Stage 8 of the Wonderland Trail covers 15.7 km from Sunrise to Summerland, with 729 m of ascent and 823 m of descent. The highest point is 1,908 m. Allow about 6 hours of walking, plus breaks.
Distance, climb and elevation come from the Outest route data. Difficulty and time are estimates from distance and climb; your pace will vary with heat, pack weight and photo stops.
Meadow camp at 1,816 m (5,959 ft) with views of Little Tahoma, with 5 individual sites, 1 group site in a stone shelter, bear poles and a toilet. Very popular: reserve early. The upper Fryingpan Creek crossing on the way up was out in late September 2026.
NPS car campground at 1,327 m (4,353 ft) where the trail crosses the White River, with 88 first-come sites ($20), water and flush toilets, plus walk-in wilderness sites for Wonderland hikers (3 individual, 1 group). Food caches are kept in a bin behind the ranger station. Season late June to September; closed for the winter from October 2026.
Checked online in October 2026. Places marked "not confirmed by the operator" are listed on OpenStreetMap or in guides but could not be checked on an official page. On the Wonderland Trail you may camp only at the designated camp written on your wilderness permit for that night. Book the permit on Recreation.gov (Early Access Lottery in February, general sale from April 25) or try for a walk-up permit the day before.
Emergency: call 911. Little signal: carry a PLB. Emergency & health guide
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
The full stage works offline in Outest, with the route, elevation, water and village points, and a trail guide you can ask about conditions and the next place to sleep.