A Day in Mount Rainier
- nicholemagdor
- Mar 10, 2021
- 7 min read
When it comes to visiting one of the most popular National Parks in America, it's important to make the most of your visit. Here are the best places to venture while you wander the park.
Best places to visit Mount Rainier:
★ Grove of the Patriarchs ★ Golden Gate Trail ★ Skyline Trail ★ Myrtle Falls ★ Panorama Point ★ Reflection Lakes ★ Narada Falls
Trail directions start with the bullet points after the graphic of the trail map down below, scroll past and jump to the directions or to the bottom of the page for the summary and for a quicker read. Look for the ★ for the main points. You can click anything in the blue text and it will link you to more info.
When we decided to go to Washington state, Mount Rainier was at the very top of our list. Our family will usually have a rough layout of where we want to go and what we want to do, but when we get into the parks, we play it by ear. One of the most important things to do when you're traveling is to ask locals which places are the best to see. Everyone we talked to was very friendly and helpful with pinpointing the most important places to see and the best things to do.
Where To Stay?
We stayed at a local hotel called the Cowlitz River Lodge located in Packwood, Washington, just outside of the National Park area. This hotel was one of my favorites throughout the trip, and the hotel manager helped us immensely, we cannot thank her enough. If you plan on visiting Mount Rainer, I would recommend staying outside of the park just because it can get expensive. This hotel was great in price, had clean rooms, included breakfast and a complementary glass of wine for anyone staying over 21. All I ever need is hot cup of coffee and they even did that perfectly. Other than the Cowlitz, I would recommend staying anywhere in Packwood or Longmire, anywhere outside of the actual national park, if you're looking for budget friendly hotels. If you plan on hiking for a number of days, then I would propose looking into the lodges located near the base of the trailheads such as Paradise Inn.
When Should I Go?
The best time to go visit Mount Rainer is in the summer time. We began our vacation in early August and went to hike Mount Rainier on August 13, 2018. The weather was perfect. It wasn't hot, but it wasn't cold. It was perfect hiking weather and there was no sign of rain either. Therefore, June, July, August and even sometimes September are the best times to visit. Time it out wisely, arriving in the morning to hike is the best option. We always travel in the summer time, so parks can get crowded. Parking was a bit of an issue, just because we arrived toward the early afternoon. It's always a good idea to check the park's road status before your trip. Spots fill up quickly so arriving early is crucial.
While there are many things to do at the base of the mountain, such as hiking, lodging and dining, we actually did some trails before we arrived at the trailheads on Mount Rainier. We started at a place called the Grove of the Patriarchs, completed with suspension bridge and breathtaking scenery, (of course, you can't go wrong in Washington.)
★ The Grove of the Patriarchs is a beautifully scenic trail and it is one of the easiest trails you can take in the park. This trail is best as either a warm up trail, as we did, or as a family trail. This hike is not at all treacherous or difficult, kids can easily navigate through with no steep elevation or decline. You'll have to forge the river on a suspension bridge in order to see the towering trees that lurk above you on the other side, some of which date back over 600 years. Once you cross the bridge, the rest of the trek is on wooden boardwalks, so you don't need to worry about twisted ankles.
"This pleasant, easy hike can be done by folks of all ages, even the wee ones, who will enjoy crossing the suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River to a small island of behemoth old-growth trees. It’s easy to feel tiny standing next to one of the massive Douglas-firs, hemlocks or cedars, some nearly 40 feet in diameter and more than 300 feet tall. Follow a wooden boardwalk as it loops through these ancient giants, weaving under their canopy and learning about the life of a forest with an assortment of interpretive signs," (Washington Trails Association).
After our warm-up hike, we drove to the base of Mount Rainier where the trailheads were located and we walked up to the Visitor Center. The best thing for anyone to do when they arrive to a National Park and want to get the most out of their experience is to ask a Park Ranger. I cannot stress this enough. They are there to help you and guide you and it's because of them that our family was able to have the best time possible. Our ranger recommended this:
To begin, we drove in from Ohanapecosh, (bottom right corner, also where the Grove of the Patriarch is located). I highly recommend making a pit stop at Reflection Lakes. It's just a quick pull-off to the side of the road and it is a great photo-op for the family with the Mountain posing in the background.
From Reflection Lakes, we drove to the base, where we found all the trailheads leading up and around the mountain.
★ ADVISORY: The trek we decided on is not recommended for children, it's a very strenuous hike with steep inclines and declines with no paved trails for most of the hike. This hike will take about 4 hours round trip, please plan accordingly. Bring enough food and water to last the entire day. Once you start ascending the mountain, the hike becomes difficult between the elevation and steeping grades. This trail is best for families, men and women who are above the age of 18 who have a fair amount of hiking experience.
By recommendation, this was our trek for the day:
★ Leaving from the Visitor Center, begin north on the Skyline Trail, follow it to Myrtle Falls to see yet another picturesque view. The distance should be close to half a mile between the Visitor Center and Myrtle Falls. I would also suggest taking a quick walk off the trail to see the falls.
★ Continue on the Skyline Trail until you reach the fork-in-the-road where you can choose to continue on the Skyline Trail or take the Golden Gate Trail, take the Golden Gate Trail. The Golden Gate trail is roughly a mile until the trails merge again. If you so desire, you can continue on the Skyline Trail, which is about 2 miles until the two trails merge, but in order to see more and shorten your hiking time, I suggest taking the Golden Gate Trail.
★ Take the Golden Gate Trail until it merges back with the Skyline Trail, then continue on the Skyline Trail until you hit Panorama Point. This hike should be about 1.35 miles. Panorama is a perfect place for photos and a great viewing point for the Nisqually Glacier. (If you ever want to summit Mt. Rainier, base camp is a few miles north of Panorama, located in Pebble Creek).
★ From Panorama Point, the decent begins, (finally...). You can take the Skyline Trail all the way back to the Visitor Center, but of course, if you like, there are many trails that lead off the Skyline Trail, but loop back if you'd like your legs to hurt a bit more tomorrow. Glacier Vista is a .2 mile trail that gives you another view of the Nisqually Glacier. You can take it if you like, but from Panorama Point, nothing gets better from there. Deadhorse Creek Trail is similar, but it's a .45 mile trail that leads to other short trails that can eventually meet back with our main trail. Be on the look out, you might just meet some friendly mountain creatures!
★ Congratulations! You made it back to the trailhead, but our hiking isn't done just yet. If you decided that after five hours and about five miles of strenuous hiking that you're done for the day, I don't blame you! This hike was designed to fit the most you could in within the few hours of the day. Once you're ready to leave, drive on down to Narada Falls. There is a quick pull-off-the-road hike to the base of the fall that is alluring to any adventure seeker.
And there you have it! If you have some more time to spend in Mount Rainier, ask the Park Ranger what else they might recommend and see what other trails are worth seeing.
★ In Summary, My Hiking Proposal:
(Refer back to the highlighted trail map for comparison)
Begin by hiking the Grove of the Patriarchs
After, drive towards the trailheads, stoping at Reflection Lakes
From Reflection Lakes, park where the trailheads begin then locate the Skyline Trail
Begin on the Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls
From Myrtle Falls, continue shortly until you reach the Golden Gate Trail
Take the Golden Gate Trail north until it merges back with the Skyline Trail
Take the Skyline Trail to Panorama Point
From Panorama Point, continue your descent back towards the Visitor Center
After your hike, finish by driving to see Narada Falls
There you have it! Please be safe, stay hydrated and please stay on the trails. The meadows are being destroyed by people who do not stay on the trail. All trails will be clearly marked. Also, please check any local weather conditions for they can also affect your hiking day. Leave it better than you found it.
Happy Trails, Wanderers! -the Wanted Wanderer
Written and edited by Nichole Magdor Photographs by Nichole Magdor To see some more ideas I recommend about Washington:
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