[Paul M]

I was inspired by a recent post on a few lookouts in the Mt Rainier area to take a quick after work drive tonight to see if the road was now open to Sun Top. I was not disappointed. The peak is located off FR73 (before the Crystal Mountain turn off) and sits just 10 miles north-east of Mt Rainier on US forest land. There is a road to the 5271 ft summit and several picnic tables scattered around the LO making it an ideal place for a visit, day or night. While the road was still gated below the short summit trail on Saturday I was able to drive to the top tonight. There I met an elderly volunteer lookout who had just settled in the day before for a lengthy stay when the cabin was opened for the season on Sunday. We had a nice chat about the history of the lookout and he pointed out a number of things to me with his binoculars. Rainier itself was hiding in the clouds but we had open views off to the east and north. It is good to see a few of these old lookouts still manned and maintained. They are fading into history fast. Good road to the top. Three gates, all open.

Sun Top LO from the parking area

Kelly Butte from Sun Top - The Lookout cabin is on the highpoint on the left side of the ridge

Chimney Rock from Sun Top

This gentelman just setteled in yesterday for a stay

Sun Top Lookout

[PeakJunkie]

also a fun ski trip there in the winter. I skied up there with my daughter Anna on my back when she was a year old... Now she'll be headed off to college in the fall...