Tolmie Peak by Mount Rainier is among the many high points in the northwestern foothills of the national park. To its west perches the famous lookout above Eunice Lake. Then to the not-so-distance south nestles the well-known Mowich Lake.
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Tolmie Peak at a Glance
Access: West Boundary Trail
Round Trip: 10 miles
Elevation Range: 3600′-5920′
Gear: microspikes, snowshoes
GPS Track: available
Dog-Friendly: no pets
The Preface
While the dogs were dreaming about Mount Persis from the day before, I snuck out to enjoy some me-time. But without a plan, I sifted through many reports on WTA. Then I stumbled across this particular hike inside Mount Rainier National Park.
I haven’t made many trips around Mount Rainier in the few years I’ve hiked. The national park also has a strict no-pets policy to preserve wildlife. So I used today to check out new places while I had the chance.
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Virginia Peak to Tolmie Peak Lookout
The entrance to the hidden West Boundary Trail took a while to find. Soon, I hiked up to the ridge above Mowich Lake Road. Then I went northeast through Virginia Peak, Razzleberry, and Berry Peak.
Later I made my way down to Eunice Lake meadows. There I enjoyed the sight of the lookout tower from the icy pond. I’ve read that there is only a handful of remaining lookout towers in Washington State.
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Summit View Plus Outro
I put on snowshoes before leaving the tower. Then I stashed the poles and used the ice ax to traverse a short way over to the peak. The icy spots I found along the way weren’t too hard to bypass.
Sadly, Mount Rainier was under the clouds the entire time. Otherwise, views in the area would’ve been grander. I crossed the outlet back in the meadows and scrambled down to Mowich Lake Road. From there, I walked three miles back to the car.
See more trip photos here.