Washington – Summerland Trail Flop, Rainier National Park
By 10:00 am, we had our tents and gear completely set up for our weekend to explore Mount Rainier with the day wide open. It was cloudy and chilly, but we decided to hike the Summerland Trail to wear ourselves out. We needed to get to sleep early for our sunrise hike to the Fremont Lookout the following day. It was cloudy, but we were hopeful that it would clear up at least a little bit for views of Rainier. *Narrator Voice: It did not clear up.*
Although a lovely trail, the main draw of the trail was the view of Mount Rainier with wildflowers in the foreground. We saw wildflowers, but only the clouds that surrounded Mount Rainier. So do you call a hike a flop if you don’t get to see the main draw? In this post, I will describe the trail and discuss how to think about a “flop” hike.
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Summerland Trail Hike
The Summerland trail is a section of the Wonderland Trail, which circles the entire Mount Rainier. The Wonderland Trail is an iconic hike, so it was fun to dip in and experience it. The Summerland trail starts with a gentle incline through pine trees. It was peaceful, with only a few people on the trail and our footfalls silenced by the dirt ground and the clouds above. There are plenty of little streams with bridges, one of which we had a snack and filtered some water. It felt like we were trolls under the bridge, and we tried to think of riddles for the passing people. We made another shop at a viewpoint over a larger river and waterfalls. The water was gorgeous and blue in the morning (remember this detail for later). Around the waterfalls, there are a few switchbacks that are a good warm-up for the next section.
You cross a rocky stream bed about 3/4 of the way to Summerland Camp by taking a wood log bridge. A couple of other people said they just saw a bear on the trail! However, we didn’t see any bears. After the bridge is when most intense climbing happens, the first steep climb goes through meadows of wildflowers. The wildflowers were towards the end of their season when we visited, but still gorgeous. If it was clear, I’m guessing it would be a great view of Mount Rainier. After more stairs, you’ll then get into switchbacks, which give increasingly beautiful views of hopefully Mount Rainier and the surrounding area. Although there were gaps of blue sky, the clouds would not budge over the mountain.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 3 (out of 4) stars, check the weather, and consider hikes from the Sunrise Area
- Intensity: Hiking boots or athletic shoes, athletic wear
- Trailhead Location: Trailhead is a short drive from the White River Ranger Station on the road to Sunrise.
- Cost: $55 per car, or opt for the National Parks Annual Pass for $80
- Restrooms: No restrooms!
- Timing: 4 – 6 hours
- Distance: 8.4 miles
- Elevation Gain: about 2,125 ft
Highlights:
- Get to experience the Wonderland Trail
- Wildflowers, waterfalls, and marmots – oh my!
- Hike through old-growth forest to a possible view of Mount Rainier
Lowlights:
- There is a chance Rainier will not clear.
- 3/4ths of the trail is through the forest, so I would head over the Sunrise Area if you’re looking for constant views.
A View of… Clouds
The top of the switchbacks lead you to another meadow, which I would imagine would have an incredible view of Mount Rainier. And then you’ve made it to the Summerland Camp. You can continue on the trail for as long as you like, as it is part of the Wonderland Trail. We opted to go past the camp a little way to the nearest stream, where there was a large boulder with great views to eat our lunches.
While eating our lunches, we watched the clouds move around and hoped that it would clear, but they just seemed to re-accumulate on themselves. They would start moving to the left, but a new lower level would swirl around and obscure more. The clouds were high enough to see the bottom of the glaciers and into the valley in the opposite direction. Upon further inspection of the photos on AllTrails, it looks like we were facing somewhat the correct direction, and the views would not have been straight on. Instead, Rainier is partially obscured by the closer topography. For unobscured views of Mount Rainier, I would recommend the sunrise area, like when we did the Fremont Lookout sunrise hike. I’d also be curious to explore the Paradise area, where the photos seem to have a straight-on view of Mount Rainier as well.
I’ve always heard that volcanoes make their own weather, and I think that is the case for Mount Rainier. Even the Ranger we talked to questioned aloud, “Will she show her face today? Will have to find out.“ It did clear up later in the afternoon when we were already back at camp. We got to see part of the sunset from the White River Campground.
Appreciating the Little Things
Instead of sweeping views, we ended up appreciating the little things that we saw along the way. During lunch, we watched marmots rooting around in the long green grass and little brown birds taking a bath in the stream. It was a typical day for them. We took pictures of the wildflowers, the waterfalls, the marmots, and the moody clouds. We noticed the different soil types and the color of the streams and waterfalls. Would we have seen these things if we had clear blue skies? With a lot of the trail going through the pine forest, it is a possibility, but we will never know for sure.
Is it a Flop?
It is a tricky question! Did we see what we set out to see? No. But did we have fun in nature? Yep, we sure did. We hiked the distance we had intended to hike and got to see new, unexpected things. We successfully tired ourselves out so that we were ready for an early dinner and very early bedtime. I didn’t get the photos I had hoped to get, but I got some cute marmots and moody clouds.
My take is that only the person doing the hike can determine whether it was a flop or not. Since I had a great time with my friend while breathing fresh mountain air and drinking freshly filtered stream water in an old-growth forest, this is decidedly not a flop. For me, I agree with John Muir’s quote, “In every walk in nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” And this hike is a perfect example. In a way, I don’t feel like I can accurately describe the trail as I didn’t get to see it all, but that doesn’t change my non-flop decision.
The Return Trip
The hike back was speedy through the switchbacks and stairs, back across the riverbed, and through the old-growth forest. We only stopped a few times and kept a good pace downhill. One thing we noticed was the water color of the waterfall. It was a cloudy blue color in the morning, but it was a light grey in the afternoon. Perhaps as the day warmed up, more snow melted and carried more silt than the morning. Let me know if you have another guess as to why the water color changed! Before I knew it, we were back at the trailhead without seeing any bears.
Summerland Trail Recommendations
The Summerland hike is a good 8+ miles roundtrip, which means you’ll be out in nature for at least 3 or 4 hours. I recommend bringing plenty of provisions in a daypack so you are comfortable on the trail:
- Check the weather to ensure you’re able to see Rainier!
- Download the Alltrails Map so that you can find your way in a sleepy daze
- Day Pack – I recommend one with a hip belt
- Headlamp – We used a headlamp for the first half of the trail but no longer needed it until we reached the trail junction, Black Diamond is a solid choice.
- Water bottle – Because I knew we would make coffee, I brought 2 liters of water in a hydration bladder. I use the Osprey 3L and don’t fill it up all the way.
- Hiking Boots!
- Hiking poles – I don’t have an opinion on hiking poles yet, but if you’re looking for reasonably priced ones, check the REI Co-op.
- Sunscreen – I use this sunscreen for my face, and this one for my body
- Bring breakfast or a snack – I like those Bobos bars
- Small tripod for photos
Getting to Summerland Trailhead
The Summerland Trail is accessed on the eastern side of the National Park. After you pass the ranger station, it is only about a 5-minute drive to the trailhead, where you will cross a scenic bridge and a parking area. There is also a large sign pointing out the Summerland Trail. Cell service is very spotty, so you can also route to the trailhead using GoogleMaps or AppleMaps before you begin the hike.
Overall Thoughts: Summerland Trail Hike
The Summerland Trail was a nice little hike through the forest of Rainier National Park. While editing this post’s photos, there are many pockets of blue sky and a few pictures in the sun. I don’t blame myself for hoping we might see a gap in the clouds before it was supposed to clear up in the late afternoon. My camera reflects the fun I had with my friend, with photos of us laughing, flower close-ups, and marmots. I was a little bummed at the time because up until that point, I hadn’t got to experience expansive views of Rainier. However, that changed the following day with our sunrise hike!! Now I look back on the Summerland hike fondly as the hike that started our weekend, with gorgeous moody clouds. Not a flop!
We spent the weekend in Rainier National Park, so I wrote a couple of other posts about what we did. Check them out below:
- Mount Rainier Sunrise Hike to the Fremont Fire Lookout
- Backpacking Glacier Basin, Mt. Rainier National Park
- Tips for Getting a Walk-Up Permit or First-Come, First-Served Campground
- Or check out all of my Washington activities here
What are your thoughts about a hiking flop? Do you think not seeing the main view makes it a flop? Or maybe not making it? I’m curious to hear what you think, so be sure to leave a comment below!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
