Grand Park via Sunrise

Grand Park provides one of the absolute best views of The Mountain from any of the trails in the park. Though longer than the access from Lake Eleanor, this route is more scenic, passing through the stark rocky landscape of Sunrise to flower-filled Berkeley Park and then climbing gradually through cool forest before getting to alpine meadows and majestic Grand Park itself.

The trail leaves the Sunrise parking lot and climbs a set of large stairs through a wide, green valley. You'll be with crowds heading to Dege Peak and other, closer destinations. At a ridgeline, peer over into Huckleberry Valley before turning left. You're now on the Sourdough Ridge Trail. This trail continues 1.1 miles along a highline that overlooks the Sunrise Valley to a five way intersection. Here, hikers can head left to Burroughs, do a 180 and make a short loop back to Sunrise via Shadow Lake, turn right and climb to Fremont Lookout, or continue straight on to Berkeley Park and Grand Park. 

The trail passes along the rocky north side of Burroughs Mountain, along the Wonderland Trail before reaching another intersection. Here, the Wonderland continues to the left, but you'll proceed straight on, descending into a lush valley. complete with wildflowers, marmots, and brooks that can only be described as 'babbling'. This is Berkeley Park, a respectable destination in and of itself, but keep going -- Grand Park offers a different, but similarly striking landscape. 

Passing through Berkeley Park camp, the trail begins to climb more steadily. Now in cool forest, you'll cross several creeks and enjoy a respite from the sun's rays, as you proceed up and up, on your final push to Grand Park. Turning around, you can glimpse Rainier through the trees, but you may want to save the best views for lunch.

Seven miles from the Sunrise trailhead, you'll pop out into Grand Park. Here you can stop and finally drink in all that Rainier has to offer, but you may want to wander further into the park, to get the true sense of grandeur.

Small pockets of trees in Grand Park offer shelter for animals and break up the landscape here. Further afield, to the west and east, are craggy mountain peaks of the Tatoosh Range, but the true gem of Grand Park is Rainier, somehow larger than life from this vantage point.