| Campground: | Alder Lake Campground, Washington. |
| Total Distance: | 1294 Miles. |
| Distance Traveled Today: | 237 Miles. |
| Key highlights: | Riffe Lake viewpoint (Washington Road 12) Mount Rainier National Park Wonderland trail from Rainier Inn to Cougar Rock |
It’s time to head to our next state—and enter Washington. We are heading to Mount Rainier via road 12, which winds between beautiful lakes like the spectacular Riffe Lake.
Washington is exceptionally green at this time of the year, and despite the heavy clouds (no rain), the drive is very rewarding. We hoked our RV in Alder Lake Park, a very well-maintained, spacious, and full-service RV campground just above Alder Lake. After a quick lunch – we headed into the national park. While the top of the mountain was covered with clouds, it was good weather for a short hike. we hiked the Wonderland trail first part from the National Park to Cougar Rock campground –
a 4-mile (round trip) hike inside the lush forest along the Nisqually River (up to the collapsed wood bridge- that cut the trail ahead of the falls).
The trail is highly recommended. After the hike, we drove up the road to Paradise, where the road closes. The snow height was roughly 6-10 feet.
Check