Lucky Sunrise Hike to Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout

One of the best sunrise hikes while adventuring in the Pacific Northwest might just be at Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout. This picturesque spot is located inside the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, just 80 miles south of Seattle. Though close to a highly populated area, I was still surprised how popular Tolmie Peak was because the trailhead is located at the end of a 17 mile long, dead-end, dirt road. Obviously, it was worth every rough and dusty mile but my travel companion, Michelle, and I also got quite lucky during our visit and it might not have been as enjoyable if we hadn’t!

In this post I’ll outline the hiking stats, share a photo tour, and explain the lucky sequence of events that resulted in our epic sunrise experience. 

Hike Stats

Trailhead: Mowich Lake Campground 46°55’58.8″N 121°51’50.4″W
Cost: $30 one-week Mount Rainier National Park Pass OR invest in the $80 America the Beautiful National Park Annual Pass
Length: 6.5 miles out & back
Elevation gain: 1,010 feet
Time: 3 hours
Official website: Mount Rainier National Park

The Road to Mowich Lake Campground

Tolmie Peak was on night six/day seven of my 12 day road trip in Washington, right after I completed the epic 20+ mile thru hike of The Enchantments. Our goal for this day was to get to Mowich Lake to try to nab one of the 13 first-come-first-serve campsites. Tolmie Peak Trailhead is also located at the end of this road.

After we passed Carbonado and before we crossed the sketchy Fairfax Bridge, we lost all cell service and began the 1-hour dirt road drive. It was early afternoon and I began to lose all hope of getting a campsite as car after car passed us heading out. And, even though we could technically pitch our tent on National Forest land before the park boundary, there was literally no where to pull off to do so.

Finally, we arrived and parked in the Mowich Lake campground parking lot and walked into the circle of tent sites. Exactly one was vacant. I immediately stood on the tent pad while Michelle filled out our reservation form and grabbed our tent from the car. 

What luck. 
Except for the weather. 

Note: Mowich Lake campground amenities include a bear-proof food storage locker per tent pad, shared picnic table, vaulted toilets, and bear-proof trash canisters.

Caught in Unpredictable Weather

It was grey and gloomy and Mount Rainier was nowhere in sight so, after we made camp and walked around Mowich Lake, we had little to do other than hang out at camp, eat, listen to all of our fellow campers, and hope the clouds would lift. (And be sympathetic for the other hopeful campers who strolled through the site hoping another tent spot would open up…) 

We went to bed early and I stirred three times that night. On the third time, at 2:30am, I unzipped the tent window to see crystal clear skies dotted with stars.

What luck, again.

I nudged Michelle and told her to grab her headlamp, bear spray, and to put on her boots. We were going for a hike. With the goal of reaching Tolmie Peak before sunrise, we left camp shortly after 3am, making loud conversation along the way, and arrived at the lookout with perfect timing. 

The Trail to Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout

The trail to Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout is mostly under tree cover which made for a very dark hike. Luckily the trail wasn’t too technical, though there are a fair amount of roots and rocks to watch out for. Once we reached Eunice Lake and the sub alpine meadows it was getting lighter out but we still had the steepest part of the trail left. The final push along the ridge to the top was a moment of adrenaline as I bounded up the fire lookout steps. Only one other gracious lady @suitcasesinseattle was up there enjoying her accomplishment.

What luck, times 3!

Note: You cannot stay at the Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout Tower. In fact, no wilderness camping is permitted around any part of the Tolmie Peak Trail. 

It’s easy to see why this spot would become crowded for sunset, but relatively few are able to make the effort to get there for an early summer morning sunrise. We encountered just the one other hiker the entire time we spent at the peak, enjoying the color changing mountain skyline and panoramic view. We enjoyed the hike back down just as much as the morning light cast a golden light on all we had missed in the dark including many wildflowers, Mount Rainier peak views, and stunning lake reflections.

Have you ever had an epic sunrise or sunset experience that’s resulted from a series of lucky events? If so, let me know in the comments below!

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