If you are a fan of Washington’s state flower, Rhododendron macrophyllum, then get thee to the Mt. Walker trail. There is a particularly good display at the half-way point, now at peak bloom, and a number of almost-as-good displays above that point (displays less memorable on the lower part of the trail). Pretty good displays in the summit area as well. It seems to be a week or so before peak bloom there. Good rhododendron displays at places along the road which also accesses the summit.
The trail is in excellent condition. Tread is almost immaculate – this is one of the fairly unusual steepish trails (1000’/mile) in western Washington that is never rocks-and-roots. It is typically 3’-4’ wide, but it is sometimes hard to get off the trail – so decent for social distancing but far from ideal. Started hiking just before 7AM, hiked up the trail, and returned by walking the road (since it has has no social distancing problem at all); saw no one else on the trail and only one party of two people headed up on the road. Saw one vehicle while in the summit area, and four more passed on the way hiking down the road. There were no other cars at the trailhead at 7AM on a Friday, and ten others upon departure about 11:15AM – so there were likely something like 7-9 “groups” ascending the trail later in the morning.
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