+ 25
Spray Park and Spray Falls
Hiking Trail
Hard
5.83 mi
1,630 ft
Hike to a 350-foot waterfall and epic views of Rainier.
"Found on the northwest side of Mount Rainier, Spray Park extends from the Mowich Lake walk-in campground and treats visitors to a dense collection of Pacific Northwest attractions and scenery, including the 350-foot Spray Falls waterfall,” writes Brad Lane on []( While the long drive down a dirt road to reach the trailhead keeps some hikers away, if you do brave the long approach you'll enjoy some of the best views in Mount Rainier National Park along this fantastic hike!
There are three main route options in Spray Park. The first and easiest is to simply hike out-and-back to Spray Falls. While this is a worthy hike and Spray Falls is an incredible destination, the most epic views are located beyond Spray Falls.
The second option, mapped here in full, visits Spray Falls and then continues further down the trail—and up the mountain. After Spray Falls, the climb gets significantly steeper, ascending a series of switchbacks along Grant Creek. "Your reward begins as Grant Creek goes out of earshot and you come to open meadow after open meadow, surrounded by forest that thins out the higher you go,” writes Steven Payne on []( About two miles after the turnoff to Spray Falls, you’ll reach the most epic vistas, with views of Echo Rock, Observation Rock, and Rainier. The route as mapped here turns around at this point and then retraces the same trail back to the car.
Finally, if you really want to get epic, you can turn this hike into a 16-mile loop around Mother Mountain that returns to Mowich Lake with no backtracking required. However, if attempted as a day hike, this is a serious feat with over 4,400 feet of elevation gain and a degraded trail tread in places. While, of course, it _is_ an attainable day hike, ensure that you’re prepared and provisioned for a full day in the mountains.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
"Found on the northwest side of Mount Rainier, Spray Park extends from the Mowich Lake walk-in campground and treats visitors to a dense collection of Pacific Northwest attractions and scenery, including the 350-foot Spray Falls waterfall,” writes Brad Lane on []( While the long drive down a dirt road to reach the trailhead keeps some hikers away, if you do brave the long approach you'll enjoy some of the best views in Mount Rainier National Park along this fantastic hike!
There are three main route options in Spray Park. The first and easiest is to simply hike out-and-back to Spray Falls. While this is a worthy hike and Spray Falls is an incredible destination, the most epic views are located beyond Spray Falls.
The second option, mapped here in full, visits Spray Falls and then continues further down the trail—and up the mountain. After Spray Falls, the climb gets significantly steeper, ascending a series of switchbacks along Grant Creek. "Your reward begins as Grant Creek goes out of earshot and you come to open meadow after open meadow, surrounded by forest that thins out the higher you go,” writes Steven Payne on []( About two miles after the turnoff to Spray Falls, you’ll reach the most epic vistas, with views of Echo Rock, Observation Rock, and Rainier. The route as mapped here turns around at this point and then retraces the same trail back to the car.
Finally, if you really want to get epic, you can turn this hike into a 16-mile loop around Mother Mountain that returns to Mowich Lake with no backtracking required. However, if attempted as a day hike, this is a serious feat with over 4,400 feet of elevation gain and a degraded trail tread in places. While, of course, it _is_ an attainable day hike, ensure that you’re prepared and provisioned for a full day in the mountains.
Sources:
Written by Greg Heil
Created By
Strava Routes
Route and Elevation
Segments
| Name | Distance | Elev. Diff. | Avg. Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spray Park Trail Climb | 0.28 mi | 256 ft | 17.2% |
| Spray Creek crossings switchback climb | 0.65 mi | 564 ft | 16.3% |
| Eagle Cliff to End | 1.47 mi | -226 ft | -0.0% |
| Spray Park Trail Climb | 0.29 mi | 135 ft | 8.5% |