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Wonderland Trail
Wonderland Trail at Longmire · Pierce County
A 93-mile loop around Mount Rainier climbs and drops about 27,000 feet, through lowland forest and high meadows.
The Wonderland Trail is about 93 miles (150 km) long and encircles Mount Rainier. NPS calls it a strenuous hike, with about 27,000 feet (8,230 m) of elevation gain and the same of loss, from lowland forests and valleys into alpine and subalpine country.
The trail is typically mostly snow-free from mid-July to October. In an average snow year, NPS says it is not advisable to start until mid- to late July. Earlier travel needs winter skills, including ice-axe self-arrest and fording glaciated rivers. A wilderness permit is required for overnight camping. Hikers doing the complete loop must camp in designated camps; cross-country zones are not allowed.
The trail has eighteen trailside wilderness camps and three non-wilderness camps. It can be walked as a full loop or in sections, and it can be joined from several trailheads. Fires, pets, bicycles, and other wheeled devices are not permitted in the backcountry. The source below is the Mount Rainier National Park Wonderland Trail page.
- Geography & Geology
Sources (1)
government · Tier S
National Park ServiceThe Wonderland Trail
Last reviewed: September 21, 2026
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