Photo:
Mount Rainier National Park from Ashford, WA, United States / Public domain
Mount Rainier stands alone on the Washington skyline, a 14,410-foot ice-clad volcano so massive it makes its own weather, ringed by wildflower meadows, ancient forests and cascading rivers fed by 25 glaciers. The most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States, it is a magnet for hikers drawn to its subalpine parklands and for mountaineers testing themselves on its icy flanks.
The volcano’s glaciers feed rushing rivers that carve valleys through old-growth forests of towering Douglas fir and western red cedar. Higher up, the trees give way to the famous subalpine “parklands”, meadows that erupt with wildflowers in the short summer, and then to rock, snow and ice. Black bears, elk, marmots and mountain goats range the slopes below the summit.
Summer through early fall is the prime window, when the roads are open, the meadows bloom (peaking late July into August), and the high trails clear of snow. Rainier holds enormous snowpack, so many areas open late and close early. Winter is deep and snowy, with Paradise a hub for snowshoeing and skiing when roads permit.
The park is reached from the Seattle–Tacoma area, with the Nisqually entrance (SR-706) open year-round to Paradise and other entrances seasonal. Timed-entry reservations apply in the busy season, so check the current system; a vehicle is needed to reach Paradise, Sunrise and the trailheads, and parking fills early.
Hike the meadow trails at Paradise and Sunrise, walk beneath old growth on the Grove of the Patriarchs, and chase waterfalls and glacier views. Backpackers circle the mountain on the 93-mile Wonderland Trail, and climbers attempt the glaciated summit via Camp Muir, a serious mountaineering objective requiring skill and a permit.
The upper mountain is glaciated, crevassed terrain for trained, equipped climbers only. Even lower down, weather turns fast and cold, snow lingers into summer, rivers run cold and swift with rockfall danger, and afternoon storms build quickly. Carry layers, start early, stay on trails to protect the meadows, and store food from bears.
A park pass and, in the busy season, a timed-entry reservation are required. Check the current system. Wilderness and climbing permits are needed for those trips. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current road status, reservations and permits with the National Park Service before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
