Clockwise loop with side trip to Third Burroughs. Ascend from Glacier Basin via Sunrise trail, jaunt over to Third Burroughs for lunch and spectacular views; onto, Second Burroughs where most other folx were congregated; then, Sunrise Rim trail and Wonderland trail back to our vehicles. Couldn't have asked for a better day to view the Mountain and Winthrop glacier (VIDEO). Autumn colors in the golden sedges and crimson shrubs amongst the talus. Marmots whistling, then seen lounging on talus of the Sunrise trail and nibbling lupine on the Sunrise Rim trail. Amazingly, a flock of small birds soaring around Third Burrows. Barks (was that a dog?) from below in the direction of Winthrop glacier and Mystic camp on the Wonderland trail. During our snack and lunch breaks, Golden Mantled Ground Squirrels scampered undeterred around our feet and unguarded packs boldly searching for morsels. Rumble from Mt Rainer had us turn to face the mountain, first to identify source of the rolling clatter, then witness the massive plume of the rockfall’s dust.  12.2 miles, 3700’ elevation gain. The ascent was moderate but felt like more … at 7000’ altitude, there’s ~23% less effective oxygen in the air😰.

my hiking bud suggested this gem for our "play hooky to hike" day and it was really wonderful. the trail is amazingly maintained, the stroll in the woods is so pleasant, made all the better by there not being many other hikers on the trail. we did the crosscut and saw the glacier, adding a couple miles to our overall but it was worth it. both our Garmins clocked over 7 miles by the time we returned to the parking lot, so it's a bit longer than WTA suggests. the trail is even in most parts, we passed over and in front of several gorgeous, mossy waterfalls, and there's peekaboo views the whole way up and back. we did go on a day that was a bit overcast so our views weren't as stunning as some but that's the risk you take when hiking Rainier, right? we still got some great views and saw FIVE marmots frolicking in the meadow at the base camp. one was so big, at first I thought it might be a small bear (it was pretty far away) but it was just a giant marmot. we watched them play about for a good ten minutes before turning around. overall, with several small breaks and a longer one for lunch, we were out there four and a half hours. will definitely go back and hope for clear skies. might even plan to keep going past the base camp, just to see how far I can get. big props to WTA, nice work!

Great hike with lots to see. I purposefully chose the day after Labor Day- no crowds at the Sunrise Mt Rainier Park entrance and not many people on the trail. Excellent weather, too!

Trail is in good condition, although some sections of the Emmons Moraine path are a bit narrow . Great views of the glacier and lake - I was glad I made the side trip. Nice place to stop for lunch or a snack.

You have the river and many little streams and falls for company on the way to the Basin. Several chipmunks, and I even spotted a marmot frolicking in the meadow at the Basin! First time I’ve seen one in the wild so this hike was a memorable one for me. (Didn’t manage to snap a good marmot photo).

The slight break in the heat provided the perfect opportunity to take some visiting family to hike on Mt Rainer.  Coming from Albany, this was a unique experience for them.  We chose the Glacier Basin partly because a lot of the trail is in under the tree canopy and out of the direct sun.

Since we were going to be hiking close to the mountain, where the views upslope would be somewhat foreshortened, we first went up the road towards Sunrise to provide a nice view of the whole mountain and snap the obligatory selfie with Rainier as a backdrop.  We then drove down to the White River campground and parked in the general lot for hiker and climbers.  

The trail out of the campground is gently uphill, wide, and smooth for most of the way up to where the Emmons Moraine trail cuts off to the left.  We took that trail and I would highly recommend it to someone considering this hike.  It crossed the near stream and then climbed up to the crest of the glacial moraine.  The trail then follows the crest of the moraine for quite a way, affording multiple spots to look out and appreciate the scope of the glacier's valley and the ice fields above it.  The snout of the glacier was easily visible, with an ice cave where the meltwater streamed out from under the ice.  Above that and further away there were multiple waterfalls cascading down from the icefields above. 

After a while the moraine trail turned away from the edge and while it continued for a ways, it got thin and brushy.  Soon we turned around, returned to the original turnoff, and then continued on the trail towards Glacier Basin.  From there the trail continued another couple of miles up to the wilderness campground and beyond.  There are a few rocky sections and some roots, but mostly fine trail. The last half mile leading up to the camp got a bit steep, and we slowed down accordingly.   Right after the campground there were some trails that accessed the rocky streambed, where we took time to eat lunch and rest.  

Between side trips, pictures, and going uphill on a relatively hot day it took us about 4 hours to reach our turnaround spot.  The trip down took much less time because the trail was well groomed and we could walk down without needing to watch our every step.  It took about 1 1/2 hours to return to the car.  Total metrics for the day were 9.5 miles, 2500 feet gain, 27,000 steps on my fitbit,  3 liters of water.  On the drive home we treated ourselves to ice cream in Greenwater.  It was a nice hike and I think the relatives will have good memories of their visit.

I should mention that the bugs early on were not a problem, but after the Emmons Moraine trail the flies were annoying...enough so that I put on some repellant.  I only got bit a couple of times, though, so that was ok.  At the Glacier Basin camp there was a sign directing you to the toilet, but I never actually checked it out. 

We camped one night at Sunrise and another at Glacier Basin. Both were great sites. Heat was horrific so we lounged at camp each afternoon and hiked early and late. First night we ate dinner up at Mt. Fremont and were so glad to be heading back just as sunset crowds were heading up. Holy smokers they were like a line of ants heading up there! On the way back to camp we saw a Cascade Red Fox playing alongside marmots which was awesome. Also on this trip we saw salamanders, frogs, and a black bear with her cub.