Mt. Rainier National Park

Growing up in Washington, I didn’t fully appreciate or take advantage of having one of America’s most beautiful national parks in my own background. I think that’s pretty typical, no matter where you grew up, but as I got older and immersed myself in the outdoors, I learned how much of a blessing it is to have Mt. Rainier National Park a stones throw away from where I live.

If you’ve never been or don’t know too much about it, it’s is one of the largest active volcanoes in the lower 48 states and peaks at 14, 411 ft. On a clear day, you can see Rainier shining in the distance from pretty much anywhere in western Washington. There are many infamous shots of the City of Seattle with Mt. Rainier in the background, which really sets the stage for why this is one of the country’s most popular national parks. It’s close to a huge metropolitan city and an international airport, making it a prime destination for both out of state visitors and locals alike.

Since I live fairly close, I’ve visited Mt. Rainier National Park a handful of times for day hiking, but decided earlier this year that I really wanted to do a longer trip to explore more of the area.

The park is divided into 4 main areas, with the Mt. at the center. Those 4 areas include:

Paradise/Longmire (visitor center)
Carbon River/Mowich
Sunrise/White River (visitor center)
Ohanapecosh

For this particular trip, we booked a campsite at the Cougar Rock Campground, located near Paradise. This was like a 9/10 campground - I was so happy with our experience. First, most of the campsites were closed off due to hazardous trees, which made for a peaceful stay with fewer people at the campground. And this was our first camping trip since COVID outbreak, so the lack of people definitely put us more at ease. Second, our site was kind of tucked away in the forest, providing privacy and seclusion. Third, the restrooms were spotless, and the park provides potable and filtered drinking water at the campground. Fourth, it was a 10-15 minute drive up the road to reach the Paradise visitor center and other main attractions, so a very convenient location.

Cougar Rock was great, but there are other campgrounds in the park too. If you plan on camping during peak season, I suggest you book as early as possible. It can be helpful to set a reminder on your calendar for when the campsite reservations will become available to ensure you get whatever campground/site you’re after! There are also some sites that they keep open for first-come, first-serve but expect to arrive very early and/or on a weekday to claim one. If you aren’t keen on camping, there is an abundance of private lodging and hotels outside the park, including this super cute a-frame cabin we stayed in a couple of years ago. I reviewed our stay in a previous blog post - check it out!

Because we only explored around the Paradise area for this trip - this is what I will be featuring in this travel guide. Overtime, as I visit the other main areas, I will be sure to come back and update this guide on my recommendations and findings!

paradise

The basics:

Located on the southwest side of Mt. Rainier
2.5 - 3 hour drive from Seattle
Great variety of activities for a range of explorers (those looking to summit the Mt. to families who just want to have a nice picnic)

Sights to see (No hiking involved):

Reflection Lake*
Ruby Falls
Narada Falls*
Picture Frame Falls
Upper and Lower Sunbeam Falls
Christine Falls Bridge

Hikes:

Comet Falls (Easy)
Mirror and Bench Lakes (Easy)*
Skyline Loop Trail (Easy-Moderate)*
Alta Vista Trail (Easy-Moderate)
Pinnacle Peak (Moderate)
Camp Muir (Difficult)*

See full list of hikes near Paradise.
*Sights and hikes I’ve done.

My experience:

On our most recent trip to Mt. Rainier back in July, we spent 3 days and 2 nights exploring near Paradise. Our first day there was cloudy and the mountain never revealed itself, but Day 2 and 3 were blue sky and beautiful! There was still quite a bit of snow along the lower elevation trails, like the Skyline and Alta Vista trails. We weren’t in the mood to trudge through slushy snow, so we stuck to more of the scenic areas and ventured over to Bench and Snow Lakes for a day hike. We drove around the Paradise loop and pulled off at interesting places and overlooks, especially to watch the sunsets. The wildflowers were blooming everywhere and it was so beautiful!

My favorite moments of the trip were exploring new trails, elevating our camp meals and feeling like we really were away on vacation. You know how sometimes when you take a quick weekend trip nearby your home it doesn’t provide the same feeling as it does when you’re “away away” on vacation, but this trip did for me. It felt like we were in a different state exploring a new national park. I think that’s just a testament of the beauty and vastness Mt. Rainier National Park provides. From mountain views, to raging waterfalls, to old-growth forests - this place is an explorer’s paradise, quite literally!

Let me know in the comments below if you’re planning a trip to Mt. Rainier National Park soon / if you have any questions that I can help answer!