HomeDestinationsUnited StatesWashingtonMount Rainier Backcountry Hike
Moderate
Hiking
🇺🇸 United States
Recorded Trail

This track was recorded on the ground by an actual expedition vehicle.

ID: US-WA-17
National park entrance fee required; wilderness permit for overnight stays
Mount Rainier National Park (NPS)

Mount Rainier Backcountry Hike

Added on 5 Oct 2026
Logged by @trailxon24 July 2022

15 km dirt-trail hike in Mount Rainier National Park with 850 m of climbing to 1,670 m and three stream crossings.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Check snow and trail conditions; carry layers as weather changes fast.

Weather check

At Start
873m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

46.7787, -121.8840

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 46.7787, -121.8840 @ 873m

Quick Stats

Distance
14.99 km
Type
Hiking Trail
Elevation Range
873m - 1669m
Max Elevation
1669 m
Max Gradient
21.4%
13%

Highlights

  • Wonderland Trail
  • Longmire
  • Kautz Creek

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Emergency Simplex
146.520MHz
Team Coordination
446.006MHz
Scout Primary
146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+850 m

Total Descent

-55 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)
60.4

60.4

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)
5.2

5.2

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)27%
Moderate (3-8%)41%
Steep (>8%)32%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved0%
Unpaved100%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Gravel
8%
Dirt Track
92%
Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

3

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 49

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryModerate

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 46.778521
MAX LAT: 46.801396
MIN LON: -121.914560
MAX LON: -121.881215

Point Spacing: 2.8 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

Expedition notes, route modifications, and surface updates shared by the community.

Log Expedition Notes

You must be signed in to contribute reviews

Authenticate Identity

Be the first to review

No reviews registered for this technical sector yet. Share your experience, surface observations, or gear recommendations!

Nearby

Trails near Mount Rainier Backcountry Hike

All trails in Washington →All trails in United States →
Hard
🇺🇸 United States

Richmond Mine Trail, Goose Prairie

47.5 km from this trail

14.86 km
1889m
0
0
Easy
🇺🇸 United States

Puyallup South Hill Drive

52.7 km from this trail

19.82 km
181m
0
0
Moderate
🇺🇸 United States

Tacoma Park Hike

70.9 km from this trail

6.08 km
163m
0
0
Easy
🇺🇸 United States

Vashon to Vashon - Shoreline Trail

83.9 km from this trail

1.94 km
46m
1
0
Easy
🇺🇸 United States

Fantastic Falls Walk, North Bend

85.3 km from this trail

5.05 km
223m
0
0
Moderate
🇺🇸 United States

Seattle Burien and Kent Drive

85.9 km from this trail

271.85 km
128m
0
0