Mount Rainier is mesmerizing. When you look at it, it holds your glance until you fully digest it’s enormity. When travelling through the park, you develop a sense for where it is. And both of these make you love it. It’s both beautiful and powerful. And it’s one of those parks you’ll want to come back to, again and again.
We visited Mt Rainier in August 2020
Getting There
With Rainier sitting so close to Seattle, you’ll invariably be coming from the city and we did too. But we had to get to Seattle from North Cascades which was a slow roll along a lot of pretty country roads. As we approached Mount Rainier, it was late enough in the day and along with the low clouds, the mountain was not yet visible. This visit was unique because we didn’t stay in a campground. Eddie got a break for 3 nights. Since we had a late change in plans, there were no campground (w/hookups) reservations to be had, so we opted for a small cabin just outside the Nisqually entrance to the park. If you’re looking for a nice, quaint place, Mounthaven Resort was great. There were several families and everyone was having a good (relatively quiet) time. They also have a few RV hookup sites if you plan in advance. We loved it because it was < 5 minutes outside the entrance and we got to take long, hot showers. Sorry Eddie.
The Mountain
Mount Rainier is the second tallest mountain in the continental US (Whitney in CA is taller, but not nearly as majestic) and is capped in snow/glaciers year round. We were lucky to have the mountain visible all 3 days of our stay and draped in bright sunshine for two of them. As we ascended the main road for the first time, we stopped at nearly every viewpoint and at Longmire where a cool old lodge allows its guests to sit along a long porch looking at the mountain. By this point, we were fully captivated by the beauty of the mountain. Climbing the rest of the way to Paradise (that’s really the name of the area) included more stunning views and curvy switchbacks which Ruby handled with ease. At Paradise, the slopes exploded with purples, pinks, yellows, and whites from the wildflowers blooming in their limited growing season. John Muir called Mt Rainier “the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens I ever beheld in all my mountaintop wanderings.” It’s absolutely breathtaking and the flowers alone make the trip worthwhile. While the Visitor Center was closed, there were several park rangers nearby to field questions about the numerous hikes in Paradise. We chose to stick with easy/moderate treks and headed to Myrtle Falls and Alta Vista. The falls were picture perfect and Alta Vista was definitely alta (tall). We decided that their grading system was off a bit as we got pretty winded on these. Maybe it was the elevation. We also ventured out on the Skyline Trail which gets you quite close to some of the glaciers. We added a hike to Nisqually Vista which was easy, with a spectacular view of the mountain and a good education on the Nisqually Glacier. Net/net, the 4+ miles of hikes around Paradise was perfectly tiring for us. There are many more hikes which we’ll tackle if/when we return.
The Lakes
Yes, there’s more to Rainier than just the mountain. There are waterfalls working their way down nearly every slope and canyon. And there are many lakes, each with different perspectives. We stopped at Reflection Lakes, just past Paradise, two times so we could capture the reflections of the mountain under different lighting. Be sure to go see the Rainier Photo Gallery (link). Reflection Lakes is a roadside stop, and the water is more calm in the morning and evening, plus the crowds are lighter. The Bench and Snow Lakes Trail hike was highly recommended and one that we loved. It’s a nearly 3 mile moderate hike through forested slopes leading up to Bench Lake and then Snow Lake. It was somewhat breezy and overcast, so the bugs weren’t an issue (but you should take bug spray). Snow Lake is definitely more beautiful and we got to eat our lunches on a nice rock outcropping with no one around.
Ruby’s
Favorite
We really liked the roads in Mt Rainier, but I think Ruby Sue loved them. They were in good shape and the windy treks through cool, partly lit forests were great fun. One of our favorites was the one way Paradise Valley Road. Most people park at Paradise, do some of the great hikes there, and then leave the way they came in. The loop is only 2 miles, but it wasn’t crowded and this is where we saw the most wildlife during our stay. We saw a black bear in the valley below and stopped to snap a couple pictures. While we were parked alongside the road, a marmot came out of the bushes and snuck up behind Rainy. It was like he wanted his or her own photo shoot. We loved it.
Mount Rainier NP is a winner. If you can, avoid the weekends in Paradise as the locals flood in to take advantage of this great park. The park does a great job with their signage and trail markers. They’re not so great with dedicated RV parking, but fortunately Ruby helps us get around that shortcoming. And like other parks, try to get off the beaten path for even better vistas and wildlife encounters. Overall, Rainer is a fantastic visit, no matter where you live. And if you’re traveling from afar, combine the visit with Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks. Just be sure to get to Paradise.
I like how you named your vehicles for the characters in the Vacation movies. How appropriate is that?