UPDATE: This request was lifted within 24 hours due to the precipitation in the area.  All trails are accessible.

NPS is asking that visitors avoid and not visit the Westside Rd area to allow for fire crews to deal with fires in the area.

If a permit holder for back country camping, may want to check with a WIC on status of area.

With a widespread smoke and haze in the forecast, I decided to go for a hike to a fire lookout or a lake. This one has both. Try to check air quality before you go. The air quality was moderate before I left. I could smell a little smoke but I felt fine when I was there.

Road and Parking: I did not realize that I had to go through the park entrance so there was around 45 mins wait and the ranger did check my ID and my pass. Parking lot was almost full when I got there at noon, although there was enough space on the side of the road for parking. The road was the typical forest gravel road. No major potholes, just washboard surface and all vehicles can make it.

Trail: As others have said, the majority of the hike was on a gravel Westside road. I clocked 3.78 mi hike in to the actual trailhead from where I parked. There's a bike rack to lock the bike if you brought one. 

On a hazy and a hot day like today, this hike was perfect. It's shaded most of the way to the lookout and you could dip in Lake George. There's a peek-a-boo view of Rainier on your left when you're on the actual trail.

The hike was straightforward. There were trailmarkers, the ground was pretty dry, there were not many exposed roots and it never felt too steep. For this reason, I think this hike is family friendly. I met three separate group of hikers with young kids that looked younger than 10. They looked pretty cheerful for such a long hike 😀.

Bring enough water as the only water source would be Tahoma Creek at the beginning of the hike and Lake George. There's a little pond that almost dried up at around 4800ft but I personally would not want to filter water from there. 

The view from the lookout was gorgeous. You could see Rainier right in your face although it's a little hazy. Other reviewers mentioned that you could see St Helens, Adams and even Hood, but unfortunately I did not see them today.

I tried to eat my lunch at the lookout but there were so many bees that I decided to leave and hike down.

It took me 4 hours and 42 mins for the whole hike and I clocked 12.81 mi round trip.

Overall: This hike was not as bad as I thought. I had the trail mostly to myself and it's so peaceful. After this hike, I can say I have done all 7 Mount Rainier Fire Lookouts, with Sun Top being the hardest as I did it in the winter 🙂

We reached the parking lot at 7:45am - two of us, in our 60’s, in good physical shape, one of us with two artificial ankles :) We walked the 3.8 mi to the trailhead reasonably quickly with beautiful views along the Tahoma Creek. We wanted the exercise, but wondered why the well-kept road couldn’t be opened to cars this time of year. A park volunteer had driven his car there and the road is perfectly passable, but anyway…

It was going to be hot, so we were pleasantly surprised to find the trail was shady from the TH almost all the way to the lookout. Fairly steep switchbacks and steady incline, but some relief with flat ground at points. Passed by a pretty Lake George, but not much else to see on the way up to lookout. We reached lookout at 10:30, stayed for lunch, and left at 11. We came across maybe 10 other hikers along the way.

We arrived back to the parking lot at 1:45, after taking the 5 minute detour to the Marine Memorial at the TH. We didn’t push ourselves, but kept steady pace up and down, so were pleased with the 6 hour journey that included our 30 min lunch break. The trail is in fantastic shape and it was a great workout. We were able to see Mt St Helen’s, but due to a little smoke in air, no other distant mountains were visible. No wildlife except a few chipmunks. Apple Watch clocked 13.14mi. Truth be told, we expected better scenery, but it was a great day of exercise, in a stunning MRNP, and close to entrance so not an additional 30 minutes to a crowded Paradise parking lot!

Fantastic semi-circle 3 day-2 night backpack at Mt. Rainier National Park.

We carpooled, met a few others, then shuttled one car from Longmire and started on the Westside Road. After arranging for a permit at South Puyallup for our first night and Devil's Dream for our second, we traveled by foot up the Westside Road and first took a trip to Lake George and Gobbler's Knob. Our trip included the second day across beautiful Emerald Ridge, to the Tahoma Suspension Bridge, then crossed the alpine meadow at Indian Henry's with sweeping views of Rainier. 

Day #1- 8/1/23- Westside Road to South Puyallup Camp- 12.26 miles elevation gain/loss +3400'/-2100 Dropped cars at Longmire for through hike. Parked car at Westside Rd, hiked up Westside Rd to Lake George, dropped gear and continued to Gobbler's Knob. Continued to South Puyallup Group Camp. Set up camp, gathered water out of camp to filter, had a dinner together, explored the basalt colonnades and Kautz Memorial. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/170383728

Water uphill .60 miles RT

Day #2- 8/2/2023- South Puyallup Camp to Devil's Dream Camp- 8.5 miles elevation gain/loss +3094'/-2096' Had breakfast around 7:00 am. Broke camp, left by 8:00. Hiked up Emerald Ridge, spending plenty of time for pictures and snacks, cross over the Tahoma Suspension Bridge, then side trip up to Mirror Lakes, gathered water to filter for camp at a stream at Mirror Lake and Indian Henry's for lunch. Descended to Devil's Dream Group Camp. We enjoyed dinner together chatted and had another relaxing evening. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/170487447

Water to filter behind Indian Henry's Patrol Cabin

Day #3-98/3/2023- Devil's Dream Camp to Longmire- 5.8 miles elevation gain/loss +479'/-3800' Had breakfast around 7:00 am. Broke camp and left by 8:00. Crossed the Kautz and Pyramid Creek early together and back up the ravine to Rampart Ridge and down to Longmire. Picnic at Longmire National Park Inn shuttled back to the cars at Westside Rd. https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/170495421

Total 30 miles Garmin, 34 miles All Trails 6800' elevation gain