Like many others have said, beware the bugs! We had ideal weather for views at the summit, but the mosquitos were so relentless that we ran away after only a few minutes. Come prepared with your favorite bug repellent system so you can enjoy the unique view of Mt. Rainier and Chester Morse Lake.

The first half of the trail has a decent incline and is pretty rocky (think ankle-twisting size rocks). Poles could come in handy here, especially on the way down. There are a few downed trees at a weird angle that you have to duck under. My partner bonked his head on one of them, so exercise caution!

This trail could benefit from some better signage. The entrance is only marked with a small cairn (and some wildflowers). There's also a confusing 3-way intersection before the final ascent where the trail sign has been torn off. Don't take the u-turn route! Instead, continue straight and you'll come upon another (more intact) sign that leads you through a horse/bike barrier.

Despite the obstacles, we saw several groups of elders chugging up and down the mountain with seemingly little difficulty. #HikingGoals

I hiked this trail starting at 11:20 today.  A few cars in the parking lot (about 7 when I got there).  The trail up to Mt. Washington was fairly empty, as I only encountered 3 parties on that section of trail.  The path was mostly the usual incline on the rocky path, with a few more downed trees in the path, but totally passable.  The clouds did not allow a great view at the top this trip, but kept the temperature reasonable.  The other lookouts along the way were below the cloud ceiling and provided decent views.  

This hike was very nice on a warm Monday afternoon. It's mostly on the shady side of the mountain, so you aren't mercilessly roasted as you go. The terrain is kind of rough at times, heading up rocky steep paths, but altogether a good workout on the legs. There are some really neat rock formations along the way.

There is some devil's club growing right to the side of the trail, so keep an eye out. Also, the bugs weren't bad until the last mile to the peak. At the top, they were merciless and persistent. Usually I take a break at the top of a trail. Here, after taking a few pictures and getting bitten repeatedly, I hustled back down.

Next time, I want to see about making this into a loop with the Great Wall Trail for variety.

We took the trail up to the Mount Washington summit, and then connected to the forest service/mountain biking trail to loop around to Change Peak. Finally headed down via Great Wall trail before connecting back to the original trail for the final 3 miles (see AllTrails link below for exact route). Pretty much no snow of note at this point.

Arrived at parking lot around 8AM on a gorgeous Saturday, it was maybe half full. We were never crowded on the trail up to the Mount Washington summit but never really alone either. Once we headed towards Change Peak we did not see anyone else. 

The trail up was almost entirely wooded until you start getting some brief exposure towards the top and at the summit (where you will be fully exposed). It is uphill most of the way with few breaks on level ground. The first few miles were also particularly rocky (like walking up a dried creek) so combined with the constant grade it's definitely a solid workout. Poles help a lot coming down. The bugs were not awful but were certainly around by this point, wind and spray helped with hanging at the summit but YMMV. The summit has a perfect view of Rainier if it happens to be out.

The mountain bike trail we took on the way down was more exposed most of the time so I'd definitely have sunscreen if taking it on a clear day. The service road and bike trail are a bit less steep and rocky than the trail up, it was probably honestly easier for going down despite the extra couple of miles. The spur up to Change Peak is not used a lot but you can find your way relatively easily. There's not much to see at the top so I would honestly suggest stopping at the open rock face about half way up that also gives you a spectacular view of Rainier. Compared to the trail up we did not encounter anyone on the way down so I would highly recommend coming here for lunch instead of the more crowded Mount Washington summit.

Great day hike overall.

Great day to get to the top of Mount Washington - clear views in every direction. 

There were a few modest snow patches that will likely be gone in a few days. Fun for dogs and no trouble for humans. Most of the water running down the trail from snow melt a couple of weeks ago is also gone.  This is a pretty rocky hike and other than a section around miles 2-3, it’s a steady up the entire way. Good views and a turn around at mile 3 if you want to cut it short.

Bugs were having a free for all at the top. Wind helped a little but they are out. Bug spray or keep moving are your options. I wasn’t prepared so didn’t stay long to soak in the views. 

Trailhead was pretty full at 9. Trail wasn’t very crowded until the top. Just a great day all around.