Grand Park, backway via FS #73, 7-19-06

[Slugman]

I ditched the dog again this week for a little jaunt into Mt Rainier NP on Monday the 17th, but not having a Nat Park pass or $15, I had to "sneak" in via a FS trailhead. The Lake Eleanor TH off of FS #73 is easily found, and the trail is in excellent shape. Don't believe any reports that this is a fisherman's path or way trail. It is a fabulous trail overall for walking, mostly compacted pine needles, with a couple of muddy spots too insignificant to mention other than to downplay them. No problems with blowdowns were encountered either. Lake Eleanor is reached in one quick mile, then some nice woods are traversed, then it's up a mild ridge to Grand Park. And Grand it is! The flowers! The views! The open meadows! Ok, I'll stop with exclamation points now. It was very nice. Mt Rainier itself was playing peek-a-boo behind the clouds, but I still was able to see Mt Freemont lookout, Burroughs mtn (still snow on approach to B3), and catch a glimpse of people on the Interglacier with my binos. I saw a deer up close and personal, and just lounged around enjoying the cool breeze that kept the hungry mosquitos at bay, at least most of the time, while grooving on the flower show.

I hiked out in record speed for a slug, leaving the trail junction of the Grand Park trail and the Northern Loop trail at 7 pm and doing the 4 1/4 miles back to the car in two hours, including two ten-minute breaks. I then drove farther along FS 73 towards the Lonesome Lake area, but stopped at a view spot on Huckleberry ridge due to fog further along the road, and slept in the back of the Subaru.

Tuesday morning was cloudless, so I drove over to Lonesome Lake, a nice enough place to visit if you happen to be in the area. After breakfast and leisurely coffee I left LL, and turned left (right as you come in) on the first real road heading towards the mountain. After about a couple of miles, I came to a fantastic view campsite overlooking the West Fork White River with a post-card view of Mt Rainier. What a campsite, one of the best I've ever seen. I hung out there for most of the day, then drove back to "civilization" stopping off at Kanaskat-Palmer St Park for a dip in the Green River. Some pics from the hike can be seen at this link: http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15348&highlight=grand+park+backway

[Webmaster]

Thanks for the TR and welcome aboard! When I started to read your report I thought to myself, I wonder how long it took to get from the closed gate near the bottom of FS-73 to the trail leading to Lake Eleanor? Then I figured it out.

Grand Park is one of my favorite hikes. I the couple times I've been there was the same way you described. What other ways do folks come into this area?

I think I know the camping area you mentioned with the view of the White river, or one nearby. The one I remember appears to be at the end of a spur road with nothing between the road end and MR except open air and clouds.

[Slugman]

Another way to get to Grand park is via Sunrise and Berkely park.

The camping area was not at the end of the road, but I've been told that if I had driven a little ways further, I would have come to the spot you are thinking of. It supposedly has a view of the natural arch inside the park, with binoculars.

[Webmaster]

Thanks! i'll give the other routes a look. I didn't know that there is an arch inside the park. That's cool. Where abouts can it be found??

[Slugman]

It's marked on the topo maps of the park, just south of lake Ethel. It's actually called "Natural Bridge". I've never been there, so I'm not sure exactly what it is.

[lookout bob]

I hiked into the 'Natural Bridge' many years ago....it's not much to see and isn't really ( IMO) worthy as a destination hike. If you happen to be doing the Northern Loop trail, it's worth a view but isn't much.( I've been to Utah and the Bridges and arches there are much more impressive....nonetheless, it is a bridge and is a cool feature.....);)