Skyline Trail Loop
4 days ago
Fall colors arriving, wildlife abundant
10 this month · 121 reports
Mazama Ridge
Mount Rainier Area
updated 4 weeks ago
The Mazama Ridge trail is currently in good condition, with no reported snow. Road access is suitable for all vehicles, and parking is available, though limited at Reflection Lakes. Wildflowers are past their prime, with some reports indicating a below-average year for blooms, though magenta paintbrush and heather are noted as still vibrant. Wildlife, including numerous marmots and occasional bear sightings, has been a notable feature of recent trips. Biting insects were an annoyance as of July 6, but no bugs were reported in later August trips.
Generated from 13 trip reports. Trails change faster than reports do, so check anything you’d turn around for.
What hikers ask about Mazama Ridge
Generated from the most recent trip reports, newest 4 weeks ago. Check anything you’d turn around for.
No trip reports on this trail in 4 weeks, so everything below is at least that old.
As of July 6, there was a head-high blowdown on the Moraine Trail which was cleared by a hiker. The Lakes trail back to Reflection Lakes was noted as very eroded at the top with rock-hopping puddles and mud, requiring poles for stability. No other significant obstacles have been reported since then.
Wildflowers are generally past their prime, with one report in August 15 stating they are past their peak. However, various species like magenta paintbrush, lupine, and cascade aster were still visible then. Another report from July 6 noted avalanche lilies, shooting stars, paintbrush, buttercups, anemone, bistort, and heather in full bloom.
Yes, bears have been reported on multiple occasions. Juvenile black bears were seen wandering through meadows on August 20, and a bear was encountered along the trail on August 15 with two more seen grazing in the distance. A bear was also reported to have been seen swimming in a lake around August 8.
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Trail notes generated from recent reports. Conditions change fast.
Sources
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Today'sTacoma Mountaineers Hiking & Backpackingtrip was all about Marmots and Wildflowers. Was it a Miles sighting?Sometimes a day at Mount Rainier is about the wildflowers.Sometimes it is about the s...
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Today’sTacoma Mountaineers Hiking & Backpackingouting was another reminder that sometimes the most important work in the mountains is simply slowing down and paying attention.We spent the day supporti...
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Our group fromTacoma Mountaineers Hiking & Backpackingcollected data for the UW MeadoWatch program today.There are Mountaineers days when the goal is to climb something. And then there are days when t...
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Started hiking around 8 am on Saturday morning. Of note, the gate on the Paradise side was staffed before 7 am this weekend. Sunrise is closed due to wildfires. We waited about 15 minutes at 650 am to...
Older1 month ago
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Tacoma Mountaineers Hiking & Backpackingjoined theUniversity of Washington's MeadoWatch Programto collect Wildflower data on the trail.Not every Mountaineers outing involves climbing something. Someti...
Older2 months ago
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
A group of 5 Mountaineers hiked my favorite wildflower route around Paradise (link below). The flowers and the snow melt is a few weeks ahead of average: there was only one patch of snow on the Skylin...
Older2 months ago
South Cascades > Mount St. Helens
I did the Lakes loop starting at Reflection Lakes. I took the trail that goes to Mazama Ridge and starts beyond the far end of the parking lot. It was great! At the beginning were little ponds, and th...
Older3 months ago
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Parked on Stevens Canyon Rd near Pinnacle Peak TH and hiked a loop around Reflection Lakes. Pretty busy for a Tuesday midday, but we found a parking spot without issue. Trail has a few blowdowns but t...
Older5 months ago
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Oh man, what INCREDIBLE snow conditions for snowshoeing today! Wow. Okay, first things first. Road to Paradise is clear of snow, but early this morning, there was ice. However, in the afternoon as I w...
Older5 months ago
Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
I had been looking for an opportunity to enjoy the snow at Mt Rainier. That finally happened with a Mountaineers sponsored snowshoe trip to Mazama Ridge. Seven of us started at the Paradise parking ...