Sunrise Rim Trail Loop to First Burroughs

This is a 4.7-mile loop from the Sunrise lot to First Burroughs, using Sourdough Ridge one way and the Sunrise Rim the other. You get the close view of Emmons Glacier without the extra westward climb beyond First Burroughs. It gains about 900 feet at high elevation. Allow three hours with stops; the park's 2.5-hour estimate leaves less time for the views.

Start at the Sourdough Ridge Trailhead on the north side of the lot and follow the ridge west toward Frozen Lake. From the lake, take the Burroughs path up to First Burroughs. For the return, descend through Glacier Overlook and Shadow Lake, then take Sunrise Rim back to the lot. The steepest climb is between Shadow Lake and Glacier Overlook in the opposite direction; hiking counterclockwise, you'll descend that slope instead.

First Burroughs opens onto a broad, nearly flat plateau around 7,000 feet. Look across the White River valley toward Emmons Glacier; on a clear day, its ice and the cut of the valley are the point of the hike. Keep a strip of pale rock in the foreground if you take a photo; it gives the view a sense of scale. Second Burroughs is farther west and adds a separate climb, so this loop is an easy place to call it.

The Burroughs peaks honor naturalist and essayist John Burroughs. Alpine plants survive here in thin soil and grow slowly. Stay on the constructed trail, especially near the open summit and lake shore.

Much of the route is open and exposed, and early-season snow on the steep slopes can be hazardous. Start from the north-side Sourdough Ridge Trailhead for the counterclockwise loop; the south-side Emmons Vista Trailhead is the reverse approach. Pets aren't allowed on park trails.