Mount Rainier is the largest volcano on the west coast of the United States, standing at 14,410 feet tall. The volcano holds a total of 25 named glaciers making it the largest glacial system in the lower 48 states.
The volcano is considered active and expected to erupt sometime in the future (as was told by a park ranger). However, before that occurs scientists studying the volcano should have indications to gain an estimated time frame and ensure everyone’s safety. Because of this ongoing research, it is currently safe to enter the national park and visit Mount Rainier.
Visiting Mount Rainier
After a trip people will ask my family and I all different questions about what we did, what we liked the most, etc. But the question I think is most important when planning a trip is what to expect when you visit this location. If you are prepared for what you are visiting or planning to do then you’ll enjoy your time.
The Mount Rainer National Park has a lot to offer people in terms of views and different options of things to do. There are various lakes to walk around or have a picnic, plenty of hiking opportunities, and many road pull-outs if you choose just to drive along and see the views. However, I do recommend some hiking as that is when you get different viewpoint angles and are able to see more of Mount Rainier.
When visiting I think that you should be prepared to enter the park very early. The way this park operates is by reservation times, and then you have to wait until exactly that time slot to be able to enter the park. Then once you are able to get into the park all the parking lots are small and either very full or not worth the hike.
Because the reservations go so quickly it is almost impossible to get one sometimes, I recommend entering the park before the opening time. If you want to enter the park during the day you do need a special reservation, however they have a special policy in which you can enter the park from 6:00am to 7:00am before reservation times start. This is what my family and I did, and I highly suggest doing this!
We chose to enter early because our reserved time slot was at 1:30pm, since that was all that was available months before and we did not want to hike during the hotter temperatures of the day. So in regards to expectations for this national park I think you should be prepared for an early morning, enjoyable hikes, and a mix of weather temperatures as it is very chilly in the mornings but warmer during the day.
Top 3 Hikes
So my family and I entered at the Nisqually entrance and headed to two small hikes and then onto a longer hike which gets a closer look of Mount Rainier. The first two hikes are beautiful waterfalls created by the glaciers on Mount Rainier, which is really cool to think of how far the water has traveled.
Christine Falls
The first stop I recommend is this smaller waterfall under a bridge known as the Christine Falls. These waterfalls are known for their inability to photograph together and making a combination of 69 feet in height.
To get to these peaceful falls, you can enter from the Nisqually entrance and drive about 10.7 miles into the park. The parking is very limited so I recommend stopping there first and then going on whatever hikes you have planned next. Especially since this is not a large hike; the view of the falls can be seen after walking down a few stairs made from rocks. Then the view of the falls will be on your right, underneath the man-made bridge.
Narada Falls
Narada Falls is the next location I would definitely say you should stop at. These falls are a stunning 150 feet tall and breath-taking. This is a small 0.2 mile hike, which is an out-and-back walk basically.
The falls are located to your right at the viewpoint on the hike again. These falls are beautiful any time of the day and are honestly one of the most beautiful natural waterfalls I have ever seen. I highly recommend taking this 5 minute walk down to the viewpoint to see them!
Skyline Loop Trailer and its Connections
The Skyline Loop trail is a total of 5.7 miles long but it has a few different hikes intertwined into it. My family and I did not do the entire hike because it was so long, but we did the other smaller hikes within the loop.
We started on the Skyline Loop trail and followed it to the right path. This lead us to the Myrtle Falls viewpoint, which is a beautiful waterfall with Mount Rainier in the background. From there we went off the Skyline Loop trail and hiked up the Golden Gate Trail for a little to get a different angle of Mount Rainier.
Then we went back down to the Skyline Loop trail and followed that to the short 0.2 Waterfall trail which just connected you to more hiking trails. This trail was super cute because you were more in the trees rather than in the open areas. We even heard a bear along this trail, although we didn’t know about it until after when we spoke to a park ranger.
Once we were back at the hiking intersection of sorts, my dad and I decided we were done for the day, but my mom and brother continued to a different hike. They took the Skyline Loop trail up to the Panoramic Point and got to see another different angle of Mount Rainer. That is what I loved most about these hikes, they are able to get all different views of the volcano.
Each of these hikes or mini walks are wonderful ways to see Mount Rainier. I truly enjoyed diving into the nature of this national park and I would suggest it to anyone going on the west coast.
