The turnoff from Hwy 410 is signed with a a diagram that does not label FS7300, so plugging the trailhead into Google Maps and then watching your odometer is a good idea. WTA driving directions are good: park at Eleanor Creek; the trailhead is on the uphill side of the road, near the Eleanor Creek sign. Yes, the road has potholes. Go slow, take it easy, you’ll be fine.
My husband and I hiked in on Sunday afternoon. There were a few parking spots, even though it was Labor Day Weekend. The trail is mostly in shade, pleasant on an 80-plus degree day. Camp sites 2 and 3, closer to the lake, were occupied, so we settled into #1. Permit required, reservable online at Recreation.gov. Group site remained unoccupied during our stay. Next to the group site, there’s a pole for hanging food. A swim in the lake is very refreshing on a hot day. We pumped our water from the lake as well, didn’t find any other water source.
After breaking camp in the morning we left our packs off to the side and day-hiked to the intersection of Grand Park and Northern Loop trails, I’m estimating just under 7 miles round trip. Flowers are done, and blueberries are ripe. We saw a lot of elk sign and bear scat, but no large critters.
Bugs were bothersome in camp, but not unbearable. I regretted not bringing my bug-net hat, and finally put on some repellent. Camp robbers (gray jays) were pretty bold; do not feed them!
This would make an excellent intro trip for someone new to backpacking, as the backpack portion is so short and ends up at a lake. Day hike from there into one of the most scenic parts of Mt Rainier National Park—this would be especially dazzling if you did it in July when wildflowers are blooming.
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