Beautiful sunny morning, we headed up to Chinook Pass to hike the Naches Peak Loop. We started at Tipsoo Lake in Mt Rainier National Park and hiked around the lake, before going clockwise on the 3.5 mile loop trail. There is 600 ft of elevation gain on the trail. At the end of summer, the morning air is very crisp and the plants were frosty. From the parking area, we could see a single mountain goat grazing on the side of Naches Peak.
Lots of frosty pasqueflower seed heads near Tipsoo Lake.
From the other side of Tipsoo Lake, we had nice views of Mt Rainier reflecting in the lake.
Yakima Peak as seen from Tipsoo Lake.
The trail crosses highway 410 on a bridge marking the entrance into Mt Rainier NP. The next section of the trail is along the PCT in the Wenatchee National Forest and the William O Douglas Wilderness. We met 3 PCT hikers who had started at the Mexican border and were hiking on to Canada.
The morning warmed up as the sun rose over the horizon. There is some nice fall color below Naches Peak.
The trail passes this lovely tarn.
We saw some wildflowers still in bloom, here some asters and monkeyflowers.
Overlooking Dewey Lake and Seymour Peak.
Hear we could hear elk bulging in the distance.
Enjoying the fall colors along the trail.
Soon after passing the Dewey Lake overlook, the trail divides, down to Dewey Lake along the PCT or continuing to the right along the Naches Peak Loop Trail and back into Mt Rainier NP.
The reason to do this trail clockwise, walking into the views of Mt Rainier!
small tarn, Mt Rainier and Naches Peak
another look back down to Dewey Lake
Mt Rainier disappears and comes back into view along this trail.
To the far south we could see Mt Adams behind Seymour and Shriner Peaks.
more lovely fall color
more views of Mt Rainier
Before crossing the highway to Tipsoo Lake, we followed a boot track along Upper Tipsoo Lake, Naches Peak in the background.
View of Mt Rainier and Upper Tipsoo Lake from the far side of the trail.
fall color along the side of Naches Peak
View of Yakima Peak, part of Tipsoo Lake and some pearly everlasting after we crossed the highway.
some of the wildflowers and fungi we saw along the trail today:
Beautiful sunny morning, we headed up to Chinook Pass to hike the Naches Peak Loop. We started at Tipsoo Lake in Mt Rainier National Park and hiked around the lake, before going clockwise on the 3.5 mile loop trail. There is 600 ft of elevation gain on the trail. At the end of summer, the morning air is very crisp and the plants were frosty. From the parking area, we could see a single mountain goat grazing on the side of Naches Peak.
Lots of frosty pasqueflower seed heads near Tipsoo Lake.
Overlooking Dewey Lake and Seymour Peak.
View of Yakima Peak, part of Tipsoo Lake and some pearly everlasting after we crossed the highway.
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