So imposing it can be seen 60 miles away from Seattle, Mount Rainier National Park surprises in scale and in beauty.
What is it?
Snow-capped splendor with a potpourri of alpine forests, flower-laden meadows, and splendid waterfalls.
Fast Facts:
Location: Washington, on the western side of the Cascade Range
Founded: 1899
Size: 369.35 square miles
Cost: $30/car, $55/annual pass (if it’s in your budget, just buy the $80 America the Beautiful pass – access to every national park without additional fees for a full year). Note that starting in 2024, a timed-entry permit system is being implemented from May 24 – September 2 for the Paradise Corridor entrance and from July 4 – September 2 for the Sunrise Corridor entrance.1 A permit will cost an additional $2 – book here.
Visited: 2019
The Ridley Review:
Of the 15 full US national parks I have visited as of this writing, the one I would die to revisit is Mount Rainier. Back in 2019, wide-eyed, innocent, and an inexperienced park goer, I visited this joint in mid-June. As any Rainier fan knows, this is like playing Russian Roulette with your visit and sure enough, a late-Spring snowfall had rendered a good chunk of the park inaccessible without proper equipment. The alpine meadows, world-famous for their incredible array of gorgeous flowers, had yet to bloom and in most cases were still under feet of snow. Most of the time, blooming begins in July.
I’ll never forget the feeling, though, of standing knee-deep in snow on a 75 degree day. My unprepared booty had no sunglasses either; the Sun’s reflection off the snow was blinding. My hiking plans were blown up, and I made do with a scenic drive and a hike at one of the park’s lower elevation spots where the snow had melted. It was still a spectacular day – I’m just blessed to have seen this place at all – but seeing the pictures of how the place looked a couple of weeks later would leave anyone wanting more.
The Layout
The iconic, circular Mount Rainier sits at the center of a park shaped roughly like a square. There are loads, and I mean loads, of trails throughout the park and around the mountain itself. No road circumnavigates Rainier, however, and drivers are left with two main roads and some smaller, unconnected roads in other areas of the park.
Transportation
A car is non-optional here. No other transportation exists within the park.
Activities
Hiking and backpacking make for a classic Mount Rainier experience. Biking the many roads and some trails is a great way to experience the park as well. Fishing is permitted without a permit, but there are many restrictions.
Roads and Gas
No active gas stations in the park (an old-timey one from the early days of the park is kept as a historic landmark, but as far as I know is not operative) exist, but there are plenty of options outside the park near all entrances.
The Paradise Corridor is flanked by two entrances: Nisqually to the West and Stevens Canyon to the East. Take State Route 706 to reach Nisqually, take State Route 123 and take the intersection for the Stevens Canyon entrance. One road connects these two entrances, with Paradise housing several amenities and lodging smack dab in the middle of the two.
In the northeastern part of the park we find the Sunshine Corridor, which you access via State Route 410. The Sunshine corridor has two roads: the White River Road and the Sunshine Road. The Sunshine Road takes visitors further up Mount Rainier.
In the northwest part of the park sits two separate entrances that don’t connect to either of the main corridors. Thus, they do not require a permit (but do require the entry fee) to access in the Summer. One takes you along the Carbon River, the other to Mowich Lake. It is rare I give a recommendation for something I haven’t seen or done, but man check out Mowich Lake pics on Google. It seems like well worth hitting if you have multiple days in the park.
Rating:
One of the greats.
Food & Lodging
Food
Options abound!2
Paradise
In Paradise proper, there is the Paradise Inn, which houses both a full service restaurant and grab-and-go cafe. Both are open seasonally when the road has cleared of snow. The Paradise Camp Deli also makes its seasonal home here, offering grab-and-go cafeteria-style sandwiches.
Back towards the Nisqually entrance, the National Park Inn has a full service restaurant open year-round along with an adjacent general store.
Sunrise
A snack bar offering basic provisions and snacks, the Sunrise Day Lodge operates seasonally when the road is cleared.
Lodging
Hotels
2: the National Park Inn in Longmire, towards the Nisqually entrance in the Paradise Corridor, is open all year round. Depending on the season, rooms can fluctuate between $150-250/night. The Paradise Inn is located in Paradise (shocking!) and is open seasonally. Due to location and not quality, it is pricier, between $250-400 depending on room type and time of year.
Camping
3 primary campsites and 1 primitive site. All but the primitive campground include water, toilets with running water, and trash collection, at the cost of $20/night.
The primitive campground at Mowich Lake is free and open seasonally. A Wilderness Permit is needed to be able to campground here, and you must register at a kiosk before claiming a spot.
Hikes and attractions:
Hikes
This section needs some expansion. If any reader has been to Rainier and wants to add to it, let me know! My expertise is limited here and I don’t want to make poor recommendations.
Silver Falls Loop – It’s not one of the crown jewels of Mount Rainier, but man do I love this trail. Just a lovely stroll along the Ohanapecosh River to Silver Falls. It’s so dang pretty – the trees are a rich green, the water at times a piercing blue. The trail is loop around the Falls, going down one side of the river and back the other.
Skyline Loop (High Skyline Trail) – While I didn’t complete much of it due to standing in feet of snow, I saw enough to know that this trail, which takes off from Paradise and goes up the slope of Rainier, is something special. You need to be in good shape for this – with over 1700 feet of elevation change, your lungs and legs will be feeling it. Panorama Point provides truly breathtaking views and a pit toilet if you need to empty the tank.
Other Well-Regarded Hikes (That I haven’t Done)
Wonderland Trail – a backpacking trip for the ages. One of the most famous backpacking trails in any national park, this 93-mile behemoth takes hikers around the entirety of Mount Rainier, seeing all the greatest sights along the way. Wilderness camps allow for hikers to have a good spot to rest at night for a journey that will take roughly 2 weeks to complete.3 A Wilderness Permit is needed to attempt the trail, which is a true once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
National Park Rankings
- Yosemite National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Zion National Park
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Crater Lake National Park
- Indiana Dunes National Park
- Shenandoah National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Acadia National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- Gateway Arch National Park
A note: as with all reviews to come, this will be updated upon any re-visit to the park. Feel free to comment or send in your own reviews or recommendations and we will get it added here!
