Mount Rainier · Success Cleaver
Success Cleaver · Longmire / Wonderland Trail
SR 706 blocks Nisqually Entrance access October 23 at 9 PM through October 24 at 6 AM Pacific. NPS identifies Stevens Canyon via SR 123 as the Paradise alternative during that window; Longmire–Paradise gates remain weather-dependent.
Checked 2026-10-23 · NPS Road Status ↗The Route
The southwest cleaver rises from the Pyramid Peak area toward Kautz Cleaver and Point Success.
- Indian Henry’s / Mirror LakesLongmire or Kautz Creek approach
- Pyramid Peak VicinityCross-country approach
- Success CleaverSnow and rock
- Kautz CleaverUpper connection
- Point SuccessColumbia Crest beyond
Approach Variants
The guide’s old Tahoma Creek approach is closed. It also describes reaching Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground and Mirror Lakes from Longmire on the Wonderland Trail or from Kautz Creek. Those alternatives have different approach distances.
Lower Cleaver
Cross-country terrain near Pyramid Peak leads toward Success Cleaver. The guide separates a lower scramble ending around 8,000 ft from the much longer summit climb. The lower outing does not describe the complete ascent.
Summit Connection
The summit version continues through snow, rock and scree toward Kautz Cleaver and Point Success, with Columbia Crest beyond. The published old-approach trip total is not displayed as the mileage for the alternate Longmire start.
Mirror Lakes & Off-Trail Basin
The Mirror Lakes trail fades into a boot track in the basin between Copper and Pyramid peaks. Cross-country travel around Pyramid Peak precedes the saddle at the foot of Success Cleaver. Reaching this area is not equivalent to the lower scramble's 8,000-foot turnaround, much less the summit climb.
Upper Cleaver & Return Options
The summit description changes from snow and rock to steep chutes connecting with Kautz Cleaver near 12,600 feet. It includes exposed scree and a final low-fifth-class rock band, then Point Success before Columbia Crest. The source allows a return on the climbing line or a carryover down Disappointment Cleaver; the carryover finishes at Paradise rather than the initial southwest approach.
Terrain Along the Route
Snow, rock and scree lead toward an upper rock band.
The summit climb is distinct from the guide’s lower scramble ending around 8,000 ft. Old Tahoma Creek mileage does not describe the alternate Longmire approach. Source accounts describe reference terrain, not current route conditions. Reference Set: 2026-10-23.
Weather
Current forecasts open at the providers below. NWS forecasts describe a terrain grid cell, not an exact summit.
Access
Longmire / Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Trailhead & Approach
The route guide identifies the Wonderland Trail from Longmire or Kautz Creek Trail as approaches to Indian Henry’s Hunting Ground and Mirror Lakes, separate from the old Tahoma Creek approach.
Roads & Closures
SR 706 blocks Nisqually Entrance access October 23 at 9 PM through October 24 at 6 AM Pacific. NPS identifies Stevens Canyon via SR 123 as the Paradise alternative during that window; Longmire–Paradise gates remain weather-dependent.
Route & Endpoint
The summit climb is distinct from the guide’s lower scramble ending around 8,000 ft. Old Tahoma Creek mileage does not describe the alternate Longmire approach.
Climbing Registration
NPS requires registration for glacier travel or travel above 10,000 feet. The climbing fee and the required permit are separate.
Camping & Reservations
The park manages camp and climbing-route capacity through its wilderness permit system. Check the official process for your dates and chosen camps.
Seasonal Registration
The September 8, 2026 ranger update identifies self-registration at Paradise and White River. Station staffing and access change seasonally.
Longmire Parking & Lower Camps
NPS locates Longmire's main parking behind National Park Inn and the Wonderland trailhead across from Longmire Museum. The lower approach passes Pyramid Creek and Devil's Dream camps before Indian Henry's Hunting Ground; overnight use requires permits.
Source information checked 2026-10-23. Road snapshots are dated separately.
Reports
Success Cleaver Ranger Archive
Open the dated ranger posts for this route family. Some neighboring variants share an archive; check the line and publication date inside each report.
Route Reference
Summit route, separate from the lower 8,000-foot scramble objective.
Park Trail & Camp Updates
Official updates cover lower approaches and backcountry camps separately from upper-mountain climbing reports.
Links open the publishers’ report pages. Reports are not automatically imported or filtered to a forecast date.
Sources
Other Mount Rainier Routes
- Mount Rainier · Disappointment Cleaver · Disappointment Cleaver from Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Emmons-Winthrop · Emmons-Winthrop · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead
- Mount Rainier · Kautz Glacier · Kautz Glacier · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Liberty Ridge · Liberty Ridge · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead
- Mount Rainier · Ingraham Direct · Ingraham Direct · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Fuhrer Finger · Fuhrer Finger · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Fuhrer Thumb · Fuhrer Thumb · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Wilson Headwall · Wilson Headwall · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Gibraltar Ledges · Gibraltar Ledges · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Tahoma Glacier · Tahoma Glacier · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Sunset Ridge · Sunset Ridge · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Central Mowich Face · Central Mowich Face · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Edmunds Headwall · Edmunds Headwall · Mowich Lake · Historical Approach
- Mount Rainier · Ptarmigan Ridge · Ptarmigan Ridge · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead