Wonderland Trail - Mount Rainier National Park
Posted by: 
Hikenutty
N 46° 45.010 W 121° 48.732
10T E 590722 N 5178086
The Wonderland Trail, completed in 1915, is a 93 mile loop trail that circles Mt. Rainier.
Waymark Code: WM1KWN
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/28/2007
Views: 47
From "Washington: A Guide to the Evergreen State", Mt. Rainier National Park "Park Tour 1" section, pp. 593-594.
WONDERLAND TRAIL: Circuit of Mount Rainier from Longmire, Approx. 100.5 m.
Without side trips tour can be made in 7 days, but 10 days can be well spent to allow trips to outstanding points of interest...
Of all trails within the Rainier National Park the Wonderland Trail affords the greatest diversity of scenic grandeur; winding trails, dense forest, snow and ice fields, flowered alpine meadows, glacial streams, soaring peaks, and ghost forest -- all between elevations of 2,500 and 7,200 feet.
The American Guide goes on to give a 5 page leg by leg description of the trail, its features, campsites, and trail shelters, including many of the better known side trips.
The Wonderland was started in 1907 and completed in 1915. Originally it was built as a patrol route for rangers looking for poachers and accessing fire lookouts. In the 1920's the park's popularity skyrocketed and the trail started to evolve into the recreational wonder that it is today. The route changed slightly in the 1930's when the CCC worked on the trail, developing campgrounds and building trail shelters. It is now 93 miles long and rangers suggest giving yourself 10 days to complete the trek.
Although the loop can be started in other areas of the park, Longmire is the historic starting point and the starting point used in the guide's tour description. Adjacent to the trail is the Wilderness Information Center in what was originally the park's Administrative headquarters. Wilderness permits (free, but required) are issued here as well as reports on trail conditions.