Wonderland Trail, Washington, United States

5Lacey T M 5:00 PM Oct 3, 2014

Adventure worth planning for
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 ASARS 15.00$ park entrance fee. Permit lottery fee: 5 bucks Gear: $$$

5JRH2014XXX 5:00 PM Sep 9, 2014

A trail with everything
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.