Brown Peak via Palisades Lakes Trail

We drove to Sunrise Point at Mt Rainier National Park to hike along the Palidades Trail to Brown Peak, 7.6 miles round trip with 1,750 ft of overall gain. We decided not to do any of the side trails to the lakes along the way, hiking directly to Brown Peak.

Above: view of Mt Rainier from Sunrise Point (trailhead is in the opposite direction) Below: view of Sunrise Lake below Sunrise Point

Above: view into the Palisades Lakes area as we descend down Below: wildflowers along the trail before the scree field; one of many lupine filled meadows along the trail; and a few of the many gentian in bloom, ripe blueberries

Views of Sourdough Ridge

Moonset over the Palisades, field of lupine below the Palisades

View of Brown Peak, our destination; steep footpath up Brown Peak

As we ascend Brown Peak views of Upper Palisades Lake and a view of Lower Palisades Lake

View of the Palisades and Mt Rainier to the southwest from Brown Peak

View of Slide Peak and Bear Park to the north-northeast

Another view of the Palisades and Mt Rainier from Brown Peak and a zoom of Mt Rainier

The views of the lakes were better as we hiked back in the afternoon, Dicks Lake and then Clover Lake

A view of Mt Rainier as we near the trailhead

some of the animals seen along the trail: frog, chipmunk, butterflies

some of the wildflowers seen along the trail today:

Thorp Mountain Lookout via Knox Creek

We drove up to the Knox Creek Trailhead off of FSR 1315.1 (which is off of French Cabin Road north of Cle Elum Lake) to hike up to Thorp Mountain Lookout, overall 4.5 miles round trip with 1,700 ft of gain. It was a beautiful sunny and hot day. Besides gorgeous views we saw some wildflowers and many ripe huckleberries. There is no longer a sign marking the start of the trail, it is across the road from the parking pull out. The first part of the trail was very brushy, with lots of cascade asters in bloom along with sitka mountain ash colored with orange berries.

Views from the other side of the ridge, continuing up towards the lookout

Above: zoom of Mt Rainier

Above: zoom of Mount Stuart and other Enchantment Peaks to the northeast. Below: Fire Lookout on Thorp Mountain

Above: Other Cascade Peaks to the north. Below: looking down on Thorp Lake to the east

Above: view of Kachess Lake and Mt Rainier to the southwest. Below: back in the flowered filled meadow as we descend down to the trailhead and one of the many butterflies we saw among the flowers today

some of the wildflowers and berries we saw along the trail today: