Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide to Mount Rainier's Premier Trail

by Tami Asars

Overview

Thoroughly revised and refreshed, this bestseller is the only comprehensive guide to the Wonderland Trail

• Fully up-to-date, including latest details on permits, campsites, water sources, and more
• Highlights select day hikes in best locations for extra nights
• Indicates best places on trail to spot wildlife
• All-new color photographs

Hiking the Wonderland Trail is the authoritative guide to planning and enjoying the world-class trail that circumnavigates Washington’s Mount Rainier. Hikers who tackle this 93-mile route endure a strenuous 22,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Fully revised and refreshed, this second edition offers the best, most up-to-date and thorough information available, whether you’re thru-hiking, section hiking, or exploring the adjacent Northern or Eastside Loop Trails. Washington native and professional hiking guide Tami Asars also now highlights a selection of short day hikes to encourage hikers to spend an extra night or two on the trail, while new sidebars written in her signature playful style, such as "Tami’s Wonderland Trail Camp Superlatives!" spotlight bonus information to enhance your adventure.

As one Wonderland Trail hiker notes, "If you have ever wanted to hike the WT in sections or as a complete loop, you need this book. . . . [Asars] describes in detail significant geological, botanical, and topographical formations and she interjects humor and historic insights throughout the text."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680516463
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	09/18/2024
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Tami Asars is an outdoor writer and nature photographer living in the Cascade foothills of Washington with her husband, Vilnis, and her rough collie, Scout. She is the author of four hiking guides, including Hiking the Wonderland Trail and Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Washington, as well as a contributor for outdoor publications and online hiking resources. Her work has appeared in several magazines, including Alaska Airlines, City Dog, Washington Trails, and Washington Magazine. Find her online at tamiasars.com.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 7

Map Legend, Trail Elevation Profile, and Trail Overview Map 8

Introduction: Mount Rainier, Nature's Masterpiece

History 12

Storms and Volcanoes: A Destructive Power 13

How to Use This Book 17

Chapter 1 The Wonderland's Moody and Sunny Sides

Weather and Trail Conditions 20

Lions and Mice and Bears, Oh My! 31

Chapter 2 Preparing for Your Adventure

Getting Your Permit 47

Getting to the Mountain 53

Lodging at the Mountain 54

Food Caching 58

Fuel Caching 62

Gear 65

First Aid and Safety 68

The Necessities and Challenges of Water 72

Hygiene: Giving Primitiveness a High Five 75

Training for the Wonderland Trail 78

Trail Etiquette and Leave No Trace 81

Chapter 3 Backpacking the Wonderland Trail

Where Should I Start? 85

Which Direction Should I Go? 96

Distance, Maps, and the Spray Park Alternate 98

Chapter 4 The West Side: Longmire to Mowich Lake

Longmire to Devils Dream 104

Devils Dream to Klapatche Park 110

Klapatche Park to Golden Lakes 125

Golden Lakes to Mowich Lake 130

Chapter 5 The North Side: Mowich Lake to Sunrise Camp

Mowich Lake to Dick Creek via Ipsut Pass 138

Spray Park Trail: The Alternate Route 145

Dick Creek to Mystic Camp? 150

Mystic Camp to Sunrise Camp 156

Chapter 6 The East Side: Sunrise Camp to Nickel Creek

Sunrise Camp to Summerland 168

Summerland to Indian Bar 174

Indian Bar to Nickel Creek 183

Chapter 7 The South Side: Nickel Creek to Longmire

Nickel Creek to Paradise River 188

Paradise River to Longmire 195

Chapter 8 Sampling the Wonderland Trail

Section Hiking the Wonderland 198

The Northern Loop 199

The Eastside Loop 210

Appendixes

A Clockwise Itineraries 227

B Counterclockwise Itineraries 236

C Camp-to-Camp Elevation Gain and Loss 246

D Camps 247

E Resources 248

Index 250