The Wonderland Trail is an approximately 93 mile (150 km) hiking trail that
circumnavigates Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, United
States. The trail goes over many ridges of Mount Rainier for a cumulative 20,000 feet 
(6,000 m) of elevation gain. The trail was built in 1915. An estimated 200 to 250
people a year complete the entire trail with several thousand others doing shorter
sections of it. The average time taken to complete the entire trip is 10 to 14 days
The trail is entirely within the national park and most of it is not near roads or buildings. The trail passes through major life zones of the park, from lowland forests to subalpine meadows of wildflowers. As the trail circles the mountain, hikers see different faces of Mount Rainier, carved by 25 named glaciers.
The trail is considered strenuous as it is almost always climbing or descending the
ridges around the mountain. The highest point is 6,750 feet (2,057 m) at Panhandle
Gap
There are many river crossings on the trail including two suspension bridges. Many of the rivers are crossed on primitive log bridges which can wash away during heavy rain or when there is a lot of snow melt in the rivers. Most of the bridges washed away during a major storm in November 2006, so much of the trail is expected to be impassable to most hikers throughout 2007.
The main hiking season is late summer, which is often dry and sunny. However,
Mount 
Rainier's high elevation and proximity to the Pacific Ocean can also bring
moisture as rain or snow to the trail. In many years, the Wonderland Trail is still
mostly snow-covered during June and early July.
The traditional route between Mowich Lake and the Carbon River is via Ipsut Pass and Ipsut Creek. Many people take an alternative route across Spray Park and Seattle Park. Complete trail descriptions may be found in a variety of trailbooks
Camping along the Wonderland Trail is extremely popular throughout the summer
and Wilderness Camping Reservations are essential for many of the most popular
campsites. Eighteen trailside camps, 3 to 7 miles (5 to 11 km) apart, are located
along the Wonderland Trail. Each camp has 1 to 8 sites for 1 to 5 persons per site.
These sites will hold at most 2 tents. Parties requiring space for 3 or more tents
must camp in a group site. Group sites are available at certain camps for parties of 6
to 12 persons. These sites typically hold 3-5 tents. Each camp has cleared tent
sites, a pit or composting toilet, bear pole for hanging food, and a nearby water
source.
A backcountry permit, including reservations for designated camping areas, is required to hike the Wonderland Trail. Advance reservations for permits can normally be submitted starting March 15 each year, with a lottery normally taking place on April 1 to attempt to meet the permit requests of as many hikers as possible.
Due to the damage suffered as the result of a flood in November 2006 the park
service did not accept reservations for the 2007 summer season for attempts to hike
the entire Wonderland Trail. The trail was reopened on August 3, 2007 after
extensive work by the park service, the Washington Conservation Corps, Student
Conservation Association and 1,700 volunteers
HOW TO REACH
Access to Mount Rainier is by car or bus only. Tourists from afar usually land at
Seattle-Tacoma Int'l Airport (SEA). Most visitors come on sunny summer weekends
and holidays. Parking can be problematic during summer weekends, so if possible
try to visit mid-week. The park is open year-round, but access is limited in winter.
Facilities at Longmire are open daily year-round. Facilities at Paradise and
Ohanapecosh are open daily from late-May to mid-October. Facilities at Sunrise are
open July to early-October. In winter, access is by the Nisqually Entrance in the
southwest corner of the park only. The Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise is open
weekends and holidays in winter.
