Burroughs Mountain — Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

There is still time to get into MRNP to do some spectacular hikes with minimal people.  Only White River CG’s loop B has an open pit toilet (it even had TP!), and the water has been shut off to others and locked up.  Sunrise has the usual pits and everything else closed.

Timed entry to the Sunrise area has been put on hold for now per the park’s web site (I just looked).

The 11 mile, 3400’ gain trail is in great shape all the way around, although there were a couple of tall steps, and poles helped there.  I did it in almost 9 hours.  The loop consists of starting at White River CG, go W on Glacier Basin Trail, after a couple miles go N on the connector trail up to the Burrough ridge, then E through 2^nd Burroughs, and on to 1^st Burroughs, then go SE on the Sunrise Rim trail down to near the Sunrise backcountry CG (and the infamous old smelly relief box), then follow the Wonderland Trail over to Shadow Lake and back down to the parking lot.  You can easily do it CW and get better views of the mountain later in the afternoon as you come down the S facing slope.  First through third Burroughs is actually a long, bare ridge with three main areas.

I saw two whole flowers in bloom all day, one lone blueberry sitting on the ground, and one small patch of snow in the heather up near 2^nd Burroughs.  Third Burroughs had a nice dusting, and we were looking right at the snow line on the shady N side of nearby Mt Ruth.  I didn’t see any large critters all day, or even any of their footprints in the mud at Shadow Lake.

If you go, you’ll need to pack and possibly wear warm clothing, head cover and gloves.  At 2^nd Burroughs, one minute the sun was out, and 20 minutes later, a cloud completely covered the top and the temperature plummeted with a moist breeze.  If you have 3^rd Burroughs as your goal, bring a tested headlamp as it’s a long hike up there at 7800’.

Pro tip:  the at least four locations on SR-410 that seasonally have port-a-potties have been gathered up.  Your choices remain FS-73 (about a quart mile from the road), and the Camp Sheppard parking lot.  Bring your own sanitary supplies just in case.