Spray Park Trail

Spray Park Trail leads to what many Rainier veterans consider the finest subalpine wildflower meadow in the entire national park, a broad, glacier-fed basin on the remote northwest flank of the mountain that bursts into color from late July through mid-August with a density and diversity of blooms found nowhere else in the Cascades. The trail begins at Mowich Lake, the largest and deepest lake in the park, and climbs steadily through old-growth silver fir and mountain hemlock forest before breaking into the open meadows of Spray Park at around 6,000 feet. Lupine, paintbrush, bistort, valerian, and dozens of other species paint the landscape in sweeping bands of purple, red, white, and yellow against the backdrop of the mountain summit. Spray Falls, a dramatic 350-foot cascade, sits just off the main route and is worth the short detour. Black bears are frequently seen foraging in the meadows, and black-tailed deer are nearly constant companions at the upper elevation. The remoteness of the Mowich Lake approach - reached via a rough gravel road - keeps crowds significantly lower than Paradise or Sunrise. On a clear day the views of the Willis Wall, the most imposing cliff face on Rainier, are breathtaking. Spray Park is the definitive off-the-beaten-path Rainier experience for those willing to make the drive.