When it's a rainy day but you're on vacation in a national park, where do you go? What do you do? I like to find hikes that are mostly covered, but still provide some sort of view, like a waterfall or lake. The hike for Carter Falls and then Madcap Falls via Wonderland Trail fits that bill. An easy hike for many ages and skill levels, approximately 2.5 miles round trip (out and back), with nice views of 2 different waterfalls.
The parking for this hike is a small lot on the side of the road next to the river not too far inside the park entrance. We got there fairly early (around 8-830ish), and it was a rainy, drizzly morning, so there were only a few cars there and most of the individuals seemed to just be walking across the rocks out to the river for a quick peek and then turning back around to head onto something else.
The trail start is a little confusing to find as you are clambering over small rocky footing along the river. There is a worn path, but it can be a bit difficult to find at first. As long as you keep your footing you will make your way over to the river and the log bridge that provides a safe crossing.
After the log crossing, you will make your way up the path to the left. The trail widens and becomes very obvious and easy to follow once you enter the trees. With the intermittent rain, the tree coverage was appreciated. The trail is basically uphill at a gradual grade which runs alongside a rushing stream to the right until you reach Carter Falls. The falls themselves were roaring today, creating an impressive sight as they plunged over the rocks to the pool below.
(Carter Falls)
If you continue up the trail just a short way (maybe 200-500 feet), you will encounter Madcap Falls. Another overflowing cascade, creating a mesmerizing sight as the water flowed rapidly by in a loud torrent. There is a small viewing area with a fence where you can safely take in the waterfall.
(Madcap Falls)
Both waterfalls were cool to enjoy for a while before heading back out the trail the way we came. The trail itself does continue passed Madcap Falls, and you can make a longer trip to more views. If you check the signage at the start of the trail, it will give you additional information and mileage, but we had other plans for the day, so we turned back at this point.
In my opinion, this short, easy hike was perfect for what we had planned for the day and was a nice easy start to our day.
Notes:
Appropriate Footwear - whenever you are going anywhere in nature you need to make sure you have the appropriate footwear. Sturdy shoes, good traction are a must.
Appropriate gear - be prepared for different types of weather. Dress in layers. Water-wicking clothing. A base layer. Layers for added warmth (I like 3/4 zip long sleeves, sometimes a vest), and a wind/waterproof layer like a raincoat. We also had water resistant covers for our packs to keep anything inside dry as well. No use packing extra layers to keep you warm if those clothes get wet inside the pack.
Timed Entry Passes - you need to buy timed entry passes for Rainier now. You buy them online ahead of time. They have a limited number of passes for each day and are "released" or open for sale on certain days a few months prior to the entry day. Because I am an A Type personality, I made sure to be on the website for the day/moment they went on sale. I had no idea how quickly they might sell out, so I didn't want to take any chances. You buy a ticket for a specific day and time for one vehicle. The tickets were only $2/car and they are valid for a 2 hour entry time period. However at the time that we purchased, you can only buy 2 tickets, so if you are going to be there multiple days, or aren't sure when you will be at the park, you may want to have multiple people in your group buy a few tickets.
National Park Pass - you also need to buy a pass for the park itself. We purchased an America the Beautiful National Park pass, which is valid for all national parks within the USA. Since our group was going to be visiting several parks over several days during our trip, we considered this to be worth it. (You can check out a link I provided in a previous blog post regarding national park passes - see notes section at bottom of Discovery Point at Crater Lake post)
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