Be prepared for getting mesmerised when you near My. Rainer. The serene silence of the snow covered cliff gives the feeling that it is at penance! I observed for three days that the peak was coveted by dense mist. May be because that was Autumn.

There are many National Parks with mountains but there is probably no park that is so defined by a single mountain as Mount Rainier. Please understand within the park there are other mountains like the Tatoosh Range. However, in no way, no where does anytime have the impact and majesty the way Mount Rainier has at Mount Rainier NP. With that said, be sure to have multiple days at the park as there is a lot to do, but the real reason is you may not get to see the mountain every day, even when the forecast says sunny skies. Our first day at the park, you could not see the mountain at all due to a thick fog. At first the only parts that were not in the fog was the low base like Longmire. By the end of the day, we were able to see clearly at Paradise Inn and Valley, but you still could not see the mountain until sunset. I still remember the first time we saw because it is that impactful. When we awoke the next day, the skies were clear, and we had an amazing hike on the Skyline Loop the morning before we left. It was the most incredible experience and one of my favorite hikes in the NPS. A couple of tips would be to stay at Skyline or at least within the park. This ensures you have easy and quick access to take advantage of weather breaks. The second tip is to be totally flexible with your plans. There is good hiking at the base, Twin Firs and Trail of Shadows, and mid-mountain, Snow Lake Trail. Be sure to have options that allow you to see and do different things in different weather. However, be sure if you have a break to do the Skyline Loop and see the mountain up close. It is beyond words.

This park is amazing! It’s very dense! Snow? What’s a little snow in September? One of the roads was closed due to a foot of snow falling overnight so that was disappointing but we still got to see a big part of the park. The day we left the area we had a clear view of the top of the snowcapped mountain. What Breathtaking views.

Note: I did not recently visit the park in March, but plan to in July. Since this website doesn't allow a post with out specific times, this was the only way I could inform other travelers of this crucial information. This is a heads up to anyone visiting Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state, U.S.A. For 2024, there is a pilot program that has 2 hour reservation arrival times between 7 a.m. and 3 p. m. You need that reservation to get into the park between those hours, from May through September. If you arrive before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m., you won't need the time slot reservation. See the park's website for details.

Two entry points Paradise and Sunrise require a timed entry pass, only between 7am and 3pm, obtained via the government’s recreation site or app. At our time of visit passes could only be reserved the day before at 7pm. They sell out, get yours at 7pm to pick your desired time slot, 2 hour wiggle room. Park is beautiful and well maintained. Something for every activity level.

When you're in Seattle, you can always see Rainier on the horizon. Worth the trip to see it close. You need to make a timed entry reservation, so go to recreation.gov (or get the app) to find out more. Those usually go on sale a month or two in advance and again the evening before. Those passes are $2 and it's abother $30 to enter the park. We stopped at Narada Falls, which is beautiful and has several trails below it. We then drove up to the Paradise lot and the Jackson Visitor Center. The are several trails behind there and we did some of the Skyline trail, which starts out paved and ultimately has several terrains. It is impossibly steep at the beginning, but levels out at some point. It goes fairly far up the mountain before coming back down, and the views bothlooking up to Rainier and across to other peaks are just amazing. We went on a warm July day, but there are nice breezes as you ascend. A must-do if you are in the area.

I love going to nationals parks and this one is a beauty! Plan for the weather and dress in layers, the weather up here will not be the same as it is in Seattle; you can see local weather forecasts and webcams of current conditions on their NPS website. It was foggy and cool the day we went but that didn’t take away from the beauty of the park’s meadows, mountains, wildlife and waterfalls. You are not guaranteed to see the mountain summit, it’s at over 14000 feet and is often obscured by clouds. On our visit it didn’t clear until we’d left the park and we saw it from afar on the drive back to Seattle. New this year: reservations are required to enter the park between 0700-1500, this is to aid with traffic flow and tourist congestion in the park. You won’t be able to do this as a ‘last minute’ item during those times unless, by chance, the slots aren’t all full day-of. Honestly, seeing how crowded parks have gotten in the last few years, I’m a fan of reservations to keep numbers more reasonable and to improve user experience for everyone. If you want to visit, plan ahead. If you have any mobility issues, I’d call ahead to determine if this park is suitable for you. We went to the Paradise portion of the park and stopped at several waterfalls along the way. Some trails were paved, but most were very steep and the dirt trails and uneven wooden walkways would not be suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.

Just beautiful and stunning . Mt. Rainier can be seen from the city on a clear day . Get to the mountain as early as 7 AM so you can get parking easily and make sure to take sunscreen. hats and plenty of water, some snacks . The best trail is the paradise loop ( challenging one ) but stunning views . The trail becomes bit trickier as you climb , but the views on the top are just out of the world. You can see cascades , St.Helen , Baker and olympic . It does take around 5 hrs if you do it slowly . Restrooms are only near the parking lot . There are restroom on one of the trail but that is one on top of the mountain , you have to take a different trail . Once you are done with the trail go to the reflection lake , where you can see the reflection of Mt.Rainier on the lake . You need atleast 2 days to fully see the mountain and hike other trails . Go on a weekday where there is crowd but little less than weekends . Ideal days would be Mon / Tuesday .

We drove up to the Carbon River entrance, which is washed out with no vehicle access and rode our bikes in. There were many international tourists at the entrance looking for the mountain. If you would like a drive-up amazing view of the mountain, you’ll want to go to the Paradise Entrance past Ashford (NOT the Carbon River entrance). You can’t see the mountain from the Carbon River entrance unless you hike in about 15 miles. Posting this so that the tourists get to visit the best view at Paradise instead of going to Carbon River, although it’s still a pretty drive with a nice nature trail, you just won’t see the mountain from the parking lot.

it is very nice place .the park require reservation .they are very Strick about reservation . if you don't have then entry is after 3 pm only per car $30 i don't understand the concept of reservation it is so big park so crowd will distribute automatically carry lots of food in your car so you can eat inside the park only one restaurant not much choice for vegetarian. before reaching to the park use restroom on the way itself. no gas station or no restroom near closer to the park . inside restroom is there but you will waste time in search in September first week we didi not see any water fall or colorful flower overall it is good place for the whole day check weather before planning