Ashford, Washington

Nicely situated a couple hours south of Seattle and north of Portland, Mt. Rainier is easily accessible. Before leaving make sure to pack a set of snow chains, for the park requires chains for most vehicles throughout the winter. Head towards the Nisqually entrance to the park.  Upon entering th...

Head out to Myrtle Falls in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. This trail will take you to a beautiful 72-foot waterfall. This .97-mile hike leads to 72-foot Myrtle Falls with snowy Mt. Rainier in the background. Follow the Skyline or Golden Gate trail and then cross the footbridg...

This scenic destination begins at the Paradise parking lot. Head north from the parking area towards Myrtle falls. Make sure to stay left of the Paradise in and cross Edith creek over a footbridge near Myrtle falls. From here, head east towards Mazama ridge by crossing through upper Paradise Vall...

Arrive at Longmire in Mount Rainier National park about 9a.m. They open the gate during the late season at this time so you will want to get ahead of the crowd, especially if it is a beautiful day! This time of year it is required to carry chains, so don't forget those. Arrive at Paradise parking...

Pack your sunglasses because this is one snowy hike! Camp Muir is a perfect camping or extended day hike destination for anyone who wants to experience the enchantment of Mount Rainier without committing to the summit. Starting at the Paradise trailhead at almost 4700 feet up, a steep and extreme...

Mt. Rainier is a technical climb on all routes and is covered with glaciers all four seasons. It is not a mountain to learn mountaineering unless you hire a guide service who will help guide you up the mountain. With good weather and previous mountaineering experience, Mt. Rainier's Disappointmen...

The Lakes Trail Loop can be accessed two ways. You can either start in Paradise and find one of the multiple points along the Skyline Trail or you can begin at Reflection Lake. My recommendation for a nice day hike is to begin at Reflection Lake. If you arrive by 8am you should have an easy time...

This trailhead is easily accessed at the parking lot at Reflection Lakes in Mount Rainier National Park. A short but sweet hike (1.3 miles one way) that leads to beautiful views of Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and if clear enough, Mt. Hood (Oregon).  Pinnacle itself can be climbed to ...

No need to for an entire day hike to enjoy wonderful reflections, crystal clear water, and beautiful scenery a few hundred feet from the parking lot!  Park at the Mowich Lake Campground parking lot and follow signs for the Wonderland trail. You will begin your hike on the south side of the lake ...

The trailhead to Spray Park begins at the Mowich Lake Campground (4,929 ft). You'll begin descending quickly for the first 0.1 miles until you reach the Wonderland Trail junction. Head left and make your way up a steady climb for the next 1.7 miles. The first stop you'll come across is Eagle Clif...

Starting out from the beautiful Mowich Lake (4,929 ft), this hike takes you through some of Mt. Rainier Nation Park's best scenery. Thanks to the 13 miles of dirt roads it takes to even get to the trailhead, this hike is also rarely crowded. At 5.5 miles roundtrip to Eunice Lake, this is a grea...

If you have been trying to get behind a waterfall Eatonville Falls is the place to hike and get a great feeling out of it. Hiking to the waterfall would lead you to a railroad and pass it would lead to a river where you would follow it down to get to the waterfall. The hike itself is pretty sim...

Mount Rainier is spectacular to look at, but sometimes the best views aren't from on its slopes, but just a little ways away. Tucked in the seldom-visited northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, the Tolmie Peak fire lookout frames the mountain's rugged slopes with a pristine alpine lake ...

At the trailhead kiosk be sure to get one of the provided (and required) self-serve Wilderness Permit. Starting at the trailhead begin your initial accent following the marked trail on the side of the road. In the first two 2.5 miles you will climb 2,745 feet, it's hard but luckily a majority of ...

Snow Lake is a beautiful lake in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. You can do the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike to the lake as either a day trip or as a backcountry camp. To camp at one of the two sites on the lake you must secure a permit from the permit office at Longmire. The hike to the s...

The upper Foothills Trail from the Fairfax Bridge to Manley Moore can be hiked starting from either end as an "out and back" hike or a "point to point" by shuttling with two vehicles.  Starting from the upper end of the trail you begin by walking under the Kolisch Rd. Bridge, which has the Manley...