Thru-Hiker’s Guide To The Wonderland Trail

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My previous post detailed the literal who, what, when, where, and why of my upcoming thru-hike of the Wonderland Trail. For my second installment in this series, I will delve in-depth into the planning process. I am going to include everything I can think of that will help you out, because let’s face it, sometimes planning your trip can be just as daunting as hiking it.

This guide will be geared specifically for those looking to thru-hike the Wonderland Trail. With that being said, a lot of the information contained in this guide will be useful to day-hikers, weekend warriors, etc.

I know what you are thinking, “Why would I choose this planning guide over others? What sets this one apart?”

Well, dear reader, I have one surefire trick that will help you obtain a Wonderland Trail permit that your doctors may not want you to know about!!! For real, though, I do have some tips that might be able to help you out.

Author’s Note: All the following information is current as of July 2025. If the process is updated, I will update this post to reflect the changes.

Pre-Hike Quick Overview

Hike Name: Wonderland Trail

Location: Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, United States

Permits Required: Yes

Hike Type: Loop

Direction of Hike: Clockwise

Month and Year of Hike: Late July 2025

Distance: 93 miles

Length of Hike: 8 days, 7 nights

Elevation Gain: approximately 23,000 ft

Link to Route: https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/wonderland-trail-2-140f696

Permits

Yes, don’t worry, I’m putting this first because I know that’s what most of you heathens care about.

The National Park Service issues permits for the Wonderland Trail. Each year, the permit process starts around February with the early access lottery. Thru-hikers will need to compete with everyone looking to camp for any length of time on the trail. It is a highly competitive process, and even with the best strategy, it requires a bit of flexibility and a dash of luck.

I’ll do my best to detail every aspect of the permit process, but the hardworking rangers of Mount Rainier National Park have probably forgotten more than I will ever know. If you still have questions after reading this guide, I would contact them for the most complete information. You can find their contact info here.

Permit Information:

To camp on the Wonderland Trail, a permit is required. The park does not allow stealth camping.

Permit Types:

There are two different types of permits for the Wonderland Trail:

• Group Permit: Suitable for groups of 6-12, and only available at campgrounds with designated group sites. Of the 23 trailside camps, 19 have group sites, which restricts your options slightly.
• Basic Permit: Good for groups of 1-5 people and 2-3 tents.

Obtaining A Permit:

There are 3 methods for getting a Wonderland Trail permit:

• Early Access Lottery: By far the best way to get a permit is to enter the early access lottery (and win). Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee you’ll be able to hike a full loop or select the best campsites, but it does increase your odds dramatically. The system then assigns lottery winners a time slot to book permits before the general access date. Approximately 2/3 of all campsites are available when the Early Access booking period opens.

In February 2025, I entered the lottery. Not wanting to leave anything to chance, I had my wife, my brother, my friend’s wife, my uncle’s roommate’s cousin, and so on (you get the point) all enter the lottery on my behalf. In total, I had 10 entries in the lottery. When the results were announced, only 1 of those entries was selected. My good friend, Nick, had his wife enter the lottery, and she won. She had no intention of joining the trip, and instead added Nick, who had agreed to hike the trail with me, as the alternate trip leader. The moral of the story is that the more entries you have, the more likely you are to succeed.

We were awarded a timeslot on April 1st, 2025, at 1700 EST. It was the 12th day of the early access period. When our turn finally came, many of the basic permits for the campsites had already been claimed for the year. The only time we could go was late July/early August. Luckily, I was able to find five others who wanted to hike the Wonderland Trail with me. When I increased the permit size to 6 people, it opened up almost all of the campsites through October 2025.

When the dust settled, I was able to book an 8-day, 7-night full loop itinerary in late July, starting and ending at Box Canyon Trailhead. Additionally, I was able to secure both Indian Bar and Summerland (two of the most competitive sites).

Remember that secret trick you read earlier? This is it. It isn’t foolproof, but if you’re set on hiking the Wonderland Trail and have a later time slot, it may be worth checking if increasing your group’s size opens up some available dates. There are some downsides, like having to find extra people to hike with. If you can’t, you will have to eat the costs for the extra permits, but if you are willing to do those things, it is a solid option. I did check with the rangers, and they confirmed that if you book group permits and some people do not show up, you would not have to cancel your hike as long as you agree to pay for the unused permits.

• General Access Date: When the Early Access Period ends, the remaining 2/3rds of the reservable backcountry permits/sites will be available for online reservation to the public. It usually starts in late April. By then, it is almost impossible to put together a thru-hike without supplementing with walk-up permits or being really creative with campsites/dates. After the general release, check Recreation.gov frequently in the weeks leading up to your trip. Cancellations do happen, and if you are patient and persistent, you could still make it happen.

• Walk-Up Permits: About 1/3 of all campsites are available as walk-up permits. If you strike out on the Early Access Lottery or the General Permit Release, you can still try using this option. These permits are issued in person at one of the Wilderness Information Centers in Mount Rainier National Park, starting the same day or the next day. They are issued on a first-come, first-served basis and require the most flexibility of the three methods. You may not get your ideal campsite if someone else has booked it as part of their walk-up itinerary before you. Depending on what is available, you may also have to hike significantly more or fewer miles than you are comfortable with.

If you were able to book a partial trip using the early access or general release, and just need a few more nights to complete the loop. Using a walk-up permit to try and complete the puzzle would be a decent option. Arriving early, before the information centers open, and/or going midweek will increase your chances of success.

Permit Costs:

The cost is $10 per person per night (children under 15 are free) plus a $6 reservation fee. For example, my reservation was for 6 adults, staying for 7 nights. The total cost was $426. Please note that these fees do not include the entrance pass that you must purchase upon arrival at the park. For more information on entrance fees, please visit this link.

Picking Up Your Permit:

The person named on the reservation or the designated alternate trip leader must come to a ranger station to pick up the permit. You can pick up your permit one day before or on the day of your hike. The park will cancel and release your permit if you do not pick it up by noon on your start date. Please let the park know in advance if you will be arriving late, and they will be able to hold your permit.

Your permit must be carried for the entire trip. Rangers may request to see your permit during your hike.

Important Dates:

When To Hike The Wonderland Trail

Okay, phew, that’s over. You still with me? Good, because as interesting as permit talk is, now we get to get onto the trail itself, which I find way more fun. Below is a general summary of what each month would be like on the Wonderland Trail during hiking season (typically June-October). I will exclude November to May, as there’s not much data on hikers attempting the Wonderland Trail due to the incredible amount of snow Mount Rainier receives during those months.

• June: Snow navigation skills and the use of ice axes, crampons, spikes, and other snow equipment are essential. Additionally, river crossing may be impossible due to the absence of bridges. Only extremely experienced adventurers should even consider attempting the Wonderland Trail in June.
• July: Early July will likely still have significant snow on the trail, especially at higher elevations. Insect pressure will likely be problematic. In late July, Wildflowers will start their annual show, and snow should be less of an issue in a normal snow year.
• August: This month contains the best weather and most likely snow-free trails. Peak wildflower season occurs in early to mid-August, while mosquitoes remain intense early in the month. The biggest risks in August are wildfires. Water sources might begin to dry up with the warmer temperatures.
• September: The Temperatures will begin to drop (especially at night). Biting insects will be a distant memory, and late September should offer beautiful fall colors. The cons include an increased risk of early-season snowstorms, wildfire smoke, and some of the lesser water sources drying up.
• October: Weather becomes more unpredictable with higher chances of snow. The temperatures will be much colder. After October 12th, there will be fewer services in the National Park.

Each month has pros and cons, but Late July through August is considered the best time to hike the Wonderland Trail based on previous reports.

Creating Your Itinerary

Spanning 93 miles, the Wonderland Trail offers numerous entry points and campsites. Knowing where to start could seem overwhelming. I will do my best to go over some of the most important aspects of building a hike on the WT.

An invaluable resource I found in my reach is the Hiking Tahoma Planner. It generates itineraries of any length that include mileage and elevation gain.

Trip Length:

Most people hike the Wonderland Trail in 7–14 days. The more days you do, the less mileage per day you will have to endure.

Trailheads:

The most popular trailheads are Longmire and Sunrise/White River (Sunrise & White River are relatively close to each other, so I’m grouping them). They have a restaurant, a hotel, a general store, parking, and wifi/cell service.

Mowich Lake is another popular starting point, but it is a campground with a pit toilet and no running water.

Author’s note: In April 2025, the SR165/Fairfax Bridge was closed to pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles. There is NO public access to Carbon River & Mowich Lake from State Route (SR) 165, and there is no alternate route. It is expected that this closure will last for years, meaning Mowich Lake can no longer be used as a starting point/ending point or for resupply.

Smaller trailheads, such as Fryingpan Creek, Reflection Lakes, and Box Canyon, have fewer amenities, fewer people, and limited parking, but they can still be excellent starting points. For my hike, I chose Box Canyon as the starting and ending point because it made the most sense for my itinerary to secure my preferred campsites on my preferred dates.

Clockwise or Counterclockwise?:

With over 23,000 ft of elevation gain, so no matter what direction you choose, it probably doesn’t matter all that much. Going clockwise is generally more popular.

Spray Park Alternate:

The Spray Park Alternate was the original route of the Wonderland Trail. In the 1960s, the trail was adjusted to a lower altitude via Ipsut Pass to reduce impact on the ecosystem. The Ipsut Park route also melts quicker. Spray Park winds through high alpine meadows with some amazing views of Mount Rainier. It also adds 800 ft of elevation gain to the hike.

For my hike, I will be utilizing the Sray park Alternate.

Campsite Information:

Most camps are located near a reliable water source, and every site has a pit toilet. Bear cans are not needed on the Wonderland Trail because all of the campsites along the route have either bear poles or bear lockers.

I haven’t done the hike, so I cannot speak firsthand to which camps are best/worst. Have no fear, though. Willis Wall has hiked the Wonderland Trail 35 times and compiled an exhaustive list of the campsites along the Wonderland Trail. Along with detailed descriptions, the campground reviews come complete with videos that provide a walkthrough of the grounds.

My Itinerary:

Below is the itinerary I was able to create for my upcoming thru-hike. Getting Sunrise, Summerland, and Indian Bar back-to-back-to-back to end the hike was a coup. I am pretty proud of it. The only camp I was unable to secure was Klapatche Park because it does not have a group site.

• Day 1: July 26th, 2025 (Box Canyon Trailhead to Paradise River, 9.5 miles, 2,785 ft elevation gain)
• Day 2: July 27th, 2025 (Paradise River Camp to S. Puyallup River Camp, 15.6 miles, 4,482 ft elevation gain)
• Day 3: July 28th, 2025 (S. Puyallup River Camp to Golden Lakes Camp, 11.6 miles, 4,068 ft elevation gain)
• Day 4: July 29th, 2025 (Golden Lakes Camp to Cataract Valley Camp, 16.1 miles, 4,255 ft elevation gain)
• Day 5: July 30th, 2025 (Cataract Valley Camp to Sunrise Camp, 14.7 miles, 5,682 ft elevation gain)
• Day 6: July 31st, 2025 (Sunrise Camp to Summerland Camp, 10.8 miles, 2,316 ft elevation gain)
• Day 7: August 1st, 2025 (Summerland Camp to Indian Bar Camp, 4.6 miles, 1,165 ft elevation gain)
• Day 8: August 2nd, 2025 (Indian Bar Camp to Box Canyon Trailhead, 7.3 miles, 1,348 ft elevation gain)

Food Caching

Author’s Note: Mowich Lake can no longer be used as a food cache location due to the closure of SR 165/Fairfax Bridge.

There are three Food Cache locations along the route: Longmire, Mowich Lake, and White River. One of the benefits of starting at Box Canyon Trailhead is the ability to utilize all three and carry only a few days of food at a time. Unfortunately, with Mowich Lake out of commission, that denied us one possible resupply point. Still, we utilized Longmire and White River to break up the food carries.

Caches need to be stored in a hard-sided, lidded container. Five-gallon buckets are most commonly used (Home Depot’s are inexpensive and work great).

Caches can be dropped off in person or shipped to the designated locations. My friend Nick lives in Seattle, so our group shipped our food to him. He then organized it for us and graciously drove to Mount Rainier two weeks before our hike, dropping off the buckets.

For more detailed instructions on this topic, visit the NPS site.

Miscellaneous Details

Gear:

You can check out my current pack at Don’t Forget the Spoon, which is a great app that helps organize all of your gear. I highly recommend downloading that app if you’re seriously into backpacking.

Services:

A unique aspect of Wonderland is that there are a few places where you can resupply, use actual bathrooms, access Wi-Fi, and even charge your electronics, if needed.

• Power Outlets: & Wi-Fi: Cougar Rocks has outlets in the bathrooms, Longmire has outlets in the National Park Inn, and Sunrise has outlets in their restaurant. Longmire also has Wi-Fi near their museum.
• Food: Longmire has the National Park Inn, which includes a sit-down restaurant, a grab-and-go counter, and a general store that offers some food/drinks, as well as basic supplies. Sunrise has a snack bar and a souvenir store that sells grab-and-go foods.
• Bathrooms: The following locations along the trail have bathrooms with running water: Box Canyon Trailhead, Cougar Rock Campground, Longmire, Sunrise, and White River Campground. There are no public showers.

Transportation:

Luckily for my group, we will be using Nick’s vehicle to get us to the trail and back. He only lives 2 hours away, so it was an easy choice for us. I looked into shuttles, and I was able to find one offered by Talking Rocks Outdoor Company. Another option would be to rent a car and leave it at your starting/ending point for the duration of your hike.

Other Resources

As proud as I am of this guide, it is not the be-all and end-all. I stand on the shoulders of giants who have done some great work, so here is a list of my favorite resources I used when planning a Wonderland Trail Thru-Hike.

• AllTrails: For creating or building a route, I cannot recommend it enough. With the Peak subscription, you can create custom trail routes, see new predictive weather forecasts, and community heatmaps for more than 450,000 trails around the world. If you sign up using my link above, you can get 30% off your first year. I’ve been a member for almost a decade, and I have used it to plan every single one of my hikes, both short and long.
• Hiking Tahoma Planner: The best Wonderland Trail itinerary planner out there.
• Willis Wall: By far the most insightful resource when it comes to the Wonderland Trail campsites.
• Rec.gov: This is where you can get permits for the Wonderland Trail.
• NPS.gov: Contains all the information you could want on how the Wonderland Trail permit system works.
• Mount Rainier Wilderness Trip planner: Includes various trail resources, and a park map with campgrounds, elevation, and # of sites.
• FarOut Wonderland Trail Map: I purchased this trail map/guide on my phone app. It is a great resource and includes comments from other hikers who have recently hiked it.
• Don’t Forget the Spoon: Going to give this app another shoutout. It is my favorite app for tracking my gear. Very similar to Ligterpack, but in my opinion, it is even better.

Thank you for reading. Check out my other adventures here.

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Previously: Introducing the Wonderland Trail

Next: Wonderland Trail: Day 1 (Box Canyon to Paradise River)