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In plain English
The Wonderland Trail is a loop around a mountain, and you sleep at named camps along the way. There is no lodge on the trail. Each night has a specific camp, and the park hands out a limited number of spots so the mountain is not overrun.
Getting those spots is the hard part. Most spots can be booked online in advance, and the rest are given out on the day at a ranger station. There is also an optional lottery that gives some applicants an early chance to book. Think of it as a line for tickets: the lottery decides who gets to the counter first, not whether there is a show.
Because you carry everything for about a week, the pack matters more here than on most hikes. The park lets you leave food and fuel at certain points along the route, which means you can start lighter and pick up more on the way.
The Wonderland Trail is a roughly 93-mile loop that circles Mount Rainier in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park, crossing huge elevation swings between old-growth forest, wildflower meadows, and glacier-fed rivers. It's a camping trail: nights are spent at designated wilderness camps spaced about a day's walk apart, and access to them runs through the park's permit system rather than a simple booking: an optional early-access lottery in February, advance reservations for about two thirds of summer permits, and walk-up permits for the rest. For most hikers, the only real lodging near the route sits at the start and finish, or in the small gateway community outside the park.
Why hike here
Circling the mountain means it never leaves your view for long, and it looks different depending on which side you're on — glaciers close overhead in one stretch, then meadows of wildflowers rolling below it a day later. The elevation swings are relentless: the route drops into river valleys thick with old-growth forest, then climbs back into open subalpine country for the next pass, so the scenery resets rather than settling into one long view. Late July through September is when the meadows are at their fullest and the high passes are most reliably clear of snow, which is also exactly why permits for those weeks are so competitive. Few trails let you watch one mountain change this much from every angle.
Getting there
Most hikers fly into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the region's major hub, then drive south to Mount Rainier National Park, a trip of a couple of hours depending on traffic and which entrance you're using. Ashford, a small community just outside the park's southwest entrance, is the usual staging point, with basic services for a night before or after the hike. Many hikers also start or end near the historic in-park inns, Paradise Inn and National Park Inn, run by Mount Rainier Guest Services, both close to trailhead access.
Where to stay
The realistic options, closest-to-the-trail first. Book through the official links — we don't list prices or availability because they change all the time.
For example: Designated trailside camps spaced roughly a day apart around the mountain
Everyone hiking the loop — the Wonderland is a camping trail.
Permits are competitive: an optional early lottery, most itineraries reservable in advance and some walk-up permits.
Mount Rainier wilderness permit (Recreation.gov)For example: Historic in-park inns for the nights before or after the loop
Hikers wanting a bed at the start or finish.
Paradise Inn is seasonal; National Park Inn is open year-round; book well ahead.
Mount Rainier Guest ServicesFor example: Cabins, motels and rentals near the park entrances
Hikers staging vehicles and resupply.
Handy for organizing food caches before you start.
Nearby-town lodging (official park info)
Permits & rules
A wilderness permit with camps is required for the Wonderland Trail; it is competitive, with an optional early lottery, roughly two-thirds of itineraries reservable in advance and roughly one-third available as walk-up permits. Store food properly and plan resupply caches in advance.
Gear you'll want for this trip
Matched to the terrain and conditions here. Real products — check current price on Amazon.
How the permit system really works
Some guides describe access as a competitive early-season lottery. The park describes a two-part system instead. A wilderness permit is required year-round for all overnight stays in the backcountry, and advance reservations are available for peak season, June through September, on Recreation.gov.1 Approximately two thirds of summer permits are reservable in advance, and reservations must be made at least two days before the trip starts. The remaining third are issued at Wilderness Information Centers on a first-come basis, and can be requested a maximum of one day before the start date.1
The lottery is optional. The park says demand for the Wonderland Trail exceeds capacity in peak periods, so an early-access lottery opens each February, and winners get a reservation window between March and April. Applicants may make a single reservation during that period, and the general on-sale opens April 25 for camps between June 1 and October 10.1 The park adds that it is unlikely a full Wonderland itinerary can be built at the general on-sale, but that walk-up attempts are still possible.1 Read that as: the lottery greatly improves your odds, but it is not the only door.
After you book, the permit still has to be activated in person with photo ID. The park cancels a reservation if you have not arrived by noon on the trip start day, and the camps go back into the walk-up pool.1 Party size is limited to five at individual trailside camps and to groups of 6 to 12 only at designated group camps.3
Camp rules, caches and what they do to the pack
Trailside camps come with primitive toilets, marked sites, food storage poles for hanging food and garbage, and a nearby water source.3 The park says to hang your food, and that in some subalpine areas without tall trees a bear-proof canister is highly recommended.3 Fire is prohibited on trails and in the backcountry, while white gas, iso-butane and alcohol stoves are allowed and bio-fuel stoves are not.3 Camping within 100 feet of water is prohibited except at designated campsites, and all water should be boiled or otherwise treated.3
Because the loop runs 93 miles, the park says hikers can cache food and fuel at several locations along the route during summer.2 That is the main way to keep the pack in a sensible range. The Washington Trails Association suggests 50 to 70 liters for trips of three to seven nights, and a pack near the top of that range leaves room for a bear-proof container if you choose one.4 Water adds up too, since a liter has a mass of about a kilogram.5
Conditions and lodging at the ends
The park posts trail and backcountry camp conditions, and updates them through the summer.2 Fire and road events can close sections and their camps, so have alternate itineraries in mind and check the conditions page before you start.2 The park defines summer for permit rules as May 15 to September 30, and treats snow depth as the deciding factor outside those dates.3
For beds before or after the loop, the park home page describes the National Park Inn at Longmire as lodging for year-round exploration.6 Some guides list both in-park inns as seasonal, so confirm the operating dates of each inn directly rather than assuming both are summer only.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to hike the Wonderland Trail?
Yes. Because it's a wilderness camping route, a wilderness permit is required for overnight camping, and each night is tied to a specific camp. The park runs an optional early-access lottery each February, releases about two thirds of summer permits for advance reservation on Recreation.gov, and holds about one third for walk-up at Wilderness Information Centers. Demand exceeds capacity in peak periods and the park says a full Wonderland itinerary is unlikely at the general on-sale, so keep your date and camp choices flexible.
Where can I stay before or after hiking the loop?
The historic in-park inns, Paradise Inn and National Park Inn, both run by Mount Rainier Guest Services, sit near trailhead access and suit a night before starting or after finishing; the park describes the National Park Inn at Longmire as lodging for year-round exploration, so confirm each inn's operating dates. The gateway community of Ashford, just outside the park, also has lodging for hikers staging their trip or picking up last-minute supplies.
How do hikers manage food over a trip this long?
Because the full loop typically takes about a week or more, most hikers cache resupply food in advance at points along the route rather than carrying everything from the start. Food needs to be stored properly at each camp, using whatever food storage is provided, to keep it away from wildlife.
Complete gearsets for this trip
Full curated kits built for exactly this kind of hike — what to bring, why, and links to similar gear.
Lodging details are compiled from official parks, refuge associations and reservation systems and can change without notice. We publish no prices, availability or ratings — always confirm current information on the official site before booking or setting out. Product links and the accommodation map are affiliate links: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; product prices and availability are shown on Amazon, and accommodation prices on the booking site. See our affiliate disclosure.