird’s nest and is the perfect place to watch a sunset. Dick Creek is beautifully clear, close to the campground, and perfect for bathing at the end of a sweaty day of hiking.
Campgrounds Where We Stayed
In the table below we provide our thoughts on each of the campgrounds on the Wonderland Trail that we stayed at.
In reality, all of the campgrounds are nice, but it’s worth trying to get the better ones if you are able.
| Campground | Our Thoughts | Wow Factor 1 (alright) to 5 (epic) |
| Devil’s Dream | A pleasant forested campground. Water is nearby but hard to access (steep slope). Better to fill up 0.5 miles before or after camp. Lots of mosquitos when we went in early August. | 2 |
| North Puyallup River | A nice forested campground. Nice stream within a short walk. Cool views a short walk away. Private sites. | 3 |
| South Mowich River | A unique campground in a recent blowdown area. Sites by the South Mowich are loud. Some sites tucked away. Group site has a shelter. | 3 |
| Dick Creek | A unique campground perched on the site of a steep hill. Excellent views from one of the two sites. A lovely creek for bathing close by. | 4 |
| Sunrise Camp | A less than ideal Wilderness Campground. Close to a popular trailhead with lots of day hikers. Water is a bit of a walk and swimming in the lake is not allowed. | 1 |
| Indian Bar | An incredible backcountry campground. Two of the individual sites have amazing views, especially site 2. The group camp and shelter has unobstructed views. | 5 |
| Maple Creek | A welcoming campground along a clean river. There are lots of Vine Maples which make for pretty scenery. Site 4 has some open views. | 2 |
At the end of this article, we provide a full trip report of our hike, including daily notes. Please check it out if you think it would be helpful when planning your trip.
Wonderland Trail Permits
The permitting system can be confusing, but we’ll try our best to break it down into simple language.
We try our best to keep this article up to date, but we encourage you to read more about wilderness permits at the NPS official webpage.
Wilderness Permits are required to camp overnight anywhere in the park, during any time of the year. Camping is only allowed in designated campgrounds.
How to Get a Wonderland Trail Wilderness Permit
There are three ways to get Wilderness Permits:
- Early-Access Lottery
- General On-Sale
- Walk-Up
| Method of Obtaining Permit | General Description | Steps to Obtain | Dates |
| Early-Access Lottery | Assigned successful applicants a specific date and time to attempt to reserve a permit. | Apply on Recreation.gov. If successful, use Recreation.gov to view real time available inventory and make the reservation. | Opens Feb 12, 2024 Closes Mar 4, 2024 Awardees are notified on Mar 14 |
| General On-Sale | Once Early-Access has been filled, General On-Sale is released. | Login to Recreation.gov. Create an itinerary based on real time availability. | Opens Apr 25, 2024 |
| Walk-Up | Available up to one day before the start date. | Go to one of the Wilderness Information Centers in person. | May 24 to Oct 24, 2024 |
For all methods of obtaining a permit, you are required to pick up the permit in person at a Wilderness Information Center inside the park.
Early-Access Lottery and General On-Sale permits account for about 70% of available permits, while Walk-Up permits account for the remaining 30%.
Hopefully that makes sense. You can always speak with a ranger at one of the Wilderness Information Centers if you still have questions.
First, check out the NPS Wilderness Permit Frequently Asked Questions page.
Group Sizes
Individual sites: When reserving a permit, you will be able to camp with your group of up to 5 people and 3 tents in individual campsites.
Group sites: There are group sites at some campgrounds reservable for parties of 6-12 people.
Our Recommendations for Permits
Each year you would like to hike the Wonderland Trail, apply for the Early-Access Lottery. This is the best way to secure a permit.
We recommend finding a group of 5 people and all trying for a permit. If any one person gets one, you all get to hike!
Note that even if you get an Early-Access Lottery Permit, it may not be favorable. For example, there may be challenging days with lots of miles or elevation gain. In contrast, there may be shorter days with campgrounds close together.
Altering Your Wonderland Trail Itinerary
You may be able to alter your itinerary at a Wilderness Information Center the day before your hike.
We recommend arriving before they open at 7:30 am for the best chance to get your itinerary altered.
We had an unfavorable itinerary going into our hike. However, we were able to get the itinerary altered (improved) by going to one of the Wilderness Information Center the day before our hike.
It is unlikely that you are able to build a complete and favorable itinerary using the General On-Sale method.
This is because most of the permits have already been filled by the Early-Access Lottery.
Walk-Up Permits
We only recommend trying for a walk-up permit if you are able to be flexible with your itinerary.
This typically means being able to do the trail in more days or less days. In other words, you should be okay with hiking potentially very long days or very short days.
One of the hikers we talked with who got a walk-up permit had to complete a 24 mile day in order to do the entire trail. He was a seasoned and fit hiker, so that was okay with him (though it made our knees hurt just thinking about it).
Group Sites
Parties with 6 – 12 people can reserve group sites, which are available at most campgrounds.
In addition, some group sites have shelters. These group shelters are pretty excellent, especially if the weather is less than ideal.
Apart from the logistical challenges of organizing a trip with a large group, it is definitely possible to do the entire Wonderland Trail with a large group.
However, reserving permits may be more challenging, given there is typically only one group site at each campground.
Permit Enforcement
Permits are actively checked by Rangers who are on the trail. We had our permit checked on the trail 5 times.
Unfortunately, we were unable to camp at a site we had a permit for because someone without a permit was already there!
This was against the rules and resulted in a less-than-ideal situation for us, especially since we had camped two nights before our trip started to reserve that permit.
It is essential that you don’t camp overnight without a permit, because you will be taking the site of someone who has one.
Food and Fuel Caching
The table below describes the three locations along the trail where you can cache your food at.
| Location | Notes |
| Longmire Wilderness Information Center | Food cache must be picked up and dropped off before between 7:30 am and 5:00 pm. Fuel cannot be stored in caches in this location. |
| White River Campground | Food storage bin is located behind the White River Campground Ranger Station. You can drop your cache off with the rangers at the White River Wilderness Information Center. |
| Carbon River Ranger Station by Mowich Lake | Food caches for Mowich Lake should be mailed or hand-delivered to Carbon River Ranger Station. |
You can either hand deliver or mail your cache to your pickup location.
You must use a plastic container (most use a 5 gallon bucket with a lid).
The name of the permit holder, cache pickup location, date of pickup, and permit number must be labeled on the cache.
You should also read the official NPS webpage on caching.
Our Recommendations For Caching:
Be aware of the time restrictions that you can pick up and drop off your cache at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center.
We recommend hand delivering your cache to your pickup location. This will allow you to include fuel in your cache (except at Longmire) because fuel cannot be mailed.
This will also make you familiar with the spot that you will pick up your cache, which can save time and energy later.
Plan for 30 minutes to an hour to pick up and sort your cache. You’ll also want to dispose of any trash.
If you cache at Mowich Lake and do the Spray Park Trail variation, this adds 0.6 miles to your trip (0.3 miles to and from Mowich Lake).
We highly recommend adding some goodies into your cache that you can enjoy when you pick it up, or later that day. We packed some Rainier Beer and enjoyed it greatly (even though it was only 10 am).
On that note, consider what time of the day you will be picking up your cache and plan your food accordingly for that day.
Consider driving time requirements to your cache location if you are dropping it off (rather than mailing it).
Our Recommendations for Planning Your Itinerary
The main variables you may be able to control when selecting an itinerary for your permit are
- The start date and end date
- The number of miles you will hike each day
- The starting and ending location (usually the same)
- The time and location you will pick up your food cache (optional but recommended)
There are some ideas to consider when setting up your itinerary with different variations of the above parameters.
You will likely want to start at a trailhead with a Wilderness Information Center. This will allow you to pick up your permit.
You should consider driving times to both your caching and starting location. You’ll need to either drive to your caching location and drop it off yourself, or you can mail it.
You may want to plan your hike so that you can take advantage of food (and beer) available at Longmire or Sunrise.
The Longmire National Park Inn Dining Room has a promising menu (albeit a bit pricey). You can check their menu and hours here.
Sunrise has a self-described snack bar, which has a cooler with snacks and cold drinks (including beer) as well as hot dogs. The snack bar at sunrise is open from 11 am to 5 pm.
Water Sources Along the Wonderland Trail
Water is plentiful along the trail. Most people typically only need to carry one liter of water at a time (and often less).
The longest stretch without water is about 7 miles, between Indian Bar and Nickel Creek.
Most campgrounds have water close by, but some do not have water. You should ask rangers and other hikers about water availability ahead of time.
Each year is a bit different, and some streams may be dry based on the time of year as well. Some streams are too silty to filter.
Before our hike, we took a photo of an information sheet at the Wilderness Information Center with information on water sources and trail reroutes.
We found it fairly easy to balance staying hydrated with carrying too much water. It’s important to not carry more water weight than you need.
All water must be boiled or filtered before drinking. We prefer to use water bottles and the Sawyer Mini Water Filter.
Other Cool Things to See on the Wonderland Trail
The Wonderland Trail passes lots of beautiful sights along the way, including crystal clear lakes, adrenaline inducing suspension bridges, and refreshing waterfalls.
We’ve gathered our favorite points on the trail in the table below, listed in clockwise order starting at Longmire.
| Point of Interest | Description |
| Mirror Lakes Patrol Cabin | A rustic cabin situated in a beautiful meadow with a stunning view of Mt. Rainier in the background. |
| Tahoma Creek Suspension Bridge | This wobbly and swaying bridge is recommended for one person at a time and will get your heart rate up. |
| Golden Lakes | A beautiful lake right by a Patrol Cabin. We highly recommend a swim here on a nice day. |
| Spray Falls | A stunning waterfall just 0.1 miles off of the trail. We highly recommend the Spray Park Trail variation. |
| Carbon River Suspension Bridge | Another fear-inspiring bridge not for those afraid of heights. |
| Mystic Lake | A great spot to take a break. The lake is beautiful and swim-worthy. |
| Panhandle Gap | The highest point on the trail. A stunning alpine pass that can have unstable snow. This was our favorite section of the trial. |
| Syliva and Martha Falls | Two nice waterfalls on the south side of the mountain. |
| Louise Lake and Reflection Lake | Two sparkling and refreshing lakes right on the trial that are also accessible by road. |
| Carter Falls | A beautiful waterfall that is a popular day hike. |
Food Storage at Camp
All campgrounds are equipped with bear hanging poles. In our experience, the methods for bear hanging can vary from one national park to another.
At Mt. Rainier National Park, the bear poles are quite easy to use, as long as your food bag isn’t too heavy.
Sunrise is the only camp we are aware of that has metal bear bins.
Wonderland Trail Frequently Asked Questions
These are some of the most commonly asked questions about the Wonderland Loop Trail.
Should I do the Wonderland Trail clockwise or counter-clockwise?
Both ways are great! You can start from a variety of trailheads and go either direction around Mt. Rainier. We hiked it clockwise, and we enjoyed it immensely. I suspect it would have been just as good going the other way.
What is the best time to hike Wonderland Trail?
The best time to hike the Wonderland Trail is typically between the end of July and late September. Many sites have snow until mid-July. Colder temperature and rainy or snowy weather become commonplace in October.
How hard is the Wonderland Trail?
The Wonderland Trial is quite challenging. Although the trail is maintained well, there is a lot of elevation gain. The amount of uphill and downhill is no joke. It goes without saying that 95 miles around the mountain is no light endeavor.
How long does it take to hike the Wonderland Trail?
Most people use 8 to 11 days to complete the trail, but it can be done in less or more, depending on your goals. The most important thing is to know the limits of your abilities. The number of days and nights you spend on the trail is determined by your itinerary.
How available is water on the Wonderland Trail?
Water is frequently encountered on the trail. The pristine streams and mountain lakes provide refreshing hydration. It is essential to filter or boil your drinking water. The longest stretch without water is about 7 miles. You typically only need to carry one liter at a time.
Can you resupply on the Wonderland Trail?
Yes. You can cache your food, fuel, and other supplies at three locations along the trail: Longmire Wilderness Information Center, White River Campground, Carbon River Ranger Station by Mowich Lake.
What is the most scenic part of the Wonderland Trail?
The most scenic part of the Wonderland Trial is subjective, but most hikers agree that the 4.5 miles between Summerland and Indian Bar are the most beautiful.
This section has incredible views that will take your breath away. Just try to shoot for a clear and sunny day.
It should be noted that the entire trail is stunning, from the low elevation old growth forests to the sub alpine wildflower meadows and rocky alpine ridges.
Can you hike the Wonderland Trail without a permit?
No. A Wilderness Permit is required for all overnight stays in the park. Rangers actively enforce permits. We were checked 5 times along our hike.
Preparing Gear and Food for the Wonderland Trail
The entire Wonderland Trail should only be attempted by hikers that are familiar with backpacking and comfortable in their abilities.
Having the correct gear and packing sufficient food is critical to a successful and safe trip.
Proper Gear
Light and functional gear is critical. Of course, you should already own and be familiar with your gear before doing the Wonderland Trail.
Check out the gear we use and recommend if you’d like.
Packing Food
Packing sufficiently calorie dense, nutrient diverse, and light food is essential.
You should understand your food intake requirements when you are hiking on strenuous trails for multiple days. Here’s a hint: you need a lot more food than you do normally!
Our best advice is to spend some time thinking about food requirements to make sure you have enough food. You should also consider eating healthy enough food to keep you nourished.
We dehydrated some home-cooked meals like chili, lentil dahl, chana masala, and pasta. We ate a home-made oat mix each morning and bars, fruit, jerky, nuts, and other tasty food for lunch.
Conclusion
Hopefully you feel more confident and prepared to plan your Wonderland Trail Mt. Rainier hike.
We know the entire process of Wonderland Trail planning can feel overwhelming, but we promise it is totally worth the effort.
Try for that permit and get excited to experience one of the best backpacking loops in the country: the Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainier!
Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram or email us if you have any questions! Happy roaming.