Article Topics: Best Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, Top Trails at Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier Day Hikes
There’s lots to love about the Pacific Northwest, from vibrant cities and quirky towns to some of America’s most spectacular landscapes.
There are roaring waterfalls, verdant wildflower-filled valleys and mossy forests, but also shimmering alpine lakes, enormous glaciers and massive volcanoes. Mount Rainier National Park combines all of that, making it a hiker’s dream destination.
Centered on mighty Mount Rainier, an active volcano towering 14,410 feet above sea level and the highest mountain in the Cascade Range, the park offers a wide range of hiking options.
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Amazing Mount Rainier National Park Hiking Trails
Whether you’re looking for a short walk through a mountain meadow or challenging Mount Rainier trails, you’ll find something that suits you in this sensational park.
The park also offers amazing wildflower viewing, cycling and mountaineering, but hiking in Mount Rainier National Park is by far the best way to explore and experience it.
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When you hit the Mt. Rainier trails, you get to enjoy panoramic views, wander through old-growth forests, see reflections of “Tacoma” in tranquil lakes and—with some luck—spot wild animals.
Columbian black-tailed deer, Douglas squirrels, ravens and Stellar’s jays are common sights, while fortunate hikers may also see a pika, Cascade red fox, black bear, elk or mountain goat.
Best Day Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park
In this post, I share my personal favorite Mount Rainier hikes. This selection is based on my own visits to the park and ranges from lakeshore strolls and woodland jaunts to strenuous climbs. I’ve listed them from easy to difficult.
1. Trail of the Shadows
Location: Longmire
This short 0.7-mile self-guided trail loops through the forests and meadows of Longmire. It’s a great place to learn about both the natural and human history of Mount Rainier.
Highlights include a replica of an early homesteader’s cabin, which explores the story of the historic Longmire Springs Resort. The trail also features an area of beautiful, pristine woods. It’s a great place to get to know the park.
- Roundtrip distance: 0.7 miles (loop)
- Duration: 20 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Across the road from Longmire’s National Park Inn
2. Grove of the Patriarchs
Location: Ohanapecosh
In the southeastern corner of Mount Rainier National Park lies one of its greatest gems. Situated on a small island surrounded by the Ohanapecosh River, the Grove of the Patriarchs is home to ancient and massive western red cedar and Douglas fir trees—protected from forest fires thanks to their island location.
After a short walk from the parking lot, you’ll cross a scenic bridge over crystal-clear water, ending up at a place where time appears to have stood still.
The Grove of the Patriarchs is one of the most extraordinary Mount Rainier National Park hiking destinations, where you can walk among huge 300-foot-tall trees that are up to 1,000 years old.
It’s one of the best short hikes at Mt. Rainier, particularly because it shows a completely different characteristic of the park. There are neither towering mountains, nor spectacular wildflowers or waterfalls here. Instead, you get enormous trees and the feeling you’ve entered an entirely different places.
- Roundtrip distance: 1.3 miles (lariat)
- Duration: 1 hour
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: Grove of the Patriarchs Parking Area just west of Stevens Canyon Entrance
3. Silver Falls Trail
Location: Ohanapecosh
The Silver Falls Trail offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant stroll underneath the old-growth trees along the Ohanapecosh River. On a crisp morning in spring, fall or even summer, a walk in these fragrant forests is absolutely delightful.
On the way, you can experience the bustling of life in Mount Rainier’s pristine woodlands. Listen for the tapping of woodpeckers and the rustling of deer in the bushes. Enjoy the sounds of the crystal-clear water of the river as it tumbles down cascades and rapids.
The highlight of this wonderful and easy Mount Rainier hike is Silver Falls itself, a large 75-foot waterfall thundering down into a gorge, about 1.5 miles from the trailhead at the Ohanapecosh Campground. A scenic bridge crosses the gorge, making for a great photo location.
The Silver Falls Trail then runs back along the west side of the Ohanapecosh River.
- Roundtrip distance: 3 miles (loop)
- Duration: 1.5 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead: B Loop of the Ohanapecosh Campground
4. Naches Peak Loop
Location: Chinook Pass
One of the most popular Mount Rainier hikes for families, the 3.5-mile Naches Peak Loop is an easy circuit that takes in beautiful Tipsoo Lake, Chinook Pass and Naches Peak.
It’s everything you might expect from a hike in Mount Rainier National Park, from colorful subalpine flowers to spectacular views. Because of an abundance of huckleberries, it’s also one of the best Mount Rainier fall hikes.
For the best views of Mount Rainier, I recommend hiking this trail in a clockwise direction. Start at the Tipsoo Lake parking area and follow the trail up to Chinook Pass and the Pacific Crest Trail.
You’ll walk along the east side of Naches Peak and take the Naches Peak Loop Trail back to Tipsoo Lake.
Note: Part of the Naches Peak Loop is in Mount Rainier National Park, while the other part is in adjacent National Forest land. Dogs are only allowed on the Pacific Crest Trail section outside of the national park, and only on a leash. They’re not allowed on the Naches Peak Loop Trail inside the park.
- Roundtrip distance: 3.5 miles (loop)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Easy/moderate
- Trailhead: Tipsoo Lake (or Chinook Pass)
Alternative hike: If you’ve just picnicked at Tipsoo Lake and don’t feel like a 3.5-mile hike, you can also explore Tipsoo Lake itself instead. A short and virtually flat trail runs around this almost-impossibly photogenic lake, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery from up close. This area is especially stunning in the fall.
5. Reflection Lakes Loop
Location: Paradise
The 2.8-mile Reflection Lakes Loop is a delightful hike around the famous Reflection Lakes. It offers amazing views of Mount Rainier itself, the Tatoosh Range and Louise Lake.
The hike, which is best done in a clockwise direction for the best views, starts at the Reflection Lakes parking area.
The first short stretch is along the Wonderland Trail and the shore of the biggest of the Reflection Lakes. You’ll then turn right onto the Lower Lakes Trail, followed by the High Lakes Trail and the Mazama Ridge Trail back down.
This is one of the best Mount Rainier hiking trails for a couple of hours in the natural scenery that makes the park so famous.
You’ll get to enjoy wildflowers, epic mountain views, regular wildlife sightings and gorgeous lakes. It’s a moderate trail that’s doable for most visitors, as well as one of my favorite sunset spots at Mount Rainier.
- Roundtrip distance: 2.8 miles (loop)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Reflection Lakes Parking Area
6. Sourdough Ridge Trail to Dege Peak
Location: Sunrise
Running just above the popular Sunrise Area, Sourdough Ridge offers jaw-dropping views of Mount Rainier. It’s one of my favorite Mount Rainier National Park hikes for subalpine wildflowers.
The Sourdough Ridge Trail leads through the Sunrise meadows and climbs gently eastward to Dege Peak. It’s a moderate hike—experienced hikers will say it’s easy—that offers constant views of Rainier.
Toward the end, you’ll see other iconic Cascade mountains in the distance, including Mount Baker, Mount Adams and Glacier Peak.
Although the area is called Sunrise, this is arguably my favorite place in the entire national park for sunset hikes.
As crazy busy as it is during the day, the area is surprisingly quiet and peaceful at dusk. That’s also when the wild animals come out and sightings of Columbia black-tailed deer, Cascade red foxes and even black bears aren’t unusual.
You won’t often find this hike on lists featuring the best hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, but I actually really recommend it. It’s as “off the beaten path” as it gets in a crowded area like Sunrise—especially close to sunset!
- Roundtrip distance: 4.2 miles (out and back)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Sunrise Visitor Center
7. Burroughs Mountain Trail
Location: Sunrise
For up-close views of mighty Mount Rainier itself, few trails are better than the Burroughs Mountain Trail. Starting at the Sunrise Visitor Center, this strenuous trail is one of the best hikes in Mount Rainier to do in late-summer or early-fall for two reasons.
One, the lower elevations and meadows boast beautiful fall colors in late-September and October, and two, the higher elevations—an Arctic tundra environment—are free of snow this time of year.
When hiked in a counterclockwise direction, the first part of this fantastic hike is along the Sourdough Ridge Trail. Once you arrive at Frozen Lake, follow the Burroughs Mountain Trail to the top of First Burroughs Mountain.
Although the views are pretty amazing there, I encourage you to continue to Second Burroughs Mountain summit, where Rainier is breathtakingly close.
Enjoy spectacular views of the gigantic Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the contiguous United States, and the White River. Watch for mountain goats, which are quite common here. We saw a large group of them on a slope in the distance. (These are the binoculars I use.)
Make this a 6-mile circuit hike by taking the Sunrise Rim Trail back to the parking lot at Sunrise. On the way back, Mount Rainier will accompany you on your right side, while beautiful meadows display vibrant fall colors all around.
- Roundtrip distance: 4.8 miles to First Burroughs Mountain; 6 miles to Second Burroughs Mountain (loop)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Trailhead: Behind the Sunrise Visitor Center
8. Skyline Trail Loop
Location: Paradise
This phenomenal 5.5-mile loop hike starts at the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise, behind the iconic Paradise Inn. The trail climbs 1,700 feet to well above the tree line. In summer, the Skyline Trail is where you need to be for the best wildflower viewing at Mount Rainier.
You’ll walk through gorgeous alpine meadows filled with all kinds of flowers, including Indian paintbrush, lupines and avalanche lilies.
In fall, the meadows and slopes along the Skyline Trail turn into a beautiful palette of oranges and reds, as the abundant huckleberries and other shrubs change color.
“…the most luxuriant and the most extravagantly beautiful of all the alpine gardens I ever beheld in all my mountain-top wanderings.” – John Muir, 1889
Other major highlights on this hike are the massive Nisqually Glacier and Panorama Point, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Cascade Range. This vista includes several other volcanoes, such as Mount Adams and even Mt. Hood all the way to the south.
If you walk the Skyline Trail Loop in a clockwise direction, which I recommend, you’ll save the best for last. Although the subalpine flowers and breathtaking vistas are undeniably amazing, it’s Myrtle Falls that really sets this Mount Rainier hike apart from all the rest.
This postcard-perfect waterfall is a scene that seems too good to be real. Surrounded by verdant mountain meadows, backed by an unobstructed view of Mount Rainier itself, it’s incredibly photogenic. It’s probably the most spectacular of the many waterfalls in Mount Rainier National Park.
It takes about 4 hours to complete this phenomenal hike. It’s one of my absolute favorite national park day hikes—ever—and definitely one of the best day hikes in Mount Rainier National Park.
- Roundtrip distance: 5.5 miles (loop)
- Duration: 4 hours
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Trailhead: Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise
Mount Rainier Day Hikes Map
The Wonderland Trail
For an epic Mount Rainier hiking adventure, nothing compares to the magnificent Wonderland Trail.
This is a two-week journey that takes you literally all the way around Mount Rainier, allowing you to visit, enjoy and explore all corners of the park. It’s easily on of the greatest backpacking loops in the Pacific Northwest.
Mount Rainier’s Wonderland Trail is 93 miles long with a cumulative elevation gain of about 23,000 feet. The trail passes through several major life zones in Mount Rainier National Park, dipping into forests and descending into valleys, climbing slopes and cresting ridges.
It’s among the best multi-day hikes in America’s national parks, mainly because of its variety and difficulty, but also because it offers glorious views of “Tacoma”, one of the Native American names for Mount Rainier.
Most people complete their Wonderland Trail hike in 10 days, but the National Park Service allows 14 days to complete it. On the way, there are numerous campgrounds, including three developed campgrounds and no fewer than eighteen backcountry wilderness camps.
Note that you’ll need to get a wilderness permit for all overnight hiking trips in the wilderness of Mount Rainier National Park.
- Roundtrip distance: 93 miles (loop)
- Duration: 10 – 14 days
- Difficulty: Very strenuous
- Trailhead: Several trailheads all over the park, but Longmire is the most popular one
Author’s note: This blog post is very much a work in progress. The current Mount Rainier day hikes featured above are my personal favorites, selected from all hikes at Mt. Rainier I’ve done so far.
Mount Rainier National Park is the nearest national park to Portland, Oregon (my current home base), so I’ll keep adding recommended hiking trails as I continue to explore the park!
Other Mount Rainier trails I’m planning to explore are:
- Summerland Trail (Sunrise)
- Berkeley Park Trail (Sunrise)
- Mount Fremont Lookout Trail (Sunrise)
- Emmons Moraine and Glacier Basin Trail (Sunrise)
- Palisades Lake Trail (Sunrise)
- Bench and Snow Lakes Trail (Paradise)
- Indian Henry’s Hunting Grounds via Wonderland Trail (Longmire)
- Van Trump Park Trail (Longmire)
- Spray Park Trail (Mowich Lake)
- Tolmie Peak Trail (Mowich Lake)
Other National Park Hikes
- Arches National Park Hikes
- Bryce Canyon National Park Hikes
- Capitol Reef National Park Hikes
- Crater Lake National Park Hikes
- Death Valley National Park Hikes
- Haleakala National Park Hikes
- Joshua Tree National Park Hikes
- Lassen Volcanic National Park Hikes
- Redwood National Park Hikes
- Shenandoah National Park Hikes
Julie Brooks
Wednesday 9th of September 2020
Thank you for the all the great information, so comprehensive. It will help me get the most out of my visit to so many National Parks.