sun top lookout

After walking about 15k all around the rim of Crystal Mountain area I stopped for lunch at this beautiful summit restaurant. The food and service was very good and the hot chocolate to die for. The view on that clear day was breath taking including. Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt Baker, Mt Adams and Mt St Helens. The chipmunks and birds were obviously used to human contact and were very entertaining.

Figure out how to get here and do it! Absolutely breathtaking views. Don't do unless the roads are dry as this is gravel, rock and dirt all the way to 5300 ft. Made it up in a Chevy Malibu, but if you don't like unimproved road with steep drop offs to one side, this isn't the drive for you. For those who can handle it, your reward is at the end of the road!

My friend Kathy brought me up here on our way to her Cabin at Crystal Mountain. Girls Weekend. The weather was clear and sunny and I had never been to SunTop before. I have lived in this State my entire life and did not know that this Lookout existed. The veiw of Rainier and surrounding area will take your breath away. Bring your camera and make sure you have a sturdy vehicle to get there. It is graveled and uphill the entire way, with switchback curves and some pot holes. But well worth the drive. The old lookout is very rustic, and just what an old forrest service lookout should look like.There is a public porta potty at the top. I will be going back again this summer. Thank you Forrest Service!

We got lucky and circled Mt. Rainier on a beautiful, clear, sunny day. There was plenty of parking. Definitely recommend!

Sun Top Lookout is an active US Forest Service observation post. It is located atop of a high peak, offering great views of Mt. Rainier vicinity. And it can be reached by car all the way to the top, so if you are considering a family trip to show your mom how great are Washington mountains (like I did), this is a better option then Crustal Mountain gondola ride. The road is wide enough for 2 cars to pass, but a bit rough, unpaved and with some potholes in the lower part. SUV will handle that easily, driving a passenger car please be extra careful and watch out for potholes.Ascend and descend take about 30-40 minutes overall, as one have to move in 1st or 2nd gear.There are couple of tables in the picknick area and a very friendly ranger at the top. He is deployed for the whole summer season to watch for wildfires. Probably visitors give him an opportunity to talk a bit with a fellow human - there is no cellular coverage there.