Rising nearly 4,400 metres into the sky, Mount Rainier towers above Seattle and is home to a stunning national park spanning an area of 616 square kilometres. Its 25 glaciers and huge snowfields melt each spring, supplying the region with water and revealing a striking landscape that is a designated Wilderness Area, complete with streams and waterfalls, as well as forests and alpine meadows.
With 416 kilometres of maintained trails, it is a great place to walk and explore the surroundings. If you’re bringing the family, enjoy a casual 20-minute hike on the Trail of the Shadows starting at the National Park Inn at Longmire. Or try the Twin Firs Loop Trail which takes you through old-growth forest, where you can admire western red cedar trees, Douglas fir trees and other native trees. For more serious hikers, there are many more routes that you can follow, whether you’re here for just a few hours or for a full day. You can even join experienced guides and hike all the way to the summit.
For those seeking headier pursuits, you can try mountain biking, rock climbing, sledging, cross-country skiing or a spot of fishing on the water. Find out more at the Visitor Centre at Paradise, which is open daily from May until October, as well as at weekends and during holidays for the rest of the year.
If you want to stay longer and see more of the park, rooms are on offer at the National Park Inn at Longmire and the Paradise Inn, and there are camping sites throughout the area. Or if you have less time, you can see more of the park by taking a drive along the road that encircles it. There are plenty of stops on the route where you can pause and take in the scenery.
A 144-kilometre drive from Seattle, Mount Rainier National Park is open throughout the year, though routes are often blocked by snow from October all the way through to June. The 19-kilometre stretch of road between Longmire and Paradise is usually open during winter, except when there is threat of an avalanche.
