Vacationing in Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier National Park has forests, snowfields, glaciers, fields of wildflowers and most importantly, Mount Rainier. There are more than 300 miles of trails to hike. They range from very easy to difficult. The Wonderland Trail, all of 93 miles, encircles the mountain. This trail is listed as difficult. Mount Rainier National Park is located about 70 miles south of Tacoma, Washington State near Ashford. The park encompasses over 370 miles. Mount Rainier National Park is open year round, 24 hours a day. Only one road from the Nisqually Entrance (southwest side) to Paradise is open year round. The other park roads are closed due to snow conditions usually from mid-November to May. The park offers many activities for the visitor including hiking, fishing, horseback riding, picnicking, wildlife watching and during the winter snow shoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. There Park Service offers nature walks, exhibits, slide shows, information and publications in its Visitors Centers. They are located at Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh and Sunrise. Only Longmire is open year round

Quick Tips:

Info and Facts:

Entrance Fee per vehicle

Established 3-02-1899

Size 235,613 acres

Phone 360-569-2211

Pets are allowed in your car or on a leash, not on trails or public buildings. The exception is guide dogs.

Bring plenty of film.

Bring drinking water.

Bring sunglasses; the sun's glare can be bad.

Best Way To Get Around:

You will need a car or a tour bus to get into the park from the towns outside.

The Inn features 25 rooms, many with private bath. The rooms aren't fancy but we found them very clean. It has a full service restauant. There is a giftshop. The fireplaces in the guest lounge are a great touch. The Inn is open year round.

This Inn is only open May through very early October. It has 126 rooms, a restaurant, snack bar and a gift shop. The views from the Inn are truly amazing. The rooms were clean and we did have a private bath. The lobby is a great place to sit and read.

They are open daily during the summer months and on weekends only during the winter. The breads and desserts are mouthwatering here. We mostly had seafood and steaks. I had the halibut and it was so tender and flaky. The bread on the table is divine. They have an extensive wine selection. We promised ourselves we would have breakfast here and never made it :-(

Mount Rainier

The mountain stands at 14,410 feet at its highest point. The Mountain can be seen from a distance of 200 miles away. It has three peaks – Liberty Cap, Point Success and Columbia Crest. Here at any given time you might find a hiker, a climber, a naturalist, a family on vacation and even a geologist. Mount Rainier has something to offer each of these groups! The scientist would be here studying the 'live volcano' that is Mount Rainier. The hiker, the many types of trails, the climber have a great mountain to climb with its three peaks and the family has the chance to look for wildlife, fish or just do some sightseeing.

I have hiked a few of the trails and found them in wonderful shape. The roadside views are amazing with excellent educational signage for the visitor. My favorite time here is right after the sun comes up as the birds wake with a song on their breathe. You can see the morning mist rising up through the valleys and into the clouds.

I found out while visiting that the local tribes and people want the mountain to be known as Mount Tahoma (Tacoma), it’s original name. Tahoma means 'the mountain that was god.'

Is Mount Rainier a Volcano??
Yes, it is. Mount Rainier is a 'dormant' or 'sleeping' volcano. The last recorded eruption was in 1883. The mountain is labeled by seismologist as one of the most 'seismically active volcanoes' in the Cascade Range. There have only been a few earthquakes felt but in truth there were close to 800 in the past 20 years.

The center, named after a Washington Senator, is open year round. During the winter season, it is only open on weekends and holidays. Regular hours are 10am to 5pm.

The Visitors Center has geological exhibits, wildlife programs and wonderful pictures and views of Mount Rainier. The Center also has a bookstore/gift shop. There are local items such as books, writings and gift. There are public restrooms and showers at the Center. The items made by local artist are interesting.

Here I learned that Mount Rainier has one of the largest glacier systems that branch out from any single peak. There are a total of 27 glaciers on the mountain. The most famous is Nisqually Glacier. It can be seen from Paradise Valley. It is over 5 miles ling and half a mile wide.

I also learned that over 8,000 climbers a year climb the mountain. Mount Rainier’s summit is one of the Cascades most challenging mountaineering treks. Many experienced climbers are practicing to climb Mount Everest here at Mount Rainier. The experience they are looking for comes from the walls of the mountain and the crevassed Ice Fields from all the glaciers.