Parking
Start at the Sourdough Ridge Trailhead north of the main Sunrise parking lot. Follow the signed access trail west toward Frozen Lake.
Overview
About Mystic Lake Trail via Sunrise
Why go
- Meadows, glacier terrain and a remote lake make a varied long day
- Skyscraper Pass opens to Rainier, Adams and sometimes Baker
Heads up
- Nearly 18 miles at high elevation with repeated climbing
Mystic Lake Trail via Sunrise is a high-country out-and-back to a small lake between the Carbon and Winthrop Glaciers. The mapped walk is about 18 miles round trip and takes most of a day, roughly 10–12 hours. Published totals vary, with some as high as 21.8 miles, so plan toward the longer figure if you have a firm turnaround. This is a good choice for hikers who want a long route through meadows, glacier country and a remote lake; it is too much for a quick stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation4,675–6,886 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 Mystic Lake Trail via Sunrise, 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
Sunrise: Walk to Emmons Vista0:00 / 0:37
“Sunrise is ahead, with the visitor center and day lodge at sixty-four hundred feet. For a short visit, I'd take the half-mile round trip to Emmons Vista and continue past the first overlook to the second.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Sunrise Road White River View: Rainier's Crater Rim
- White River: The Campground and Patrol Cabin
- Beargrass Has No Seven-Year Clock
- A Pika's Winter Haypile
- 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 Mystic Lake Trail via Sunrise
Climb out from SunriseStart at the Sourdough Ridge Trailhead, north of the main Sunrise parking lot at about 6,400…
Start at the Sourdough Ridge Trailhead, north of the main Sunrise parking lot at about 6,400 feet. Climb moderately to Sourdough Ridge, then follow it west to Frozen Lake and join the Wonderland Trail. The early ridge gives you wide views of Rainier and Mount Adams; Mount Baker can appear on exceptionally clear days. Berkeley Park is the next open stretch, with summer wildflowers among the meadows.
Pass, camp and glacier countrySkyscraper Pass is the high point of the approach and a strong place to stop for the view…
Skyscraper Pass is the high point of the approach and a strong place to stop for the view before the route drops toward Granite Creek Camp. The camp, about 4.4 miles from Sunrise, has a latrine and water that needs filtering. Beyond it, the Wonderland Trail crosses rocky glacial deposits marked by cairns near the Winthrop Glacier. Look for the glacier's crevasse fields above the old moraine, then expect another climb through forest before the trail opens into Mystic Lake's meadows.
At the lakeThe lake sits between Mineral Mountain to the south and Old Desolate to the north.
The lake sits between Mineral Mountain to the south and Old Desolate to the north. On a calm morning or evening, the ridges can reflect in the water; stay on durable ground and out of the fragile shoreline vegetation. The name is attributed to visiting professors J. B. Fleet and H. H. Garretson, who reportedly saw a mysterious whirlpool near the lake's outlet.
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.
