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The Wonderland Trail is a hiking trail circumnavigating Mount Rainier The trail was built in 1915 An estimated 200 to 250 people a year complete the trail with several thousand others doing shorter sections

The Trail
The trail is within the national park and passes through major life zones of the park from lowland forest to subalpine meadows of wildflowers As the trail circles the mountain hikers see different faces of Mount Rainier The trail is considered strenuous as its almost always climbing or descending the ridges around the mountaim Theres many river crossings including two suspension bridges Many of the rivers are crossed on primitive log bridges which can wash away during heavy rain or when theres a lot of snow melt in the rivers Most of the bridges washed away during a storm so the trail was impassable and closed to hikers through most of 2007 The main hiking season is late summer which is often dry and sunny However Mount Rainiers elevation and proximity to the Pacific Ocean can bring moisture as rain or snow to the trail In many years the Wonderland Trail is still mostly snow covered during June and early July The traditional route between Mowich Lake and Carbon River is via Ipsut Pass and Ipsut Creek Many people take an alternative route across Spray Park and Seattle Park a higher elevation route that often lies under snow until late August

Camping
Camping on the Wonderland Trail is extremely popular throughout summer Wilderness Camping Reservations are essential for many of the most popular campsites 18 trailside camps 3 to 7 miles apart are located on the Trail Each camp has 1 to 8 sites for 1 to 5 persons The sites hold at most 2 tents Parties requiring space for 3 or more tents must camp in a group site Group sites are available at certain camps for parties of 6 to 12 persons These sites typically hold 3-5 tents Each camp has cleared tent sites a toilet bear pole for hanging food and a water source

Wilderness Camping Permits
A backcountry permit, including reservations for designated camping areas, is required to hike the Wonderland Trail. Advance reservations for permits can normally be submitted starting March 15 each year, with a lottery normally taking place on April 1 to attempt to meet the permit requests of as many hikers as possible.

Due to the damage suffered as the result of a flood in November 2006 the park service did not accept reservations for the 2007 summer season for attempts to hike the entire Wonderland Trail. The trail was reopened on August 3, 2007 after extensive work by the park service, the Washington Conservation Corps, Student Conservation Association and 1,700 volunteers