Hiking the Wonderland Trail: The Complete Guide to Mount Rainier's Premier Trail

by Tami Asars

"There's no other trip, trail or peak that any backpacker should rank higher on his life list than the Wonderland Trail." - Backpacker magazine

* Comprehensive and affectionate guide to one of the nation’s iconic wilderness trails
* Everything you need to help plan this 93-mile trek, whether done in one trip or several
* Lavish, full-color design, yet informative and practical, with 125 photographs and 18 maps
* Find even more details, updates and added trip extensions at hikingthewonderlandtrail.com

Washington State's famed Wonderland Trail is a spectacular 93-mile route that circumnavigates Mount Rainier, challenging hikers with its strenuous 22,000 feet of cumulative elevation gain and loss. Hiking the Wonderland The Complete Guide to Mount Rainier's Premier Trail is an authoritative guidebook penned by Washington native Tami Asars, a professional instructor on hiking the trail, a third-generation hiker of the Cascade mountains, and seven-time hiker of the entire Wonderland Trail. In this guide Asars draws on her experience, covering these

* How to work with the Wonderland Trail permit reservation system, and when to apply
* Recommended gear--with a checklist--and ways to reduce pack weight, prevent blisters, and stay warm and dry
* How to pack the perfect backpack
* Food and fuel caching on the Wonderland, tips and instruction
* Detailed camp-to-camp route descriptions and suggested itineraries
* How to extend your adventures with the Northern Loop Trail and the Eastside Trail

Over the years, Asars has taken extensive notes that she shares at workshops and in the field. Hiking the Wonderland Trail distills her boot-tested knowledge so that everyone can enjoy the magic of Mount Rainier's premier trail.

Genres: Outdoors, Nonfiction, Sports, Nature

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Liz Schomber · Rating 4 out of 5]

After deciding to hike the wonderland trail with @cmeread next summer I thought I should read some reference books to get an idea of what I was in for. This one had good reviews and looked pretty inclusive. It seems to have all the necessary information I will need. Timelines, packing lists, camp site info, terrain, weather, etc. I found the section on permits particularly useful and really enjoyed the photos and detailed info. I will keep referencing this as I prepare over the next 9 months to make my 96.2 mile trek around Rainier.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with all the info you want and need if you are considering a hike on the Wonderland trail in Mt Rainier NP. Make sure to get this book and make your decisions prior to February when the lottery for permits opens up!

I especially appreciated the sample itineraries based on number of days, with miles per day and suggested campgrounds for each day, and the miles and elevation gains/losses between campgrounds.

This book answered questions like, why go clockwise or counterclockwise? Where do you get water? Where can you get resupplies? Why start at longmire or sunrise? And many more you didn’t know you needed the answers to.

Also love the detail of the trails and some really great photos. Highly recommend!

[Abe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book deserves more than three stars, but it's only getting three because I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're planning on hiking the Wonderland Trail. Overall, it was a well-written book with great photos. Made my trip planning easier.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great source of info, essential reading for planning to tackle this hike I found the map of the full trail so bumping this up to 5 stars upon re-read in preparation for the trip!

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some good information about the Wonderland Trail, but there is a large amount of filler (about the first 1/3 of the book) that could have been left out. This information was relevant to beginning backpackers, but that didn't seem relevant to the audience who would read this book (i.e. people who have backpacked at least a couple times in the past). For this reason, I had to quickly skim this part of the book. I believe another reviewer mentioned this, but it'd be great to have a more utilitarian version of this book. Perhaps smaller and only with the information relevant to the trail itself?

As far as the content goes, you'll get a great feel for the terrain, campsites, and geographical features of the trail. The author also has some great sample itineraries of different lengths from various starting points (Longmire, Sunrise, Mowich Lake, etc.). I would just make sure to reference other materials in addition to this book. You may find that the trail conditions have changed since it was published in 2012, or if you're like me, you'll find some of the suggestions to be overly conservative (such as not sleeping in your cooking clothes in order to avoid bear encounters... who does that?).

[Liam Dillow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mainly read this book while out on the trail to familiarize myself with each day’s itinerary (although there were also several tips in the planning chapters that would have been helpful to read beforehand). I’ve read other guide books in preparation for various long-distance hikes and found this book to strike the right balance between providing technical information, descriptions, recommendations, and trivia- all with a good dose of witty humor. The reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because of the omission of certain information that would provide a more full richness of experience to the reader. For example, there is not much information describing the geological forces that shaped the mountain, and not much in way of the history of the native peoples that first inhabited the area such as traditional uses of plants which is something I deeply enjoy learning about. Finally, the maps provided omitted details such as topographical information and distances between points which would have been helpful. Overall, an enjoyable read.

[Christy Keeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a reason this book is on the recommended reading list of all books related to The Wonderland Trail; it's that good. It's the equivalent of Elizabeth Wenk's JMT guide, but for those hoping to circumnavigate Mt. Rainier.

Asars provides logistical information ranging from reaching the mountain and getting permits, to challenges of food caching and animal safety, and day-to-day/camp-to-camp/up-and-down overviews. She appends the book with an incredibly helpful list of recommended routes separated by starting point and number of hiking days.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good trail guide for planning your own backpacking trip. I thought the insight into the different campsites and water sources at the campsites was the most helpful. The author used some funny colloquialisms at times, my favorite was, "faster than green through a goose".

[Nicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written, informative and humorous. I liked the details about safe water, "bathrooms", natural features to stop and take a look at, and the animal section. Now to put all this knowledge to use in 5 weeks!

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent guide to the Wonderland Trail. Some of the information is outdated, but vast majority is still relevant and very useful. Our actual mileage and elevation gains/losses varied a bit from that reported in the book.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful pictures and lots of information, although the writing style was almost a little to conversational at time. Still enjoyed it a lot and am very much inspired to start planning a trip!

[Brock Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty much a must-read if you're planning Wonderland trip.

[Laurie Bragg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives practical advice and descriptions of each section of the WT.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait to do this hike! Lots of great information and will be an important part of planning my hike.

[lunarlibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic guidebook both as a read-thru and as a reference guide as I really start setting plans into motion later on.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful guide for preparing for my trip and also to prepare for the upcoming day when completing my trip

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to help me visually prepare for this hike. I hike Mowich to Longmire. Absolutely a trip of a lifetime.

[Sarah Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

A+mazing book. For anyone looking to hike the Wonderland Trail THIS is the book you'll want. Everything is covered, from the camp suggestions to the detailed trail description. Asars gives the book a light-hearted feel as she writes and goes through a lot of detail in each section. I have a complete sneak preview in my brain of what to expect when I hike it, now!

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Ready for the trail now!

[Shayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made me want to hike this trail. Not much more a book like this can do, I guess!

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A flowy description of the Wonderland Trail; I'm just more of a numbers-crunchers type of gal.