I hiked the skyline trail today (Friday) with my son (age 12). Started around 8:20am and even at that hour the trail was busy on the ascent. We opted for clockwise direction and the view on the way up is stunning. Wildflowers blooming with Mt Rainier as the backdrop, makes you forget how steep the trail is.
We opted to take the Deadhorse Creek trail offshoot up, which is less crowded And also the glacier vista offshoot.
The highest point of the trail, which is another 15-min hike up beyond panorama point, has even a better view. It was crystal clear today and we had a nice view of Mt Adams, Mt St Helen, and even Mt Hood was visible.
On the way down the trail was more snow-covered and needed a bit scrambling at short segments. Just make sure you have sturdy hiking boots and trekking poles.
We came down on the skyline loop instead of the golden gate shortcut.
Even with frequent stops for pictures, snacks and for catching our breaths, we were back down within 4 hours.
We saw at least half dozen of marmots along the way. Mosquitoes were not bad at all at this elevation. Fantastic hike! We have hiked in Berner Oberland in switzerland and in Chamonix last summer, and we felt this hike rivaled the scenery of the Alps!
Comments
Thanks for the report! What sections had snow? Was it beyond Panorama Point or beyond the Golden Gate junction?
Posted by:
robgirl on Jul 19, 2025 05:45 PM
Multiple segments had snow - both before (near Glacier Vista) and after Panorama Point - but the "hardest" segment is between Panorama point and Golden Gate trail. Again, if you are reasonably fit with good hiking boots and trekking poles, it shouldn't be any issues at all. Even if I had brought yaktrax, I wouldn't have bothered putting them on.
Posted by:
y2000k on Jul 19, 2025 05:48 PM
Awesome! Thanks for replying.
Posted by:
robgirl on Jul 19, 2025 06:06 PM