Naches Peak Loop (Mount Rainier)

Saturday,August 2, 2014 - Wildflower Hike with Introduction to the Natural World class

Glorious Wildflowers! Plus sunshine, then rain, then sunshine, then thunder and lightening, then hail, then rain, then sunshine! And Glorious Wildflowers!

We arrived at the Chinook Pass parking lot to start the Naches Peak Loop trail. From the get go there was plenty of flowers and we hadn't even made it out of the parking lot! The weather was variable during the first part of hike with rain and lightening and even hail. But eventually the weather passed and it was bright sunshine and sunny skies. However, the top of Mount Rainer was in the clouds.

It is a spectacular show of wonderful wildflowers in many beautiful colors and shapes. The views of Chinook Pass, Dewey Lake, Mt Rainer, and Tipsoo Lake were outstanding.

Highly recommend this hike. But do bring bug spray (we found that only the kind with Deet really worked) because the bugs are out in force. We had a reprieve during the rain storms and when some breeze kicked up.

There are pit toilets at the trailhead (but they are kinda stinky!). You can pay the $5 Northwest Forest Service fee if you don't have a Northwest Forest Service pass (but you can buy one of those at the Enumclaw Ranger Station on the way there if coming from the west).

The trail starts in Forest Service land but does go through Mt Rainer National Park so you can only bring dogs on part of the trail. The part with the best views of Mt Rainer are in the park.

Gordie and Shelly were great hike leader and co-hike leaders. Thanks for a great hike and identification of all the wildflowers we saw.