Best time to hike the Wonderland Trail
Quote:
Originally Posted by
STICK
As for time I think I am going to try sometime from beginning of August to the end of September.
It is my experience that September is usaully the very best time to hike the Wonderland Trail; however, I hiked it in August this year and had no rain until the last day. People who hiked it the next week had rain every day.
My experience --
Prior to June 15 -- It is possible to hike the Wonderland Trail prior to June 15, but it is unlikely that all the bridges will be in and there will still be snow fields.
June 15 -- July 15 -- The bridges will be in, but the trail will still be muddy. The wild flowers will be blooming at the lower elevations. The mosquitoes are at their worst on the west side from Devil's Dream to Mowich River Camp. I hiked it one year at the end of June and swore "never again."
July 15 -- Aug 15 -- Anytime after July 15 is good. The wild flowers are at their peak around Aug 15, The mosquitoes are mostly gone except for the Devil's Dream and Indian Henry's Hunting Ground.
Aug 15 -- Sept 30 -- The prime time. The wild flowers are at their peak. This is the dry time of the year. The mosquitoes have died out so the only bug problem is small black flies.
Sept. 30 -- Oct. 31 -- Late, but ok. In October, the nights are cold and rain begins to return to the Cascades. Snow returns to the higher elevations, so if one chooses to hike in October, he or she needs to be prepared for a sudden winter storm. It isn't unusual for bridges to wash out before the end of October. I was there on the first of Novermber this year and the lakes had already frozen over and snow covered at least 80% of the trail.