Another gem in Mount Rainier's necklace. 4 miles RT to the falls and just a bit further to Van Trump Park. We only adventured as far as Comet Falls. The trail is 99% dry and is suitable to most anybody (we had 4-70 year olds). There are three sets of waterfalls, one right at the beginning and the other two together at the end. Report from above was that snow was almost solid above the waterfalls. There were a handful of wildflowers out along the trail's edge and at stream crossings. The parking lot is a bit tight but folks move along quickly.

There was only one little snow patch near comet falls and the rest of the trip was clear sailing. The hike was a little steeper then exspected but other then that the hike was amazing. With it being our first time, we initially got confused when seeing the first waterfall, which did not look like comet falls from the pictures I have viewed online. This is not the comet falls, continue about two hundred more feet to view comet falls. I would advise arriving early, especially on the weekend, to have a parking spot.

Arrived at about noon, trailhead was already full. The trail was good, didn't seem very crowded, only muddy in spots, upper half of the trail is still pretty snowpacked, use extra caution when crossing. The last section up by the falls is still pretty heavy snowed in.

Planned on just a short stop at Christine Falls, but we ended up on the Comet Falls trail, so we decided to see how far we could go. Answer: about a mile before you need an ice ax (we didn't have one). There are plenty of clear section on the trail above Christine Falls, and plenty of snow. After a while, the snow starts taking over patches of the trail, but as long as you're on switchbacks, it's not a big deal to follow the tracks of other people and pick up the trail when the snow ends. But soon enough, the switchbacks run out, and the trail follows a ledge. After traversing a couple of snowy spots, we came across a place with a big pile of snow on a ledge where continuing would be foolhardy, so we turned around. Judging from the tracks, everyone else did, as well. We did get overtaken on the way down by a couple of guys who apparently went over that patch, but they had ice axes and were much better equipped. Wait a few more weeks for this one; the snow is melting fast.

The trail is deeply rooted and rutted and quite popular. A dozen cars at the trailhead by 9 am, and dozens more parked along either side of the road upon our return at 1 pm. Lots of families with small children tackling the moderately steep climb to the falls, which are spectacular, plunging 320 feet down. Saw several pikas and marmots. No bugs at all, temps upper 50's, overcast. Terrific color in Van Trump Park, with lots of startlingly white beargrass shining in the deep emerald meadows, tons of variegated lupine, white mountain bistort, magenta paintbrush, pale yellow and purple pedicularis, bluebells, twin flowers, penstemon, bright yellow monkeyflowers, and even a few fading avalanche lilies. A few sweet huckleberries were ripe for the picking. DISTANCE TO VAN TRUMP PARK: about 6 miles round-trip ELEV. GAIN: approx. 2200 ft