Mt. Rainier
Viewing the magnificence of Mt. Rainier
USA
We visited Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State by entering by the Paradise mountain road. We arrived mid morning and were surprised that parking at the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center was already at a premium. We found a spot and went in to ask the park rangers about their suggestions for areas to explore in the park.
Generally the Visitor center has a great view of Mt. Rainier from their second floor observation windows but unfortunately on our first day the weather obscured the mountain with fog.
The rangers were super helpful and recommended the skyline trail right behind the visitor center. This trail took us to the Majestic Myrtle falls. The trail meanders through vibrant lush green alpine meadows.
It was only about a 15 minute hike along part of the skyline trail to Myrtle falls. The low visibility from the fog gave an air of mystery on the trail as we hiked up and rounded each corner with new sights coming into view.
Whether you want to hike to the peak of Mt. Rainier or just do a few easy short trails, Mt. Rainier National Park has you covered. We thoroughly enjoyed our short time in the park and the views it has to offer. Happy exploring!
After walking the reflection lake trail we did another short drive to Narada Falls. The parking lot for this falls is above the falls and you walk a semi steep 5 minute trail down the side of the gully to the viewpoint.
After the hike we left the visitor center and we did a short 10 minute drive to reflection lake where there was lots of roadside parking and you could join the trail that paralleled the lake. Aliya had fun making her way around the trail, looking at nature, and finding some rocks to climb on.
Our last stop on the day was the small town of Longmire. This area has the National park inn for those who would like to stay in the park and have a few more creature comforts.
The town also has the the wilderness information center for backcountry explorers. We stopped at their small museum that had some details and history of the area, and then took a short walk from there to the impressive structure of the Longmire Suspension Bridge.
We were just planning to drive through on our second day in the park but the clouds parted and allowed us to see the majesty that is Mt. Baker. We stopped at Ricksecker Point on our way to the visitor center and got a picture of us with the peak.
At the visitor center went up to the second floor to view the mountain from their observation deck. The wide windows provide a great view of the mountain and surrounding hillside. We then went down to the start of the paved trail and caught a glimpse of a black bear on the hillside.
It was such a great setting to see wildlife in this awe inspiring landscape!
