Summit Lake — Wednesday, Jul. 15, 2015

Mount Rainier Area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich

Great hike, lousy road. One reason we chose this hike was that the Carbon River Road is one of the closest parts of the park. But the last 6.8 miles on the forest service road ended up taking about half an hour. There were 8 cars at the trailhead, all but one an SUV or pickup. In my opinion, you could make it up in a sedan, but it would be tough going. The trail itself was great. There is a short steep and rocky section to start, but after a short while the trail becomes fairly smooth and gradual. We (a couple of seniors) made the lake in 1:15. But it is worth staying on the trail another 15-20 minutes and go up on the ridge above the lake. That is where the best views are.