Parking
Start on the south side of the Sunrise parking area; the loop returns here via Old Campground Trail.
Overview
About Shadow Lake Loop
Why go
- Meadow color and a small lake make a satisfying three-mile loop.
Heads up
- Evergreen cover interrupts some of the mountain views.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Mount Rainier map
Full mapElevation6,204–6,398 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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 Shadow Lake Loop, 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 Shadow Lake Loop
The three-mile loopShadow Lake Loop is a 3-mile loop from the south side of Sunrise’s parking area.
Shadow Lake Loop is a 3-mile loop from the south side of Sunrise’s parking area. Follow Sunrise Rim Trail to the lake, then return on Old Campground Trail. Colorful high meadows lead to a small, forest-backed lake; the listed hiking time is about 1½ hours. It is a compact high-elevation outing rather than a summit hike.
Choose the returnThe simple plan is Sunrise Rim out and Old Campground back.
The simple plan is Sunrise Rim out and Old Campground back. Follow the junction signs for Shadow Lake: other Sunrise routes share this trail network. A separate Sunrise Camp circuit goes over Sourdough Ridge and Frozen Lake and is a longer outing, so take those branches only if you want to add that route.
Meadows, lake and viewsThe approach crosses colorful meadows, with the lake as the main pause.
The approach crosses colorful meadows, with the lake as the main pause. White River Valley and Mount Rainier views open from parts of the route, though evergreen cover interrupts the mountain view in places. At the lake, forest reflections make a natural photo subject. Stay on the marked tread to protect the delicate meadow plants.
High-country rulesThe starting area is about 6,400 feet above sea level, so account for the elevation if you are…
The starting area is about 6,400 feet above sea level, so account for the elevation if you are not used to hiking high. Pets are prohibited on park trails.
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.
