Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
September 7, 2019
August 9, 2020

As much as I love Mount Rainier it shocks me that I have only been to the National Park twice. That is only one day trip per summer since I moved to Washington. The reality is that the window for snow free road conditions in Mount Rainier is approximately only half of the year from May - October (and the Sunrise area is only open July - September). I have a lot left on my to-do list to explore inside the park...so here's to more summer trips to Mount Rainier in 2021!

After moving to Washington in August 2019, I knew one of the first places I had to go: Mount Rainier National Park. If you have read my blog post you will understand why. From the Seattle area the mountain is always lurking - sometimes behind clouds, other times behind buildings, and often around the next bend in the road. The mountain never stops amazing me. It just has this allure and presence that you have to experience to understand. To read introductory information about Mount Rainier, as well as my obsession with the mountain (well it's not just me), check out the Is the Mountain Out blog post.

September 7, 2019: On my first trip to Mount Rainier, I embarked on a counter-clockwise loop around the park beginning at the Paradise area and ending at the Sunrise area. There are a number of different visitor centers which serve as starting points for hiking and tourist activities in different regions of the park. Paradise is located on the south side of the mountain while Sunrise is located on the north side. Being that this was my first trip, my objective was to see as much as possible and get the full tourist experience. In the Paradise area, I walked around the visitor center, hiked several short trails, and then stopped at nearby Reflection Lake (sadly no reflection on this day). I then drove the park road entirely around the mountain and up to the Sunrise area. As with most National Parks, the drive is a also a beautiful part of the experience. Definitely allow time to go slowly and enjoy the drive! In the Sunrise area, I walked around the visitor center and took at short trail down to a viewpoint of Emmons Glacier before heading home to Seattle.

August 9, 2020: On my second visit to Mount Rainier I had serious hiking plans in the Sunrise area of the park. The plan was to hike the Burroughs Mountain Trail which takes you up to 7,800 feet elevation for an up close view of the mountain and several of its glaciers. In researching the area beforehand, I found an off-trail route that would allow me to connect the Burroughs Mountain Trail to the Wonderland Trail to create a full loop day hike. It was an awesome route and a picture perfect day in the shadows of Mount Rainier. Check out my Mount Rainier Loop trip report to read full details of the day's adventure.