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Once the site of an old mining camp near the Inter Fork River, Glacier Basin sits at 5,970 feet in elevation, in a deep, glacial valley below 8,690-foot Mount Ruth and 7,830-foot Burroughs Mountain. Above the basin, the small Inter Glacier is flanked by the much larger Winthrop and Emmons glaciers—the latter being the largest glacier on Mount Rainier. Ideal for a quick backcountry camping fix without a lot of effort, the trail to Glacier Basin—portions of which are old mining road—climbs 1,760 feet in just over 3.2 view-packed miles. The route begins in the White River Campground and just follows the river up the valley, where summer months bring an abundance of wildflowers to the hill- and trailsides. An optional side trail at the 1-mile mark mounts a rocky moraine which grants expansive views over the White River Valley, up to the rocky toe of the Emmons Glacier.
The primitive camp area at Glacier Basin sits in the shady woods at the edge of a sprawling meadow. In the meadow is a wide, shallow, seasonal pond. Photogs will love capturing incredible images of the mountain reflected in the pond. The camp area offers five individual sites (max 5 campers) and one group site (max 12 campers). There is a small, composting privy nearby, as well as two food storage lockers. Campers should only use established sites, follow Leave No Trace guidelines, and treat all water. Overnight camping requires a valid backcountry permit, which can be obtained in advance using the park’s permit reservation system ($20 application fee), or by walk-in at one of the park’s Backcountry Information Centers (free). Due to the popularity of this location, and its ease of access, advance reservations are recommended.
For an eye-popping alternate return route, consider taking the Burroughs Mountain Trail up to Shadow Lake, then descending back to the White River Campground via the Wonderland Trail. This 6.9-mile route branches off the Glacier Basin Trail (approx. 0.7 mile east of the camp area) to climb 2,030 feet to the 7,400-foot summit of Second Burroughs Mountain. The view from this perch is breathtaking, offering a sweeping panorama of Mount Rainier, Goat Island, Little Tahoma, Emmons Valley, and Crystal Mountain. The trail then cruises along the edge of the valley to the Emmons Overlook and skirts the tree-ringed Shadow Lake (another backcountry camping opportunity), before commencing a switchbacking descent to complete the loop back at the White River Campground.
Awesome easy hike with some great views! This has to be one of the easiest hikes with the most scenic views, short of just driving up to mount rainier. You do have to park at the parking lot and walk a little bit to get to the trail if you don’t have a camping spot. And camping spots are first come first serve here. So be sure to get there early Thursday or Friday or Saturday morning and you might get a spot.
Nice easy trail with amazing views of Mt Rainer and nearby glaciers. Last half mile to the camp site still lots of snow. Great campground.
Glacier Basin is a good hike out from White River Campground. It'll push you a bit if you're out of shape, but it's otherwise quite doable. We saw hikers in sandals to hikers with packs, poles, and sturdy boots.
If you choose, and are seeking a challenge, you can branch off from Glacier Basin Trail and head a couple thousand feet up to Burroughs.
To avoid weekend crowds, we got to the park at 5am to start hiking the 8-mile trail in the light of sunrise. Lucky as we encountered a mama bear and her cub scavenging near Glacier Basin Camp. Judging by the light brown fur color, the cub could be of rather younge age.
The incline on this hike was a bit more intense than the ranger told us it would be. That’s especially true of the first mile or so. He made it sound like we’d practically be walking on flat ground. It’s not too bad though. Just be prepared for it. Anyway, your sweat will have a big payoff. There are stunning viewpoints on this trail and its offshoots. You’ll have a crumby experience on a cloudy day (in terms of sightseeing, anyway), but on clear, sunny days, this trail is hard to beat. If you visit Mt. Rainier National Park when Sunrise and Paradise are closed (a large percentage of the year), this is where you should go.
We saw a snake on this trail. We weren’t expecting that.
There’s also a neat water fountain that looks like a pile of rocks close to where the trail starts. It’s neat.
