Franklin Falls Wagon Road Loop

We drove up the Denny Creek Road to the parking area for that and Franklin Falls this morning. We hiked up the Franklin Falls Trail to Franklin Falls then returned via the Wagon Road Trail for a 2 mile loop with 350 ft overall gain. Views along the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River heading up the Franklin Falls trail

The Wagon Road Trail is a lovely forest walk where we found this very large stump

We saw a few wildflowers, some berries and fungi along the trail this morning

Paradise Glacier and Golden Gate Trails from 4th Crossing

We droce to the 4th Crossing Trailhead along the Paradise Valley Road at Mt Rainier National Park to do a modified Skyline Loop Trail with a side trip up the Paradise Glacier Trail, overall 5.3 miles with 1,350 ft of gain. Photos of the wildflowers along the road by the trailhead.

Heading up the 4th Crossing Trail

Gorgeous wildflower meadows and views of Mt Rainier and Tatoosh Peaks as we headed up Mazama Ridge on the Skyline Trail

Views along the Paradise Glacier side trail:

Above: view of Mazama Ridge to the south with the Goat Rocks, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens behind them. Below: zooms of the Goat Rocks, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens

We continued a short way beyond the end of the "maintained" trail, seeing Stevens Creek, melting snow bridges and up on a snow field some mountain goats (zoom photos of the goats)

Going back down the Paradise Glacier Trail we saw some marmots and a ptarmigan, we then continued on to the Skyline Trail going up towards the Golden Gate Tail

Views as we descended down the Golden Gate Trail, then rejoining the Skyline Trail back towards Mazama Ridge

some of the wildflowers seen along the trail today: