Parking
Use the main Longmire parking area behind the National Park Inn. The trail starts across the road at the stone steps by the Wilderness Information Center.
Overview
About Indian Henry's Hunting Ground via Longmire
Why go
- The cabin, open meadows, and Mount Rainier views reward the long approach.
- Old-growth forest, creeks, and flowers give the route several distinct stretches.
Heads up
- Thirteen miles and a sustained climb make this a full-day hike.
- A washout at the Kautz Creek crossing can disrupt access beyond Longmire.
Indian Henry's Hunting Ground via Longmire is a 13-mile out-and-back on the Wonderland Trail to a subalpine meadow and historic patrol cabin. It begins in old-growth forest, crosses Kautz and smaller creeks, then opens into meadows with views of Mount Rainier and Iron Mountain. Plan for about eight hours and roughly 2,400 feet of climbing. This is a hard day hike, but the changing forest, creeks, camps, and open high country give the long approach a real destination. Do it for a full-day wilderness outing, not a quick meadow walk.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs it worth a full day?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation2,743–5,377 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
7 active Mount Rainier alerts
- ClosureWildfire closures in the northern parkGrand Park 2 and Wonderland Complex fire closures affect trails, backcountry camps, and Sunrise access; stay out of closed areas.Official details
- ClosureSR 165 bridge closed: no public access to Carbon River or Mowich LakeThe SR 165 Carbon River/Fairfax Bridge is closed to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians; there is no public access or alternate route to Carbon River or Mowich Lake.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Your drive to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground via Longmire, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Longmire: A Museum, Mineral Springs and a Meal0:00 / 0:39
“You're nearing Longmire, the historic village that became park headquarters in eighteen ninety-nine.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Fay Fuller’s Mountain Murmurs
- Why Iron Mike Runs Rusty
- Cougar Rock: A Picnic or a Waterfall Walk
- Twin Firs: A Short Walk Among Old Trees
- 77 audio storiesacross Mount Rainier’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Goat, Black Bear, Wolverine, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 87 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Indian Henry's Hunting Ground via Longmire
Get the approach rightStart at the stone steps across from the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. A steep 0.
Start at the stone steps across from the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. A steep 0.1-mile spur reaches the Wonderland Trail; cross Paradise Road and climb sharply to the Rampart Ridge junction at about 1.9 miles. Stay on Wonderland for this route. Some directions take Rampart Ridge outbound and return on Wonderland, which makes a different approach loop; the distance and mapped line here follow the direct Wonderland out-and-back. The return retraces the same route to Longmire.
Forest, creek, and campsThe Longmire stretch climbs and dips through old-growth forest before descending to Kautz Creek.
The Longmire stretch climbs and dips through old-growth forest before descending to Kautz Creek. The crossing is a log bridge that has washed out before, so check current trail conditions before setting out. Beyond the creek, the trail reaches Pyramid Creek Camp, climbs by switchbacks, crosses Fisher's Hornpipe Creek, and traverses a ridge to Devil's Dream Camp at about five miles. Expect the first half to feel like a long forest hike with repeated climbs and creek crossings; natural water must be treated before drinking.
Turnaround before the cabinDevil's Dream is about five miles from Longmire, so turning there makes a roughly 10-mile…
Devil's Dream is about five miles from Longmire, so turning there makes a roughly 10-mile out-and-back. That's still a substantial day, and it leaves out the patrol cabin and meadows that give this route its name. Continue another gradual mile or so if you have the time and energy for the full destination.
The final mileBeyond Devil's Dream, the grade eases.
Beyond Devil's Dream, the grade eases. The route passes Kiya Lake, small meadows, and streams before reaching the broader Indian Henry's meadow and cabin. Kiya Lake offers partial views toward Iron Mountain; the open meadow is the main payoff after the forest. About a quarter-mile beyond the cabin, a junction leads toward Mirror Lake and Pyramid Peak. That 0.7-mile spur is optional and is not part of the 13-mile round trip here.
A long history at the meadowsNisqually and Cowlitz people visited these meadows in the mid-19th century.
Nisqually and Cowlitz people visited these meadows in the mid-19th century. A mountain guide known as Soo-Too-Lick, called Indian Henry by early settlers, hunted here and guided James Longmire and other explorers through the Cascades. The cabin, built in 1915–16, was the park's first backcountry patrol station and still stands at the meadow's edge.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Mount Rainier
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
