I arrived at the Nisqually gate around 12:30 PM, and as expected during the shutdown, there were no rangers at the collection booths. I usually wait until fall to visit Paradise to avoid the summer crowds, so I didn’t expect a Monday in October to be total chaos—but it was every bit as crowded as peak season.
To escape the madness, I skipped Paradise and parked at the Mazama Ridge Snowshoe (4th Crossing) trailhead instead. There was plenty of parking, and I hit the trail around 1:00. I didn’t pass a single person until reaching the junction with the Skyline Trail and Mazama Ridge. I turned right to hike the loop counterclockwise and only started seeing a few people heading down after that.
The weather was glorious, but unfortunately the smoke and haze from the Wildcat Fire obscured the views. The trail itself is in excellent condition. My knees weren’t feeling up for the full climb to Panorama Point (and with the smoke, there weren’t really any views to justify it), so I descended via the Golden Gate Trail instead. I stopped for my usual picnic at the stream crossing at the bottom of the switchbacks—one of my favorite spots—and spotted a few mountain goats up on the ridge from there.
Afterward, I detoured to snap the requisite photo of Myrtle Falls, looking especially beautiful with the fall colors, then backtracked from the falls and followed the Skyline Trail to reconnect with 4th Crossing trail and return to my car. I only passed a handful of people on the way down—maybe four total—so I was very happy with my decision to skip Paradise entirely.
Aside from the goats, wildlife sightings were limited to chipmunks and a hawk. On the flip side, I did witness some disappointing trail behavior: one person hiking with a dog, a couple climbing over a rope to trample the meadow for a photo, and plenty of people not yielding to uphill hikers. I also had to duck behind some trees to pee and was dismayed to see TP scattered everywhere. Please, people—leave no trace. Pack out your trash. I bring a dog poo bag for that very purpose, but any method that keeps our trails clean works!
Total stats: 4.56 miles (added about a mile when I passed the Golden Gate junction and had to backtrack), 1400 elevation gain, 4 hours hiking (I am really slow due to creaky knees :/. I spent 5 and a half hours total on the trail including snack breaks and photo stops.
Hot tip: the restroom at Longmire is open and has flush toilets. I always go there rather than Paradise - especially in the winter since it's heated. It's clean, always stocked w/TP, and quiet.
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