Exploring Mt. Rainier National Park: Our Favorite Sights, Hikes, and Hidden Gems for 2023
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Published 2022-03-06
Welcome everyone to beautiful and magnificent Mt. Rainier National Park!. Join Kim and I as you take you on another National Park adventure. This was a trip we will not soon forget.
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An Icon on the Horizon
Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier's lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park's ecosystems. A lifetime of discovery awaits.
Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,625 acres or 368 square miles. Of that amount, 228,480 acres (97% of the park) has been designated by Congress as wilderness. The park's National Historic Landmark District includes 2.7% of the park. The park has over 260 miles of maintained trails and 147 miles of roads. Many roads and facilities in the park are only open seasonally. Make sure to check Hours of Operation, Road Status and Maps before planning your visit to the park. The park has five developed areas, with three visitor centers, a museum, and several wilderness and climbing centers and ranger stations. There are three main drive-in campgrounds, and two inns that provide lodging within the park. Where do you want to go?
Paradise is famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. When James Longmire's daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed, "Oh, what a paradise!" The park's main visitor center, the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, is located in the upper parking area. Paradise is also the primary winter-use area in the park, receiving on average 643 inches (53.6 feet/16.3 meters) of snow a year. Winter activities include snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding. The road between Longmire and Paradise is plowed, but closes at night during the winter. See the current Road Status for updated information about park roads. Paradise is located 19 miles (30 km) east of the Nisqually Entrance and 12 miles (19 km) east of Longmire.
You might also consider visiting other parts of the park such as Longmire, Sunrise, Ohanapecosh, and the Carbon River-Mowich Lake areas.
With the establishment of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899, Longmire became park headquarters. The site had previously served as James Longmire's homestead, lodging, and mineral springs resort. Although park headquarters are no longer at Longmire, the original 1916 headquarters building houses a museum that tells the story of the early days of the park. Across the street from the museum, the "newer" Longmire Administration Building, completed in 1930, still holds offices for park staff and is home to the Longmire Wilderness Information Center (current park administration offices are located at Tahoma Woods, outside of the park along SR 706). All of Longmire is now designated a National Historic District. Longmire is located in the southwest corner of the park and is 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of the Nisqually Entrance.
Watch Visit Longmire: Gateway to Mount Rainier for a short video introduction to the Longmire area. The article, Longmire: Designing a National Park Syle, provides an overview of the history of the area. You might also consider visiting other parts of the park such as Paradise, Sunrise, Ohanapecosh, and the Carbon River-Mowich Lake areas.
At an elevation of 6,400 feet, Sunrise is the highest point that can be reached by vehicle at Mount Rainier National Park. In summer, mountain meadows abound with wildflowers. On clear summer days, Sunrise provides breathtaking views of Mount Rainier and Emmons Glacier. Sunrise Point offers nearly 360-degree views of the surrounding valleys, Mount Rainier, and other volcanoes in the Cascade Range such as Mount Adams. These views and an excellent trail system make Sunrise the second most visited location in the park. Sunrise is located 60 miles northeast of the Nisqually Entrance and 14 miles northwest of the Sunrise/White River turnoff on State Route 410. The article, White River and Sunrise: The Captivating Northeast Corner of Mount Rainier National Park, provides an overview of the history of the area.
The Sunrise Road usually opens in late June or early July and closes in late September to early October. Check the road status before setting out.
www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm
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All Comments (21)
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Hi Jason and Kim...I just wanna say you two are Awesome ‼️‼️‼️ Love your informative videos.You show us camping...hiking...nature...the places on the way... it's so perfect.You guys are my favorite of all adventure video's around.The filming is awesome so crystal clear...it makes you feel your actually there.Keep up the fantastic work 👍😊 Hopefully do a del Norte county video...fern canyon... prairie Creek campground...and their redwood areas.Keep up the Awesome work‼️‼️
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Love Mt Rainier! We live about 40 miles NW and have an unobstructed view. I am always in aw by its beauty! Our grandkids say it is our mountain. 😃
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Another wonderful adventure and incredible images shared by the two of you. Thank You!
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Nice, beautiful MT.Rainier
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Amazing! Bucket list item for sure.
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Hope you all enjoy our latest adventure
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Whooaaaa...those sunrise photos. WOW.
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Amazing how well kept the trails are! Hats off to the trail crews!
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Annual pass is a must if you're a park enthusiast. I love Mount Rainier. Great video!
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Your video really detil my friend.. Amazing place ❤️🥰😍 Greetings from pacific
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Very thorough and informative! I car camped here last year but that was before I was making videos. This was a fun way to re-live my visit. Thanks! Looking forward to seeing your channel continue to grow.
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Great video! I've been to Rainier several times, sometimes camping a week at a time. As a photographer, I usually try to go late July to mid August for the peak of wildflower season. No matter when you go, there are no bad views at Rainier! One year in late July there was still 3 feet of snow on the wildflower fields at Paradise. Oh, and Copper Creek Inn has good food!
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Wonderful views🤗 And the sunrise at reflection Lake!
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Those mountain are absolutely amazing!! Hoping to come and visit that place one day.
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That looked amazing! That area is so beautiful. You got some great pictures. Hope you guys are doing well.
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What a video!!! Bellissimo 😍🇮🇹
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Very nice video, you guys are champions!
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Fab video as always guys 👏👏👏
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Thank you for being so descriptive and details about places to eat, stops and hiking trails..im heading up there tomorrow
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Great place to visit.
