Little Ranger Peak via Ranger Creek — Saturday, May. 6, 2017

Mount Rainier Area > Chinook Pass - Hwy 410

To clarify, there IS a small parking area at the trail head on the east side of Rt 410. However, if it's full, simply park at the Buck Creek Recreation Area just south of the trail head. Today the parking lot was only half-full (and trail traffic was light), probably due to the weather. Although the forecast called for partly cloudy skies with a 10% chance of rain, we ended up encountering most types of precipitation on this hike -- hail, snow, sleet, and rain. Mountains certainly do create their own weather, so it pays to be prepared and bring plenty of layers (including a waterproof layer). The lower portion of the trail features many beautiful woodland wildflowers, namely trillium (a couple blooming but most on their way out), calypso orchids (going strong), and yellow violets (just starting). Note: Just before the Ranger Peak viewpoint there's a signed junction that's easy to miss because the sign isn't facing you as you approach it. To the left is the Ranger Peak viewpoint. To the right is the connector to the Dalles Ridge trail. The trail to the viewpoint is a bit tricky to identify because it's blocked by a few large fallen trees, but look closely and it's there. We had to walk all the way up to the fallen trees before seeing the trail beyond. Apart from those large fallen trees, there were only 2-3 other blowdowns on this trail, which were easily passable. The trail is in good shape and there's surprisingly little mud for this time of year.