I arrived at the trailhead at 2pm. There were easily 150 cars parked along the road. Everyone is trying to take advantage of a perfect Saturday at the end of the summer I guess. For me, crowds ruin the hiking experience, so I decided to do the Spray Park Trail first in hopes of Tolmie Peak thinning out a bit. I returned to the trailhead at 5pm and there were only around 30 cars left. I passed most of those people heading back as I hiked up. At the top there were only four people when I arrived. Perfect.
The trail begins at Mowich Lake in the Mt Rainier National park, so a National park Pass is required to park here. Dogs are not allowed in the park. The trail is very well maintained and not overly strenuous. Eunice Lake is a gem and offers plenty of space to relax and gain your strength for the final ascent to the lookout tower.
It was a stunning sunset and I hiked by headlamp back to the truck. There were bear sightings along Eunice Lake (and Spray Park), so hiking down in the dark was a but unnerving. The blueberries are out so the bears are coming closer to the trails for snacks.
The only thing wrong with this trail is the horrendous road to get there. It's long and awful. But, you are rewarded at the end.
