This trail has a little bit for everybody! So, so gorgeous - so let's get to it.

The road leading in is probably both the nicest and the longest forest service road you'll ever drive on. (I guess it's not technically a forest service road, still...) But yeah - it's long. Very long. And it's all gravel. But - it's pretty much 2 lanes and there's minimal washboarding and very few potholes. Any car will make it.

Here's the issue though - people kinda push the nice road conditions. I had one person pass me and another tailgate. Pull off and let them pass - 5 minutes won't make a difference.

The trailhead's parking lot is also the parking lot for the Mowich campground - so when we arrived at ~7AM - it was about 75% full. So head's up that a later arrival may mean side of road parking.

#alwaysreviewthetoilet - for a campground toilet - pristine shape. Make sure you bring your own 🧻 though.

The trail is in great condition. We started off hiking in the on again / off again clouds you get at that altitude - so the trail wasn't wet, but wasn't dry & dusty either. Goldilocks.

After you pass Spray Falls and start heading up the switch backs you will get to some water flowing over the trail on one of the switchbacks. Just enough to make you watch your footing. There's some mud too - about a 15 foot stretch right before you break into the first meadow.

And oh my - what a sight it is when you do get into the meadows. 🏔️

As other reports have mentioned - not much to speak of for wildflowers - I kinda thought they were better at the start of the trail tbh. Still who can complain?

After leaving the campground at ~7:15 - we only saw 1 person until we were about half way back down to the trailhead. Amazing. Then we saw quite a few.

Fwiw ... no bear. 🐻  No bugs. 🦟

What a fabulous day to be in Spray Park! I never cease to be amazed at the beauty surrounding us.

There have been many trip reports for this hike, so I’ll try to provide at least a few additional things. Not news: lots of roots and steps, a fair number of rocks, but interspersed with some nice, smooth forest track. Overall, the trail is mostly in reasonable shape. The first two miles are up and down, sometimes moderately but mostly not too bad. The switchback section above Spray Falls is of course steep but also mercifully short. Much harder coming down on aging joints than going up. For those who are young and/or fit, this is a moderate hike. For those like me who are neither, this is something a bit more than moderate but short enough mileage-wise to still be reasonable.

I recommend going all the way to the top of the ridge at the end of Spray Park. The views to the north into Mist Park, Mother Mountain, and on up the Cascades are fantastic. This makes the roundtrip hike about 7 miles and a total elevation gain of about 2,650 feet. Going another short distance further up the trail to where it begins to descend into Seattle Park gives a great close-up view of alpine terrain.

Normally a fairly busy trail, it was pretty quiet until I was most of the way back to the trailhead. I started at 5:45AM and didn’t see anyone else for the first 1:45. After that, I didn’t see anyone else for another 2:30. To have this spectacular place essentially to myself for a few hours was amazing. There were moments of complete silence, which was unexpected.

Wildlife: the resident bear had the day off and was nowhere to be seen. A couple of Douglas squirrels, a chipmunk, a frog, and a variety of birds were it for today.

The lack of wildflowers at Mt. Rainier this year has been well-reported, but I was surprised at just how comparatively bare Spray Park was. This is usually a spectacular place for flowers. There are still a few relatively meager patches of things, including some bear grass hanging on and a decent smattering of bistort, paintbrush, etc. Mountain bog gentian is starting to bloom. One decent patch of Lewis Monkeyflower near the log bridge at the top of the switchback section.

Bugs were present as the day wore on but mostly benign.

Yes, the road is 14.5 miles of washboard, but somehow it seems a little better this year than usual.

Happy hiking!

"Spray Park this, Spray Park that, you have to go see Spray Park!"

So, I did! Was it worth it? Absolutely. Was it an easy walk up to a pretty meadow, nope! 

Granted I am a little overweight, a little older, and not Mr. Back Woods, but this hike was difficult for me. Now it is not Mount Si difficult!! That hike nearly had me going to meet my maker last year. Additionally, I was carrying a fairly heavy pack up to Spray Park (I am a "Wonderland Trail want to be", so I packed extra stuff for training purposes)

After driving on a 16-mile dirt road that is more suitable for Abrahms tanks than cars, I found a parking spot close to the campground. Granted this was on a weekday and I arrived at 0815. After a trip to what was a surprisingly clean biffy, I hit the trail at 0845.

The sign at the campground says it is 3.0 miles to spray park (my Garmin came in at 3.2) and it should take you 3 hours round trip (I took 4 hours). I did walk up to the falls for some photos and then off on a side trail once at Spray Park to find shade for lunch.

No bear sighting, very few bugs, lots of pretty flowers and a second to none view of Mt Rainier awaited me at the park.

I walked an hour before seeing any other hikers on the trail, then as time went on there were more and more people. I imagine a weekend would be much busier.

No cell coverage, thankfully, who goes hiking wanting cell coverage, but if there was an emergency I was going to have to wait for someone with a Satellite phone.

This hike is an absolute must-do "bucket list" hike. Would I do it again? If I did, I would consider hiking into the park from the east (from Cataract Valley) just to avoid the 16-mile road from hell.

Arrived at the TH just after 10:00 am and easily parked in the lot. 15 miles of gravel road was dusty but otherwise in great condition. No potholes to speak of. Similarly, the trail was in excellent condition, mostly dry. Minimal bugs in the meadow and the views were awesome as always. Saw deer twice but no bear sightings like the last time we were here. A brief swim in Mowich Lake after the hike topped off an amazing day!

Another amazing adventure in Spray Park: 3 days, 2 nights.  Roads fine; almost full parking lot at 8:30 after picking up permit at Carbon River. Trail snow-free all the way to 6400 ft AMSL.  Snow (and potable) water conditions more like late August.  Many of the small tarns are dry and one must travel closer to Rainier to find good water sources in the Park.  Bugs are moderate, mostly mosquitos.  Day-hiked up to the 7500 ft AMSL base of Echo Rock.  Every annual adventure, the way-trail looks different up on the Ridge. This time almost no snow and the Flett Glacier starts way up after climbing a steep 300-foot boulder field up.  Trail can be hard to find at times. No Bozos, but easy for experienced hikers. The views are amazing: North to all the Cascades; views of Knapsack Pass, Mother Mountain, Mt Pleasant,and Hessong Rock; East to Seattle Park, and Mystic Lake; south are the Glaciers and ice of Tahoma; and west toward the developed lands below.   We descended going north using the main way-trail and connecting with Spray Park Trail at 6400 ft AMSL (The Pass).  At about 6300 ft AMSL, 1/4-mile (west) from the summit, a large brown, Black Bear appeared.  It was then we saw a solo woman hiker hiding in the woods, north of the main trail, and clicking her poles.  For some reason, this attracted the bear, and it slowly sauntered over a small snow patch and right after the panicked hiker.  It followed her through the woods, and finally got bored.  She was fine but freaked, and has a great adventure story to tell. I would guess it was around a 400-pound Boar; beautiful, healthy animal.  He hogged the trail and near environs for 45 minutes. We finally just walked right by him as he continued to forage for grass and dug at dead logs for grubs. We came within 20 feet, but no worries.  This, in my opinion, is the most beautiful portion of MRNP.  Thanks to all who are respecting the trails and enjoying this gorgeous, almost spiritual place.  The only negative I can mention are the idiots that demand to travel 40-50 mph up and down a very nasty washboarded, pitted road.  Not only does that make it dangerous for all cars, but helps to further destroy this fragile road. There was one overturned car and 2 cars with multiple flat tires.  Please chill, you will find a parking spot on the way in, and that Burger and shake will wait for you at Wallys in Buckley.