Golden Lakes Backcountry Campsites — Mount Rainier National Park

Campground Review:

My partner and I were hiking the Wonderland Trail (93+ miles around the base of Mount Rainier) and this was our final site on our long trek. Since we got a walk-up permit, we didn't have much choice in what campsites we got, but really felt lucky to land the group site at Golden Lakes. It was sizeable, but not gigantic- could fit three medium sized tents comfortably. It overlooked the lake and had the best water access of the entire campground. There were logs to set things on as you cooked, a really nice outhouse, and lots of trees to give you some privacy from the other campsites. Unfortunately, there were some louder groups staying next to us, and there isn't much spacing between sites so it can get pretty noisy. Overall, we agreed it was one of our favorite sites on the trail (and we stayed at 8!). Pretty simple hike from Mowich Campground, too!

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Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I got an opportunity to try out MH Mac and Cheese! We saved this meal for last because we were SO. EXCITED. We literally couldn't stop talking about how excited we were to try it out- calorie rich, lightweight, and mac and cheese in the backcountry?! What's not to be excited about. Although it didn't FULLY live up to our expectations (I mean, we really talked it up in our mind), it was delicious and the perfect end to a long day of hiking- we definitely didn't go to bed hungry. The 3 servings is great after a 15+ mile day and was one of the few dinners that didn't leave us wanting. It was a little soupier than I expected, but tasted like homemade mac. Super easy to make, takes MUCH shorter time to cook than Backpackers Pantry meals, and is a perfect addition to any backpacking/camping trip. Will purchase again, just wish MH made more vegetarian options….