Day 9 on the Wonderland Trail was our final low-mileage day. We would be hiking over scenic Skyscraper Pass, through wildflower-laden Berkeley Park and down to our destination: Sunrise Camp. Sunrise Camp is about a mile from the Sunrise Visitor Center, which has a grill that serves cheeseburgers, a small market, and our final resupply point.
The Route
We began with an 800-foot climb from Granite Creek, above the timberline to Skyscraper Pass.
It was a little over a mile, and at the pass we began to notice more hikers on the trail. Skyscraper Pass and nearby Skyscraper Mountain are popular destinations for day hikers heading out from Sunrise. The views were spectacular.
From the pass, we headed down to Berkeley Park, then up over the saddle to our final descent to Sunrise.
We reached Sunrise early and, once again, pretty much had our pick of the campsites. Once we set up camp, we hiked an extra mile to the Sunrise Visitor Center to pick up our resupply packages and enjoy a meal that wasn’t rehydrated in a bag.
Highlights
Skyscraper Pass and Berkeley Park
A short climb above the timberline gets you to Skyscraper Pass and big views of Mount Rainier, then the trail drops into wildflower-laden Berkeley Park. Because the pass and nearby Skyscraper Mountain are popular with day hikers from Sunrise, expect more company than on previous days.
Sunrise Visitor Center
We were also able to recharge our devices at the visitor center and revel in our stinky backpacker mystique for the tourists.
Where to Stay
Sunrise Camp is about a mile from the visitor center. We arrived early and pretty much had our pick of the sites, but the sites here are closer together and feel less private, partly because so many day hikers wander by. It’s a convenient camp for the resupply, rather than a secluded one.
Food & Resupply
This is the final resupply point on the Wonderland Trail. At the Sunrise Visitor Center we ate lunch, picked up our resupply package, chatted with some other folks who had just completed the Wonderland Trail, and then had dinner there too before heading back to camp. Next to the grill is a market that sells mostly souvenirs, but also some snacks, fuel canisters, sunscreen and some food. At this point we were growing a little weary of the lack of variety in our food bags, so it was really nice to supplement with a few different snacks.
Practical Notes
- Short day: Only 4.4 miles to camp, then about a mile each way to the visitor center for resupply.
- Climb: An 800-foot climb from Granite Creek to Skyscraper Pass, a little over a mile, then down through Berkeley Park and over a saddle before the final descent to Sunrise.
- Crowds: The pass and Skyscraper Mountain are popular with day hikers from Sunrise, so expect more people.
- Visitor center: Grill with cheeseburgers, a market (souvenirs, snacks, fuel canisters, sunscreen, some food), and a place to recharge devices.
- Distances: The mileage in the stats doesn’t include the roughly one mile each way from camp to the visitor center.
The Day in Numbers
| Start | Granite Creek Camp |
| End | Sunrise Camp |
| Distance | 4.4 miles (7.1 km), plus about 1 mile each way to the visitor center |
| Moving time | 2.5 hours |
| Elevation gain | 969 ft (295 m) |
| Elevation loss | 839 ft (256 m) |
| Highlights | Skyscraper Pass, Berkeley Park |
| Resupply | Sunrise Visitor Center (final resupply) |
Tomorrow would be our tenth day on the Wonderland Trail, and a return to more “normal” (i.e. not short) mileage as we hiked to Summerland, considered one of the most beautiful camps on the trail.
Originally hiked on August 13, 2019 with Derek and Jason.
Jeff has hiked and explored trails for over 50 years, covering everything from casual canyon walks to rugged multi-day Sierra routes. He started SoCalHiker.net in 2010 to document the trails he loves — and to make it easier for others to discover them.