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Little Mashel Falls - Bud Blancher Trail — Oct. 18, 2025

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
  • Fall foliage
 

beautiful

Little Mashel Falls - Bud Blancher Trail — Oct. 11, 2025

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
1 photo

3 people found this report helpful

 

It was pretty easy to get to! The trail was easy but if you want to get to the fall, it will be a little hike! But not too bad.

Little Mashel Falls - Bud Blancher Trail — Sep. 6, 2025

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
Beware of: trail conditions
  • Ripe berries
  • Hiked with kids

4 people found this report helpful

 

I hiked with an adventurous 9-year-old, but was glad I had left my 80-yo mother at home. Though the first part of the trail is an easy, wide, flat, gravel pathway, the trail that leads up to the falls was steeper and had more trip hazards. The trail spurs that take you down to each of the waterfalls were quite difficult to navigate - definitely recommend poles, though some spots we just had to use our hands to grab on to tree roots or rocks. The wet rocks are extremely slippery.

It was raining on the beginning of our hike and we were glad we kept going — the waterfalls were magical, especially the Middle Falls. The signage for middle falls and upper falls are tricky. I used AllTrails to navigate and was glad I did. Getting to the Upper Falls is tricky and requires a stream crossing; it was low enough that we could step across without getting our feet too wet.

We saw crawdads in the water near the Upper Falls. Also saw frogs in several places along the way. Overall, a beautiful hike! Not strenuous at all, just tricky to navigate the rough terrain.

Little Mashel Falls - Bud Blancher Trail — Aug. 24, 2025

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
3 photos
AmandaMeanders
WTA Member
20
  • Ripe berries

2 people found this report helpful

 

This trail is packed with great features: three waterfall views within a 5-6 mile hike, a variety of terrains, and good amenities at the trailhead (ample parking & a toilet)

Although there is a flat, wide, gravel path for the first part of the hike, I was glad to have poles for the scrambles near the waterfall viewing points. The rocks can be slippery and wobbly at points, and a few very brief sections were steep.

Beware that one sign marking the path to upper falls (pictured) is incorrect, though others have written over it to point the correct way.

Little Mashel Falls - Bud Blancher Trail — Aug. 17, 2025

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise
  • Ripe berries

2 people found this report helpful

 

The hike here was beautiful! All three falls are beautiful but the middle especially the upper middle are stunning. Found a few thimbleberries and blackberries along the way. Total mileage was about 5.5 after exploring all the falls. Definitely come prepared with good footwear as the rocks are slick. Be ready to take a dip in the rock pools you won’t regret it!