Backpacked the Wonderland Trail 10 years apart and it felt like two different places

I did the Wonderland Trail around Rainier back in 2013 and then again last summer. The trail crews have done a TON of work on the river crossings and boardwalks over that decade, but I also noticed way more people camped at the designated sites even on weeknights. Has anyone else noticed a big shift in how crowded certain sections got?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosep876d ago

Did you use the backcountry reservation system for the exact same zones both trips? That made a bigger difference for me than I expected on finding quieter spots.

matthewgonzalez6d ago

Wait did you go to the exact same zones on both trips or just the same general area? I'm wondering if the reservation system helps more when you're trying to get into the popular spots versus the less traveled ones. Kinda curious how much picking different zones changed your experience compared to just using the system itself.