Land of Liberty Explorers

Overview

Mount Rainier is America’s 5th national park. It was established in 1899 as a result of lobbying efforts by John Muir, the National Geographic Society, and the Great Northern Railway.

The Mount Rainier Forest Preserve should be made a national park and guarded while yet its bloom is on; for if in the making of the West, Nature had what we call parks in mind—places for rest, inspiration, and prayers—this Rainier region must surely be one of them.
John Muir

The park preserves Mount Rainier, a 14,411 foot stratovolcano, and its surrounding areas including glaciers, subalpine wildflower meadows, and ancient forests.

Paradise

Paradise is known for its beautiful wildflowers and incredible views. The quantity and variety of wildflowers amazed us as we hiked through this part of the park. We loved the Skyline Trail.

One of our favorite spots in Paradise was Myrtle Falls – a 72 foot tall waterfall with a picturesque bridge across it.

Paradise Inn

We stayed at the historic Paradise Inn. We loved the rustic architecture of the building. The Inn offered bag lunches that we picked up in the morning before heading out on our hikes. For more information on Paradise Inn, check out our post about park lodges. The park’s main visitor’s center is also located near the Paradise Inn.

Nisqually Vista Trail

The trail is an easy stroll around a 1.2 mile paved loop. It offers views of Mount Rainier, Nisqually Glacier, and the Nisqually River.

Ohanapecosh Area

This part of the park is a deep valley filled with ancient forests.

Box Canyon Loop Trail

This easy half mile loop leads to a bridge over the Box Canyon of the Cowlitz.

Grove of the Patriarchs

The Grove is located on an island in the middle of the Ohanapecosh River. The trail starts on a clever bridge and makes a 1.3 mile loop through a forest of giant Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar – some of these trees may be over 1,000 years old.

Sunrise

The Sunrise area of the park still had a lot of snow during our early summer visit, so we followed a hiking route that a ranger at the Visitors Center mapped out for us. It featured great views of the mountains as we looped through meadows of wildflowers. We even saw a black bear snacking on wildflowers.

Waterfalls

Christine Falls

One of our favorite waterfalls in the park was also one of the easiest to get to! Christine Falls is a two tiered waterfall, but the upper falls is notoriously difficult to see and photograph. The lower falls makes up for it though by being framed nicely by the bridge across the top.