Spent two nights at Glacier Basin camp with a day hike up to the 3rd Burrough. Trail up to the camp was very nice and well graded. There were great views of the river, lots of easy stream crossings, and avalanche chutes with wildflowers and a few berries.

The views from the group site at the campground were great! The pit toilets (yes, side by side toilets which is ... interesting) were in good shape and we were able to get good water 0.25 miles before and after the campsite. The water source after camp will likely dry up soon though. Saw some folks filter water from the pond or river but both weren't ideal. Lots of frogs and salamanders in the pond.

Hike up to Burroughs Trail was in good condition but steep. Two trees were down on the trail but otherwise no obstacles, just lots of switchbacks. Trail up to the 3rd Burrough was also easy to follow and the views from the top were amazing!

Brought Miles the Marmot on this adventure to help raise money for WTA. If you want to support WTA's mission, please donate here: https://give.wta.org/AlisonGale

I arrived at 8:20am for my 7-9am timed entry slot and drove right up to the entrance booth. Plenty of parking was still available in the day use area at White River that time (and I noticed there were still spots available at Crystal Lakes and Owyhigh trailheads when I drove by, but Summerland was overflowing.)

Note for those who are smoke sensitive, the campfire smoke at White River campground in the morning was terrible. I noticed it as soon as I opened my car door, and got my boots on and hustled out of there as quickly as I could. Once on trail and out of the campground the air quality was fine.

Wildflowers: some, especially on the lower part of the trail are past peak, but still plentiful in species and color all along the trail. The upper sections of the trail have some nice patches of lupine blooming, although not as heavily as I’ve seen in some past years.

Bugs: bugs of many sorts were out and went from noticeable to annoying to relentless as the day progressed. Even with permethrin treated clothing and bug spray they didn’t seem to be deterred. Every time I stopped even briefly on the way down they were swarming.

Wildlife: several chipmunks, and a large marmot scampering around the empty group site at Glacier Basin camp. No bears seen but there were signs at the camp area that bears are active in the area, and a bear has been coming into camp looking for food, so backpackers should be prepared to store all food/scented items in barrels that the park service has provided.

It was a very quiet day on the trail. I saw a handful of other hiking, backpacking, and climbing parties but hiked alone most of the day and had the Basin all to myself for about half an hour. Which seemed pretty amazing for a sunny summer Sunday at MRNP!

Arrived using a 9am to 11am reservation and there was no line at the entrance. So far I am really liking the new system.

Arrived at Sunrise and had to park on the road as the lot was full, but not too far away. Hit the trail around 10:45am. The trail is dusty from the lack of precipitation, but in good shape otherwise. Some bugs, particularly at the top of the second Burrough, and some persistent black flies. We did see a huge herd of about 30 mountain goats just off the trail from the first to second Burrough!

Reached the third Burrough around 1:00pm. I've been out to the second Burrough before but had not continued on to the third. The third is well worth the effort. It does feel much closer to the mountain, much higher, and gives views of the north side of Rainier and down to the Winthrop Glacier that you don't get from the second.

On our way back down from the third we witnessed an enormous rockfall from near the top of the third. I estimated it was about a schoolbus worth of rock that cut loose. Good reminder to stay away from the top or bottom of edges unless you need to be there.

We opted to return to Sunrise via Glacier Basin. This route descends steeply waaay down towards the Inter Fork. Once on the Glacier Basin trail the going is flat and easy. Arriving at White River around 4:00pm, we had a little trouble finding the turn-off for the Wonderland Trail back to Sunrise. It's hidden next to the historic cabin (with a sign facing in only one direction). You do have the benefit of bathrooms and a water fountain at the campground. The return to Sunrise from the White River Campground is arduous. 3.3 miles and about 2000' elevation gain. Heck of a way to end a day. Arrived back at the car around 5:30pm.

Nice trail with beautiful views! We camped at White River Campground so it was nice that this trail starts directly from there. Trail had steady incline but not too steep outside of a few sections. Trail is primarily in the trees and passes through meadows fairly frequently. Lots of wildflowers in bloom including lupines, asters, and paintbrushes! We also took a short detour to the Emmons Moraine trail which has nice views of a very blue-green lake and the glacier. Trail was a little buggy, both in the basin and along the length and I accumulated a few bug bites, especially if we stopped to look at flowers. We also were able to spot some mountain goats in the basin using binoculars!

Arrived at the parking lot at 1 pm on a Wed and still plenty of space. Trailhead is located a short walk past the parking lot thru the campground loop.

We hiked to Glacier Basin and were alone at the top. Also did the 1 mile RT Emmons Moraine side trail - this is well worth it! Gorgeous views of the mountain & rivet, tons of wildflowers, overall a spectacular trail. Even though reservations to Mt Rainier NP were sold out, trail wasn’t at all crowded. Skip the visitor center and hike this trail!

A few bugs but not too bad - only noticed them when we stopped ( we were wearing big spray)