Carbon Glacier and Moraine Park Trail

The full Carbon Glacier and Moraine Park route is a 21-mile out-and-back from Carbon River Entrance, with 3,740 feet of climbing. Allow about 11 hours on the trail; the long internal approach to this remote corner of the park is additional. It follows the river toward Carbon Glacier, then climbs through forest to a high meadow with Mount Rainier views. If 21 miles is too much, Carbon Glacier Overlook is a shorter established turnaround at 17 miles round trip.

Carbon River Entrance is the mapped starting point, but this is no longer a drive-up trail. The SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is permanently closed to vehicles, bikes and pedestrians, and the old Carbon River Road is closed to cars after flood damage. The area can be reached only by a long-distance route from within the park. From the entrance, the hike itself begins with five miles on the former roadbed to Ipsut Creek Campground; it climbs gently beside the river and the surface varies from dirt to rock. Bikes are permitted on this road section as far as camp, but not on the hiking trails beyond it.

A short connector from Ipsut Creek joins the Wonderland Trail. The route crosses the Carbon River on footlogs and passes flood-shaped ground where the tread can change. Check current conditions before planning the crossing; use the constructed crossings rather than improvising a ford. The northwest corner of the park is unusually wet, with rainforest-like vegetation along the lower river. The river has repeatedly shifted its channel through the valley, moving across old forest and fresh glacial deposits.

At the Carbon River Suspension Bridge and Spray Park junction, do not cross the bridge; continue about 0.4 mile to the constructed glacier overlook. Carbon Glacier extends more than five miles down the mountain to a terminus around 3,500 feet, the lowest glacier terminus in the contiguous states. The front is dark with rock debris, and meltwater emerges beside the ice. Rock and ice can fall from the snout, so stay on the overlook trail. For a destination photo, keep some of the rocky river bar in the foreground to show the glacier's scale.

The Moraine Park version continues beyond the glacier view on the Wonderland Trail. A steep run of forest switchbacks leads to the open meadow, where mid-summer wildflowers and broad views of Mount Rainier are the payoff. Turn around at this first reach of Moraine Park; the Wonderland Trail continues farther into the backcountry beyond this hike.

This is a long, remote route rather than a casual river walk. Pets are prohibited on park trails. Natural water needs treatment, and overnight camping at Ipsut Creek, Carbon River or Dick Creek requires a wilderness permit. The Carbon River gets its name from coal deposits found in the area; the glacier-fed river and floodplain explain why the trail corridor alternates between forest and exposed, recently reshaped ground.