Got an early start to Spray Park yesterday.  Trail running event was going on, so parking lot was a bit full but still spots at 8:00.

Wildflowers are glorious all the way!  Bugs were bothersome when you stopped moving, but otherwise manageable and worth it!

Rainier was hazy in the smoke, but views were still good in other directions.

A great day to start Hike-a-Thon! 

Started around 6am on Thursday, about a dozen cars in the lot but most of them belonging to folks in the campground. It's an easy, pleasant drive from Seattle until you hit the dirt road portion of 167. I made it without problems in a sedan, but there's some washboard and potholes in places. If you're coming in early, pull over at one of the first lookouts and snap a photo of Tahoma when the morning sun is just hitting it.

The trail has a very moderate incline for the first 2 miles or so. Make sure you stop at the eagle's roost lookout for some beautiful views of the mountains. The short turn off to Spray Falls is worth it, too - stop to take in the view and catch a breath before you start the climb to the park. You'll ascend a series of 8 or so switchbacks that I'd consider annoying, but moderate. At the top, go through the woods for another few minutes, cross the bridge over Spray Creek, and it'll open up into a beautiful, flower-filled meadow. I spotted avalanche lilies, indian paintbrush, mountain lupine, alpine aster, and a few others. The bugs are pretty annoying in the meadow, but bug spray managed to keep most of them from biting me (ended up with two mosquito bites).

If you're not doing the loop, you can turn back at any point, but I chose to continue up to Seattle Park. The views just keep getting better as you go, and the elevation gain is minimal. There was a black bear in one of the boulder fields closer to the mountain - I got its attention, but it quickly went back to its business and we had no trouble, just make sure to keep your distance. During this section, it's fully exposed, so make sure you have sunscreen/a hat/sunglasses.

Though it's tempting, stay on the main trail - some plants on alpine tundra can be up to hundreds of years old and can easily be damaged or killed by being stepped on.

I turned back before the ascent to the Wonderland trail junction, and got to the trailhead around 4 hours after I started. This was a perfect time to have my lunch by Lake Mowich and hop in for a quick swim. While Tolmie Peak is a gorgeous hike in its own right, Spray Park right around the corner is also a fantastic choice, and much quieter - on a weekday morning, I encountered one person going up, and about a dozen groups heading back down.

enjoy!

if you've read this far: i lost a pair of round green sunglasses with tortoiseshell frames somewhere in spray park - they're prescription and I'd love to have them back, so if you found them please shoot me an email alexfbletz@gmail.com. thanks!

Spray Park was my favorite section of my 2023 wonderland circuit and it was lovely to revisit a year later. I struggled with the heat and the mosquitos but the flowers and stunning views made it worth it! Turned around at the snow patch because I was in trail runners. 

Started at 8 Thur. morning so that our return trip would be in the forest as the day heated up. Turns out it was a great plan. We hiked to about a quarter of a mile shy of Observation Rock. We met several people that had to abandon their efforts to climb it due to lack of equipment.

We hiked to the highest point on the trail and took a right turn up a small trail that leads to Observation Rock. The views are pretty spectacular. The Mountain is in your face, a great over-view of Spray Park and a view of Knapsack Pass and trail. We could see people moving around on the pass.

Views GREAT, bugs TERRIBLE. You know the joke about winter camping. Best 5 things about winter camping are number one- NO BUGS and the other 4 are blank. I think 2-5 should be NO BUGS. We had bug spray, bug cream and I had sprayed my top. They annoyed me but devoured Georg.

Our total mileage/elevation gain was 9 miles and 3100 feet according to Georg and Google Earth. Lots of ups and downs in the the first few miles.

Great hike and we were alone most of the time once off the Wonderland. Met a lot of people doing the Wonderland on the way back and some day trippers.

HAPPY HIKING!

I arrived at a nearly full parking area at 7:30, after the many washboard miles (almost no potholes, though). Most of the cars were probably campers/backpackers, there were few people on the trail. (There were very few cars at the Tolmie trailhead, btw, but many by mid-afternoon.)

The first two miles of trail (until the spur to the falls) is gentle up and down. Gets steeper after that, but nothing too crazy. (It did feel more crazy to my 72-yo-self on the return.) Of course there is more to hike after the trail comes out of the conifer forest into the park. I hiked to the snow field and decided I really didn't need to go into it.

Lots of flowers, but not as ecstatically spectacular as I've seen them in the past. A little slow to come, I think; though last time I was here—and they were spectacular—was in mid-July. Maybe this just won't be a stellar year. Still, as you can see from a previous reporter, there is a wide variety.

Bugs were annoying only in the meadows, and mostly only when I stopped. I did wear my net for a while. It was hot, it's nearly 100% exposed, and there are few places to sit without leaving the trail. Please stay on the trail. Please don't just step over the logs onto the scars. They are there for a reason!

No bears, no marmots, no pikas. And few people!

More words and photos on my blog!