This trail was nice and quiet on a summer weekday when the lot just up the road at the Sunrise visitors center was full. We only passed five people on the way to Upper Palisades Lake and a couple of groups on the way back. This would be a great high-elevation backpack with kids. There are only a couple of climbs and they aren't long. The weather conditions were perfect.ice-cold lake was very refreshing when I took a quick plunge.
There were two other people at the lake when we arrived, at the end of the first boot trail that leads to the south shore. If you keep following another boot path that forks north, you will come to the boulder field at the north shore within five minutes or so. Trail is easy to follow. Great spot for sunning on the rocks and a nice shallow entry for the icy plunge I took in the lake.
Plenty of lupine, paintbrush, and other lovely flowers are blooming. The two or three on-trail snow patches are very short and should be gone soon. We saw a bunch of frogs in the lazy streams near the smaller lakes and a salamander in Upper Palisades. This was the first visit to Mount Rainier National Park for two members of our party. Wonderful day!
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