Accessible backcountry spots in Mount Rainier National Park

This collection features significant backcountry camps and historic shelters within Mount Rainier National Park. It includes high-altitude refuges like Camp Muir, situated at 10,188 feet, alongside stone structures at Indian Bar and Summerland built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. These sites serve as essential staging points for climbers and hikers on the 93-mile Wonderland Trail, offering access to diverse landscapes ranging from subalpine meadows to the edge of the Carbon Glacier.

John Mayer / CC BY 2.0

Camp Muir

Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington,…

Indian Bar Trail Shelter

The Wonderland Trail is an approximately 93-mile hiking trail that circumnavigates Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington…

Mowich Lake Campground

Walk-in campground with 13 tent pads located near the shore of the park’s largest lake. It serves as a primary trailhead for the Wonderland Trail and Spray Park.

Summerland Trail Shelter

Historic stone structure built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Located in a subalpine meadow along the Wonderland Trail, it provides shelter for backcountry hikers.

Lake George Campground

Backcountry site featuring a patrol cabin and tent pads, located a 1.9-mile hike from the West Side Road. It sits on the shores of Lake George beneath Mount Wow.

Dick Creek Camp

Small backcountry camp situated on a ridge overlooking the Carbon Glacier along the Wonderland Trail. It provides a high-elevation stopping point between the Carbon River and Mystic Lake.