Spray Park Trailhead — Attraction in Prairie Ridge

I highly recommend this nature location for camping and hiking. Be prepared to put your vehicle on 4x4 (if available) 15 miles from the park. The road terrain is mainly gravel and in some areas very bumpy (pot holes) which limits you to about 30 mph. Turn on your lights, drive safely and you'll be fine. The main parking area at Spray Park is limited but you can also park on the side of the road leading in. Dogs are allowed on the main camp site, but not on the trails (per the posted sign). The view of Mowich Lake is breath taking. We visited late July and the water was cold but very refreshing and clear. We hiked the Tolmie Peak Trail, which is a 5.5 mile moderate hike up to Eunice Lake and ultimately Tolmie Peek Lookout Tower. Bring enough water, snacks and bug spray to better enjoy your hike. We didn't see much wildlife, but there's a type of bird there that's very friendly and loves to eat bird food from your hand. You won't regret...

Did the 17 mile "Around Mother Mountain" on 7/20. Got to the Mowich trail head before 8:00AM and was able to find parking easily. Did the loop clockwise, heading North down Ipsut pass first then connecting with the Wonderland Trail by Carbon River. The hike up from the suspension bridge to Seattle and Spray park is long and tough with several thousand feet of elevation gain. The hike is well worth it - when we got to Spray park we were greeted with amazing views of blooming avalanche lillies and Mount Rainier. The parking when we got done was very limited with cars going for about half a mile down the road. Total time was 5.5 hours for the loop: 16.6M with 4,800...

We hiked a lesser-known trail listed only on AllTrails, not the NPS site, and once we left the busier area, we met just four other people. It was a gorgeous sunny day, with Mount Rainier’s beauty towering in the distance, and we even had a secluded lake shore all to ourselves for a refreshing cold plunge. Love the Rainier National Park, July-September is the...