Wonderland Trail 2025: Epilogue

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Hello friends, this post will act as a wrap-up for my 2025 thru-hike of the Wonderland Trail. Included will be some facts about my trip. A gpx file will be included as well. It is free to download and use if you would like to use it for planning.

Post-Hike Overview

Final Campsite Rankings

MLG:

• 7. Sunrise
• 6. Paradise River
• 5. Cataract Valley
• 4. South Puyallup River
• 3. Golden Lakes
• 2. Summerland
• 1. Indian Bar

Kyle:

• 7.
• 6.
• 5.
• 4.
• 3.
• 2.
• 1.

Nick:

• 7.
• 6.
• 5.
• 4.
• 3.
• 2.
• 1.

Last Word

I have hiked over 1,000 miles across the United States. I’ve done all kinds of trails, from day hikes to 20+ days long-distance treks, and after completing the Wonderland Trail, I am confident in saying this is the most beautiful, scenic, and challenging trail I’ve ever done. There was not a day that did not include incredible wildflower meadows, snowfields, Milky Way skies, and, of course, glimpses of the big mountain.

Aside from the scenery, the Wonderland Trail also contains conveniently placed campsites, easy-to-arrange resupplies, and weather that included maybe 10 minutes of light drizzle (we got really lucky, I know).

Of course, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows; planning the trek was stressful and complicated, as I spoke about in my preparation post. The trail is not easy. It is rarely flat, has a lot of vertical gain, and is somewhat expensive, especially if you travel across the country for it like I did.

When I look back at my preparation and think about what I would do differently if I had to do it all again, the only thing I would change is adding an extra day somewhere in there. This would break up one of the longer days and make it more manageable. Still, I think 8 or 9 days is the ideal amount of time to complete the trail in. I also think starting at Box Canyon and saving Summerland and Indian Bar for the end is the way to go if you can swing it. Having a few days at the end that were under 10 miles per day over the most gorgeous area of the park was the perfect way to end it.

I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a perfect trail. Each one I’ve hiked has positives and negatives, and this one was no different. With that being said, the Wonderland Trail is the closest I’ve come. Its combination of epic views, challenging landscapes, and unique, diverse terrain made for the most epic hiking adventure I’ve ever undertaken.

There is no way I would have been able to complete this without the incredible amount of information from other hikers, whether from the Facebook group, blogs, trip reports, etc. It will never cease to amaze me how inclusive and helpful the hiking community can be, so please, if you have any questions about the Wonderland Trail, whether it be planning, permits, or anything at all. Do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you all for reading and following along!!

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Previously: Wonderland Trail: Day 8 (Indian Bar to Box Canyon)