Hiked up to Spray Falls and back with my 9 year old daughter. The road in is in great shape, but it is a dirt and gravel road and very dusty at the moment. We got to the Mowich Lake parking lot just after 9am and grabbed the last spot. By the time we got back a few hours later, cars were parked on the road at least a quarter mile from the trailhead. The trail was in great condition. The falls were pretty spectacular, though you need to cross the currently fast-moving river to get the best views. There’s no footlog, but some good rocks and a large log across the river you can use as a handrail. I made it across with no problems, but my daughter, whose legs are much shorter, needed some help. I was pleasantly surprised by the amazing view of the mountain from the lookout point along the way (a little less than 2 miles in, I believe). Probably some of the best views anywhere in the park. All in all, this was an excellent day hike!

It was a glorious day for the 3 of us.  The road is long and a bit rough, although improved with new gravel and some grading done not long ago.  We saw a couple of flat tires on the way out.  It was a busy place at 9:30 a.m. but still places to park.  Even with plenty of cars parked, we did not run in to that many other hikers, as many are parked to camp, or for the Wonderland Trail or for other hikes nearby.  The trail is in great shape and a mellow grade until the water fall when then one starts up more earnestly.  Once we arrive to Spray Park we had endless views of Rainier and the whole area around the park.  The wildflowers were great.  It was truly a 5-star day.  The bugs were around but nothing to be concerned about. 

We did a loop up Knapsack Pass and down Spray Park with side trips to Mt Pleasant and Spray Falls.

The trail up Knapsack is unmaintained and steep and dusty.  The trail down the east side of the pass crosses some tricky loose talus and a few easy snow fields.

The 0.2mile, 250ft side trip to Mt Pleasant is totally worth the small effort.  This vantage gives you a great survey of the entire Spray park area and big view of Rainier.

The flowers in Spray Park are blooming nicely. The Beargrass was particularly good. There were surprisingly few bugs for July!

The side trip to Spray falls requires rock hopping across the creek (dry feet if you jump well) and a short rock hop up the slope. It is a beautiful falls and is well illuminated in the afternoon(3pm ish).

We had amazing pizza at Carlson Block in Wilkeson.  You have to get there early. We were there at 5:40p on a Thursday and we got the last 4 pizzas. They only make 75 pizzas a day on weekdays.

RT 9.2 mi, 2400 ft

The rocky dirt road is long, but in great condition. A deer meandered across the road on my way up. Then a chipmunk darted across but hung out on the side of the road like I wasn't a giant vehicle. Then a big rabbit ran across the road and up into the hillside. I'd hoped that boded well for a marmot sighting on the trail. Nope. Just a frog at the lake (which was cool).

I arrived at the campgrounds at 7 a.m. with plenty of space to park. The bathrooms are in excellent condition, TP, sanitizer, doors that latch. The Wonderland part of the trail, the first part, is downhill. I'm not used to downhill at the beginning and I knew it was waiting for me at the end, but it wasn't too bad at all. The falls were excellent. As one trip reporter noted, the cascading water at the log bridge isn't the "water." Keep going and then you'll see massively high falls (the distance you'll be switchbacking once you get back to the trail). The flowers are blooming. Expect roots, rocks, stairs, views for days, flowers, nice people, and a bunch of meadows. I actually didn't know when to stop. I eventually crossed a patch of snow and went a little further before turning around. It seemed like the views lasted much longer going up and disappeared too quickly going down. Back at the campgrounds, I had lunch at the lake, marveling at how clear the water was. Super lovely day on the trail.