Summerland Camp (5,928') is located 4.2 miles from the Fryingpan Creek Trailhead in Mount Rainier National Park. This venerable section of the Wonderland Trail, variously referred to as the Summerland Trail, rises through impressive old growth into idyllic meadows at the base of Mount Rainier (14,410') and Little Tahoma Peak (11,138'). It continues 1.5 miles to Panhandle Gap (6,752'), the highest point on the Wonderland Trail.

The Wonderland Trail continues 1.5 miles past Summerland Camp to Panhandle Gap (6,752'), the highest point on this epic 93 mile loop around Mount Rainier

Subalpine meadow vegetation is grouped into 5 distinct communities: Heather - Bell Heather / Huckleberry, Sitka Valerian, Show Sedge, Low Herbaceous, Green Fescue and Black Alpine Sedge (Henderson 1974)

A short spur off the final approach to Panhandle Gap offers a great view of the Sarvent Glaciers and Fryingpan Creek headwaters

Subalpine parklands ring Mount Rainier from 5,000' - 7,000', an airy ecosystem between forest line and treeline characterized by clustered tree stands and herbaceous meadows,

Lengthy sections of the Wonderland Trail between Summerland and Panhandle Gap are covered by perennial snow, and can be difficult to reach without technical gear before it gets tracked out by regular use

Subalpine meadows, which may be snow-covered through late June, have short growing seasons that can drive spectacular all-at-once blooms.

Mount Rainier was built up above the surrounding landscape by repeated eruptions and lava flows

The east side of Rainier is much drier than the west side; for example, the Paradise weather station sees an avg of 126" of precip per year, while the Ohanapecosh sees about 75"

Panhandle Gap offers rangy view down the Ohanapecosh River valley, and across the Cascades to Mount Adams

Subalpine meadows are slow to repair; visitors are asked to remain on designated trails and existing paths at all times

Large, accessible tarns form at the base of glacial remnants under Meany Crest

Interestingly, Mount Rainier is a relatively young mountain at about 500,000 years old - surrounding peaks of the Cascade Range are at least 12 million years old

Once across the bridge over Fryingpan Creek at 3.3 miles, the landscape opens to flower-filled meadows framed by Mount Rainier and Little Tahoma Peak

The cobbled channel of upper Fryingpan Creek is a good example of 'Aggradation', a process by which glacial river beds are filled with rock

Terrain changes quickly above the Summerland meadows to rugged outwash plains, boulder fields and moraines

Summerland was named by climber and explorer E. S. Ingraham during one of his many visits to the area

Glacial ponds may form where ice broken from a glacier melts and gets trapped behind a moraine

It's worth continuing south from Panhandle Gap along the Wonderland Trail for great views down the Ohanapecosh headwaters

Most simply defined, glaciers form wherever more snow accumulates than is lost each year