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1. The Skyline Trail
Completely immerse yourself in the grandeur and beauty of Mount Rainier! This is the most famous day hike in the park, and with good reason. You’ll almost be close enough to touch the snow-covered peak!
What You Need to Know
The Skyline Trail is 5.5 miles roundtrip and gains 1700 feet of elevation, making this trail moderately strenuous. This hike brings you amazingly close to the mountain — you’ll actually be sharing it with mountain climbers part of the way up!
Because of the altitude and the amount of snow the Paradise area receives, the Skyline Trail is often snow-covered and dangerous well into July. You’ll want to check trail conditions here before you go. It’s also a good idea to stop into the Visitor Center and chat with a ranger about the trail conditions if there is still snow on the ground.
I suggest hiking the trail clockwise. After you get to Panorama Point, be sure to travel on the High Skyline Trail (instead of the Low) to avoid a dangerous icy slope. As you hike back down the mountain, you’ll pass by the Stevens-Van Trump Memorial and Myrtle Falls.
The Paradise area is famous for its stunning summer wildflower display! If you’re looking for an alternative trail to hike, you can check out the nearby Alta Vista Trail.
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
The Skyline Trail is located in the Paradise area of the park. From the Nisqually Entrance (Ashford), travel east on the Park Road for 17.5 miles and follow the signs to Paradise. You’ll want to park at the Lower Lot and walk up to the Visitor Center. The Upper Lot closest to the Visitor Center and Inn has a 2-hour limit. The trail begins just behind the Visitor Center and up the staircase with the John Muir quote.
2. Snow Lake
If you love beautiful alpine lakes, jagged mountain peaks, and gorgeous views in every direction, then this is the trail for you! Spectacular scenery with every step eventually leads to this sparkling lake resting peacefully in the shadow of Unicorn Peak.
What You Need to Know
The Snow Lake Trail is a moderate 2.5 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of about 700 feet. It is generally good for hikers of all ages and abilities. Pets are not permitted on this trail.
It is not uncommon for this trail to be snow-covered into July, but it often thaws out sooner than the trails in Paradise. Check the trail conditions before you go.
Getting Here
From the Nisqually Entrance (Ashford), drive east along the Park Road for 15.4 miles. When you reach Paradise Junction, turn right onto Stevens Canyon Road, following the signs for Ohanapecosh. Drive along this road for 2.7 miles, passing by Reflection Lakes. Look for a small pullout on the right marked “Snow Lake.” This is the trailhead.
3. Narada Falls
Mount Rainier has so many waterfalls, but Narada Falls is one of the best. Ooh and ahh as you watch this cascading waterfall drop 176 feet down the moss-covered cliff!
What You Need to Know
You can enjoy Narada Falls after just a short jaunt, no long hiking trail required! The top of the waterfall can be seen from the parking lot, but there is a 0.2-mile roundtrip trail if you want to hike to the viewpoint near the bottom of the falls.
Even though the trail is short, you’ll want good shoes for this one. The spray from the waterfall can make this downhill trail quite slippery. The trail continues beyond the viewpoint and meets up with the Wonderland Trail, so be sure to turn around after you’ve seen the falls (unless you intend to cover more mileage).
Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Getting Here
From the Nisqually Entrance (Ashford), drive 14.7 miles east along the Park Road. The parking area for Narada Falls will be on your right. After parking, cross the bridge and take the trail down the hill to see the falls.
4. Longmire
Go back in time and experience the historic charm of Mount Rainier’s early years! Longmire was once the hub of park activity, complete with healing hot springs, a large hotel, and the first visitor center.
What You Need to Know
This area is more about the history than the mountain views (though on clear days, you can see Mount Rainier from the Inn), but it’s worth an hour or two of your time.
Take a hike on the Trail of the Shadows to learn more about the Longmires and the hot springs they built their livelihood around. You can view some old structures and enjoy a lovely hike through the woods. This trail is 0.7 miles roundtrip and is mostly flat. Pets are not permitted on this trail.
Stop in the Longmire Museum and the historic National Park Inn. Be sure not to miss the old service station — Mount Rainier was the first national park to welcome automobiles!
Longmire is open year-round and is a great place to go when the higher elevations are still covered in snow.
Getting Here
From the Nisqually Entrance (Ashford), drive east for approximately 6.4 miles until you reach the Longmire Historic District.
5. Reflection Lakes
High in the mountains, rest a couple of small alpine lakes with absolutely perfect placement! Head over to Reflection Lakes and try your luck at capturing the spectacular mirror image of the mighty Mount Rainier.
What You Need to Know
Conditions need to be just right to get a glimpse of the reflection in the lakes. Try to be there when the water isn’t being disturbed by the wind and when the sky is clear enough to see the mountain…..easier said than done!
The lakes are in a cluster right next to the road with a small pathway in between them. Take a stroll along the path until you find your perfect shot.
Getting Here
From the Nisqually Entrance (Ashford), drive east along Park Road for 15.4 miles. When you reach Paradise Junction, turn right onto Stevens Canyon Road, following the signs for Ohanapecosh. Drive along this road for 1.3 miles until you see a couple of large pullouts on your left. Park at either and take the short trail down to the lake.
Click NEXT to see sights 6-10 (including the most impressive waterfalls in the park!)
Hey, Ash!
For best access to the Sunrise area of this park, where would you recommend staying? It seems like staying at National Park Inn and Paradise Inn would be too far away.
Thanks!
We usually stay in Packwood or camp on the road to the Enumclaw.
Hi Ash, With the Grove of Patriarchs trial currently closed is there a different trial you recommend to see forest?
I really like Silver Falls nearby!
Thanks for this list. Very helpful! My wife and I are coming to Mount Rainier National Park next month in late July. We’re planning on doing most things on this list but also a couple hikes outside of the regulars that we were thinking about were Tolmie Peak and Summit Lake. I keep reading about the swarms of mosquitoes being terrible at Tolmie Peak and they make the hike hard to fully enjoy. Is that one that we should skip because of that? Also I read that you needed a high clearance vehicle for Summit Lake because it’s super bumpy to get to the trailhead – we’re going to have a Jeep Wrangler. Just wanted to get your thoughts. Thanks!
I’ve never been to either of those spots. Sorry I’m not more help!
Is the road to Mowich lake closed in late May? Not willing to hike an additional 5 miles to start the Tolmie Peak trailhead. Looking for a day trip from Seattle with a beautiful moderate hike. If the mowich lake road is closed late May I’m looking at either doing Lake Serene hike or a day trip to Mount Raineer Paradise area. Assume Mount Raineer wins on this decision? Will be driving from Seattle and back same day.
It’s closed until July. Late May is super early for hiking in Rainier…everything will still be covered in snow in the higher elevations. I learned my lesson about that the hard way, and now I never plan trips to Rainier before mid-July if I want to hike in Paradise or Sunrise :)
Hello, we are big fans of yours and have used your guides as a baseline for our visits to a couple National Parks! We are traveling to Mount Rainier over Memorial Day weekend in May.. I know we’ll be limited on what we can do, but do you have some suggestions to help us make the most of our visit? Thank you!
It’s really hard to know what you’ll be able to do at that time, but as a point of reference, I’ve been to Rainier at the beginning of July and all of the higher elevation hiking trails (anything up in Paradise) were unsafe and impassable because of all the snow. And Sunrise doesn’t typically open until the beginning of July at all. So you’ll likely need to focus on lower elevation areas like Longmire and Ohanapecosh in May, and even then, there still could be a fair amount of snow!
Ok, thank you Ash. Do you think we’ll still be able to drive up to the Paradise area during that time? Do you have any recommendations on hikes in the Longmire or Ohanapecosh areas?
Yeah, you should still be able to drive up to Paradise, I just wouldn’t plan on much hiking. Truthfully, you’ll probably need to wait until it gets much closer to your trip to make any hiking plans so that you can talk to a ranger and get the current conditions!
We are heading to mount Rainer in June, after 4 days in Olympic, your Olympic guide was amazingly helpful! We will only be there for one night and one morning, any suggestions? Currently we are staying in Graham but considering changing to stay in Ashford, do you think the cost will be worth the change to help offset drive times and have more time in the park?
June in Rainier is tricky….there will still be a ton of snow. So you’ll want to wait for it to get closer to your trip before you try to solidify any plans for that park. Watch the snow levels — they will start updating the website/socials as the summer approaches with info on what you’ll be able to access.
I was wondering if we could get the 10 things on this list done in 2 days or that too much? We are going to be staying in Ashford.
No, you’d likely have to cut out a hike or two to get through this entire list in 2 days — drive times alone will cut into a good portion of your sightseeing time.
I’m a 78 year old grandma hoping to visit Mt. Rainier for a few days in the summer of 2023 with my 15 year old grandson. Do you have suggestions for when to go, what to do, and where to stay?
Thank you so much,
Cynthia
All I have on the site right now is this article on things to do. More articles will be forthcoming! But I would aim for the end of July or later if you are hoping to do some hiking — most trails are snow-covered until that time. Have fun!
Hi Ash
Thank you for all your great tips. We have a 16ft trailer with attached 10ft wide tent. Would any of the campsites accommodate this set up? Also how easy is it to get one of the FF sites?
Thank you
You would need to look at each site individually to see what it can fit. But in general, Mount Rainier campsites are not as well-suited to large setups as some other national parks, so you’ll want to pick a site carefully!
I just finished a trip to Rainier and your article was a great guide! We did a bunch of things from your list. Thanks for putting it together!
You’re welcome! I hope you loved Mt. Rainier!
Hi! I am planning to go Labor Day weekend with my family and 2 year old daughter. We are coming from downtown Seattle. What can you suggest for us to see or go at Mt Rainier? Thank you
I’d just work your way through this list, picking out what most appeals to you and your group. Have fun!
Hi, do we need hiking boots or will sneakers be fine?
Sneakers with good traction will work if that’s what you have.
Hello! Planning a trip the first week of August and I’m scared I’ll get turned away due to crowds! I’ll be here during the week though, so it might be a little better! Thoughts? I’m sooo excited!
I wouldn’t worry about it too much, but make sure to get an early start! Have fun!
I’m planning a trip to the park the second week in September. What might expect with crowds? Hopefully, all the kiddos will be back in school. I havent booked yet, but am thinking about staying at Paradise because of the central location.
It usually slows down a good deal after Labor Day — that’s one of my favorite times to be in the parks. But snow is possible :) Paradise is a great place to be!
Planning on a couple of days here in the beginning of August, with another 4-5 in Olympic following. Could you ballpark drive times to Longmire/Sunrise from Ashford? We have no problem getting up in the AM and would plan on hitting entrances at 8-8:30.
Sure! It takes about 2 hours to get up to the Sunrise VC from Ashford. Longmire is much closer…only about 20 minutes. You’ll want to leave earlier in the morning if you’re driving all the way to Sunrise. That entrance gets long lines and the parking fills early!
Really detailed follow up – our first day in Rainier will be following a drive from a hotel near the Seattle/Tacoma airport (getting in late the night before and crashing at a nearby hotel). Do you think it would be the best use of our time to go directly to Sunrise using the NE entrance, spend several hours there, and then head back to our hotel in Ashford?
Then we could spend the next day in the Paradise area, and hit Longmire briefly before driving over to the Kalalach area of Olympic for the next part of the trip. Does that sound like a quality approach?
Yeah, I think that’s a great plan. Get to Sunrise early before the entrance line gets really long!
Planning a day trip during Christmas week to visit the Mountain. . Any recommendations that might stand out! This will be our first visit.
Longmire and Paradise are great for winter adventuring, but I’d definitely check the website to see what they actually open up this year: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter.htm Have a great time!
Thanks for all the information. Lovely page. I am planning to visit during second and third week of november. What are the places that are good to visit and may be snow or ice free still?
Mount Rainier is really good about updating their website about the current conditions in the park. You can find that information here: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/conditions.htm But in general, the Longmire and Ohanapecosh areas of the park will stay warmer than Paradise and Sunrise because they are lower in elevation. Have fun!
Hi Ash, thanks so much for the great information! I was planning a trip the third week of October and wanted to visit Mt Rainier National Park for 2/3 days. Will most of these trails still be accessible by then, or will there already be snow by late October? We will be renting a car and staying in Seattle, so if there are any other hikes within a few hours that are worth taking a day trip to, we would be open to other suggestions as well!
Thanks again!
Snow is definitely possible at that time! You can follow the road conditions here: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/road-status.htm Olympic and North Cascades are both within a couple of hours of Seattle as well. Since Olympic is partially on the coast, it will have milder temps/less likelihood of snow at that time of year, but any of those parks are wonderful options if the weather cooperates for you!
I only have 1 day…what would you recommend as the must see?
Honestly, you won’t go wrong with any of these activities! Most people focus on the Paradise area of the park if they only have one day though :)
Hello thanks for the info, I have a question, does the park have visitors during the week days during this time of the year ? I hate to be alone in trails ? Any bears?
Yes, weekdays are still busy during the summer. As long as you are on the main trails, you should have other people around you. Happy hiking!
Your list was really helpful, thank you! Especially the link to trail conditions. In looking, I can’t believe how many are at 100% snow this time of year —July 11th!! Will it change much by July 25th? We are planning a 3 day trip at that time. Hoping a few more things open up. If not, where do you suggest? Can we drive to some of the Waterfalls? Thanks again!
Oh yeah, this park gets a lot of snow! It will depend on the snowpack for the year, but trails usually start thawing out by the end of July.
My mom, daughter, and I plan to visit in a few weeks. I love the clarity of your guide with the clear directions. For most guides, I feel a knowledge of the park in already needed. Yours helped me see the big picture. The NPS should hire you! I’ll check out your other guides too.
Thanks so much!
Haha thanks! The NPS did hire me (I worked as a park ranger at several parks), but I would love to do it again. Have a great trip!
I saw this incredible stratovolcano while visiting Seattle. I was instantly attracted to it. However, they told me one doesn’t simply hike this mountain. In fact, my research showed that many people fail.
Are there specific trails or times of the year you recommend for beginners?
If I visit Washington again I will want to plan my trip around Rainier. It looks so amazing. If we lived there I would hike around the outer loop with my dog all the time. It would be pretty entertaining trying to find locations which make her appear to be standing on top lol.
It is an amazing place! Dogs actually aren’t permitted on trails in the park though, so you won’t be able to hike around the mountain with your pup.
Such great info. After reading this though I have a quick question: If we only have 2.5 days at the end of June, and I am travelling with two kids (9 and 6), are there certain trails that are more likely to be open at that time of year that still give outstanding views and will also not be overly strenuous? It seems like most trails you listed said they are likely to still have snow or be closed. We are going June 24-26. Thanks so much.
It depends on the year, but many of the higher elevation trails were still covered in snow on our last trip in early July. The trails down near Longmire or Ohanapecosh will start to dry out faster than the Paradise and Sunrise area trails. Rangers strongly discouraged people from venturing out to Myrtle Falls in the snow because so many people were getting lost, so I wouldn’t count on doing any trails up there unless this year has a low snowpack. It’s a beautiful park regardless…you’ll still be able to see some amazing scenery!!
How many days would you recommend to do this list?
Four days…it’s a good amount of driving between the different sections!
Hello Ash,
What do you suggest for me who has a few hours at Mt. Rainier national Park?
Thanks
Ken
Depends on the time of year, but I’d stick to the trails in the Paradise area if you only have a few hours!
Will you be making an itinerary to purchase? We use your itineraries yearly on our vacations and love them. We visited Zion last year and your itinerary was very helpful. We also met another family using your itinerary. Thanks for all your wonderful professional advice!
Hey Brandy! I am going to start writing more itineraries starting January 1. Mount Rainier is high on my list and should be finished in the spring :) Glad you like them!
Hi Ash, Do you have an itinerary for Mount Rainier yet? :)
I don’t, but I just upgraded all my itineraries to a new system and plan to start writing new ones at the end of the summer. Mount Rainier is high on my list!
Now you’ve really got me wanting to get to Rainier! Your photos are beautiful. Thanks for this can’t miss.
You’ll love it!
This is absolutely Amazing!!!! I want to visit but, I’ll be in Downtown Seattle. Are there any tours that will take me directly to Mount Rainer?
Oh yeah, for sure! I’ve never done any tours out of Seattle because I always stay closer to the park, but if you have a day to head to Mount Rainier, I’d definitely recommend it!