Mt. Rainier
Paradise
Paradise is Mt. Rainier’s most popular section, and for a good reason. According to AllTrails, there are 71 scenic trails in this area of the park. Later I will provide you with an exact itinerary to see the best parts of Paradise, but please use this section to supplement any hikes, eats, or stays that don’t appeal to you!
Best Places to Stay in Ashford
Best Places to Eat in Ashford
Best Hikes in Paradise
Sunrise
Sunrise is a more isolated section of the park - and that isolation brings less crowds and quieter hikes. The trail system leaving from the Sunrise Visitor Center is fairly simple; however, the trails are less clearly marked than those on the Paradise side. There are less dining/lodging options on this side of the park, so it makes for a great day trip. Sunrise is typically only open July-September.
Best Places to Stay in Sunrise
Best Places to Eat in Sunrise
Best Hikes in Sunrise
One Day Itinerary
You can achieve a great trip with just one day at this park. There are two ways to approach one day. The first would be to drive there the night before and start your trip early the next day, The second option is to drive up from Portland or down from Seattle extremely early in the morning. The park is a little over two hours from Portland and just 90 minutes from Seattle assuming minimal traffic. If you are planning a trip between May 24th and September 2nd, you must arrive before 7:00 AM if you do not have a reservation. We got there at 8:00 AM and it was pretty crowded already, so you'll have to leave around 6:00 AM if you're coming from Seattle to replicate our timeline. If you're planning a trip for the summer, the note below is very important.
Early Morning
Since you only have one day, you’re going to want to visit the Paradise side of the park. To access Paradise, use the Nisqually entrance, located in Ashford. If you are visiting between May 24th - Sept. 2nd you will need a timed entry slot after 7 AM. As of publishing this guide (October 2024), you will have time to get a reservation for summer of 2025. Reservations for the summer of 2024 opened on May 2nd. I would recommend picking the earliest slot of 7:00-9:00 unless you really enjoy early mornings, then there is no need for a reservation.
The first thing we recommend doing is visiting the Paradise Inn. This old fashioned lodge is a great place to start your day by getting coffee and breakfast at the Katoosh Cafe. The parking lot directly at the visitor center is for lodge guests and 2 hour visitors. This is not you, as you will be gone all day. Park at the lot on your left once you’re about a half mile away from Paradise Inn. It is a large lot with a sidewalk that leads to the visitor center. You will walk about a quarter of a mile to get to Paradise Inn, but take your time. There are views every direction you look!
Location Spotlight: Paradise Inn
Key Note: Weather
A cloudy day can really damper the Mt. Rainier experience. Try your best to do the next hike when the sun is out, it makes a massive difference!
Hike: The Skyline Loop
The trail you should focus on for your day in Paradise is the Skyline Loop. It is listed as 5.5 miles on AllTrails, but starting at the Paradise Inn makes it a little shorter. Be prepared, it is strenuous. Skyline can be a semi-confusing trail since it has multiple offshoots that lead to different trails. Luckily, they almost all lead to the same place so it doesn't matter too much. I would highly recommend doing the free trial on AllTrails or purchasing a subscription, as you can download the trail map to ensure you're going the right way. It's important to note: Hike the trail clockwise for the best views. Hiking this direction will be difficult at first due to the incline, but in our opinion it's better to get this out of the way first.
This loop will start you off in a lightly forested area with a steep paved include. After about 0.5-1 miles in, you will arrive at what I picture Heaven to look like. This will be your view for the next 0.5 mile or so until you get to Glacier Vista, an amazing viewpoint that makes you really admire just how massive Rainier is. Watch for the waterfalls pouring off of the mountain and gaze upon the massive glaciers.
Past that is a steep climb to Panorama Point. This spot will give you the best views from the whole trail, so rest and have a snack up here. The chipmunks will probably try to steal your food, so beware. By the time we got to Panorama Point we were exhausted, but this was also the last hike of our week long trip.
You have about 3.5 miles of decline awaiting you. The downhill section leads you over volcanic cliffs that look like something out of Iceland and eventually dump you back out into the meadows for the last 2 miles. Watch for mud if it recently rained, it can be slippery!
Don't miss Myrtle Falls on the way back down. This is one of Mt. Rainier's best viewpoints.
Next Stops
After finishing the Skyline Trail you will probably be tired and hungry. Luckily you have a couple options for lunch. The first one is eating at the Paradise Inn for convenience. The dining room stops seating at 2:30 PM, so as long as you finish your hike before then you can eat here. If you don’t want to spend the money on lodge food, then I would recommend packing a lunch to bring with you. We ate peanut butter sandwiches and granola bars and survived just fine. Bring your food to the Reflection Lake and have a picnic there. Another spot to eat outside is the designated picnic area close to the visitors center, although this might get crowded.
Option 1:
If you're staying the night in Ashford, now is a good time to check into your hotel/airbnb. You'll want to be back in the park for sunset, but you should have enough time to go to wherever you're staying, grab an early dinner, and head back. If you're not staying the night, this is still a good time to leave the park to eat a good meal.
Option 2:
If you are eager to keep hiking, I would recommend doing the Bench and Snow Lakes trail. It is a moderate 2.2 mile hike.
Evening
Option 1: Tired
It has most likely been a long day at this point, so no shame if you’re tired of hiking! The best choice to make the most of your time is to head back to the Paradise Inn and do a small portion of the Skyline Trail again. The clouds around the mountain typically dissipate at sunset and we found this to be the best time to be there. Enjoy the peaceful meadows and return to Myrtle Falls to see it at sunset. After this, return to the Inn to have a drink, or drive back to your lodging before it gets too dark.
Option 2: Not Tired
If you have energy and want to see all that Rainier has to offer, attempt the High Rock Lookout Trail. I truly believe that everyone should try this no matter how they’re feeling, because the views will never leave your mind. The trail is steep and grueling, but I promise you the reward is worth it. From the top you have a clear view of Mt. Rainier to the Northeast, Mt. Adams to the Southeast, and Mt. Saint Helens to the Southwest. See the pictures below.
Two Day Itinerary
I recommend using the "1 Day" itinerary and making it your day two. The following itinerary will be your day one. The only change would be omitting the High Rock Lookout hike from your second day. Your first day will focus on the Sunrise area of the park, since it is a little more isolated and has less options to stay. You’ll use the evening to drive to Ashford and check into your home base for exploring Paradise the next day. This is the itinerary that we used. For Sunrise, you will want to enter through the White River entrance.
What Time to Arrive:
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
For this time slot, you have ample time to explore the sunrise area. I recommend eating before and taking advantage of having time in the park. This time slot will allow you to hike the strenuous Burroughs trail, which will get you some of the best possible views of the peak of Mt. Rainier. This time slot also allows you to grab a light dinner at a restaurant before heading to High Rock.
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
This is the time slot we used, and it gave us a great amount of time to do everything we needed. We ate before we came at the Chipotle in Enumclaw. We started by hiking to the Mt. Fremont Lookout via the Sourdough Ridge trail. After this, we drove two hours to the High Rock Lookout for sunset. We got to High Rock around 7 PM, which was perfect timing. After this, we checked into our airbnb in Ashford, linked in the "Paradise" section.
3:00 PM or later
Arriving after 3:00 PM will only allow you to do one hike most likely, but it is the perfect time of day to do so. We found our evenings in the park to feature the most wildlife and the least cloud coverage, but weather is always subject to change. Pack a light dinner and hike to Mt. Fremont Lookout. After your hike, drive to Ashford and check into your stay.
Hike: Mt. Fremont Lookout
If I could only do one hike on the Sunrise side, I would recommend hiking the Mt. Fremont Lookout Trail via Sourdough Ridge. You will begin at the visitor center. The initial trail is marked fairly well; however, pay attention the further you go. Once again, you can find video walkthroughs of each trail on our TikTok and Instagram pages, linked at the bottom of each page. Note that this hike can get extremely cold due to the wind, so pack a windbreaker. Overall, this hike is easier than Skyline but has some fairly steep areas so plan for anywhere between 2.5-4 hours depending on how long you rest at the end.
The trail begins right at the Sunrise Visitor Center, rapidly ascending through alpine meadows. The wildflowers will be on display July-August, so take the trail slow and take pictures if you like. As you continue, you will reach a fairly steep incline after a split in the trail. The section will lead you into a wide open meadow (pictured below) where you can see a junction of trails. You want to follow the trail to Mt. Fremont. Have a snack by the frozen lake before embarking on the most intense part of the hike.
The final stretch involves an uphill climb to a rocky mountain ridge. From here you can finally see the lookout, and it’s only about a mile away. We felt like Frodo from Lord of the Rings while on this section. If you have a fear of heights, it can be a little nerve racking but the trail is plenty wide. Enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains before reaching your destination: The Lookout.
Our day at the lookout was sadly very cloudy. We never ended up seeing the peak of Mt. Rainier while at the famous viewpoint, but the hike was still worth it. Regardless of weather, this hike is a must do. Another thing to note about this hike is the wind. We found it to be the windiest/coldest hike that we did while in the park. I run hot so I usually never bring a jacket if the temperature is 50 degrees or more, but the wind was ice cold. Bring a wind breaker.
Evening
After finishing the Mt. Fremont Lookout Trail, you have a few choices depending your time slot. We finished the trail around 4:45 PM and drove to the High Rock Trail. This got us there around 7:00 PM, which was perfect timing for a mid-August sunset. In our opinion, this is the perfect time to hike the High Rock Lookout. We thought the Mt. Fremont hike was much easier than the Skyline Trail. In all honesty, if we had done Skyline before doing High Rock, we probably would have been miserable, so if you can fit High Rock into your evening after Sunrise, that is ideal. The second day of your itinerary will then be able to focus on exploring Paradise.
Option 1:
If you’re wiped and don’t have the energy for another hike, consider going to the Summit House Restaurant located at the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. Enjoy dining on the slopes of Crystal Mountain with (hopefully) a view of Mt. Rainier. The restaurant does require you to purchase a gondola ticket to get there, so if you don’t want to do that, don’t worry! Eating at this restaurant would probably have you getting into Ashford around 9:00-10:00 PM, and that's with an early dinner. It's not terribly late, but consider Option 2 if you're looking for something simpler.
Option 2:
Consider getting an early start to Ashford for your next day and stopping in Packwood for dinner. The Blue Spruce Bar and Grill is a much more affordable option serving quality food. The Summit House restaurant is much more of a “you pay for experience” type of place, so if that’s not your thing, make a stop here.
Three Day Itinerary
I’ll keep the 3 day itinerary fairly brief.
If you have 3 days to explore Mt. Rainier, first off, I'm jealous. Having this time will allow you to visit two of the more "remote" sections of the park, the Mowich area and the Ohanapecosh area.
In Mowich you will find the amazing Tolmie Peak Trail. Be warned though, the road to this trail does not open usually until mid July, leaving only about a 2 month period to do this hike in its entirety. This should be priority number one with a 3 day itinerary,
The Ohanapecosh area used to offer the Grove of the Patriarchs trail, a 1.1 mile nature trail that leads to an island of some of the areas largest ancient trees. This trail has been closed since 2021, and is scheduled to reopen in 2027. A hike worth doing in this area is the Silver Falls Trail, which has three length options of 0.6 miles, 1.2 miles, and 2.7 miles.
Final Thoughts
Both the Paradise and Sunrise side of the park have something unique to offer and if you have the time, you should visit both. Paradise will give you the chance to hike some of the most popular trails in the park and give you beautiful views of Mt. Rainier right from the parking lot of the visitor center. Sunrise is much less crowded and is great to visit if you want to do more serious hiking and spend time in the wilderness.
Mt. Rainier currently sits as our favorite U.S. National Park for a reason, it really is unlike anything we have ever seen. I hope that this guide was useful and that you now feel more prepared to go visit one of the most beautiful places on this planet!
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS GUIDE...
Please consider following us on all of social media down below! On our short form content you can find trip ideas, cinematic videos, hike reviews, and more. On our YouTube you can find our full trip itineraries, advice on how to visit some of the amazing places in the country, and travel hacks to help you travel smarter, not harder. The videos provide a great supplement to the guides I produce on Thatch!
Our Itinerary: SparkNotes Version
Day 1:
7:00 AM - Drive from Forks to Sunrise; stop for lunch in Enumclaw
1:00 PM - Enter Sunrise at 1:00-3:00 PM timed entry slot
1:45 PM - Begin Mt. Fremont hike
4:45 PM - Conclude Mt. Fremont hike; drive to High Rock Lookout
7:00 PM - Begin High Rock Lookout hike
8:30 PM - Descend High Rock Lookout
9:00 PM - Drive to Airbnb in Ashford
Day 2:
7:00 AM - Drive to Paradise from Ashford
8:00 AM - Arrive in Paradise; get coffee at Katoosh Cafe
9:00 AM - Begin Skyline Trail
1:00 PM - Finish Skyline Trail; eat lunch
1:30 PM - Nisqually Vista Trail; leave the park
3:00 PM - Arrive back in Ashford (modify this to do another hike if you have the energy)
5:00 PM - Dinner at Rainier Base Camp Bar and Grill; drive back to park
6:45 PM - Reflection Lake photos
7:15 PM - Myrtle Falls at sunset
8:00 PM - Drive back to Ashford
The home for unique & authentic travel
