|
 | Mount Rainier National Park Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 64 |  |
Popular Things To Do | Other Things To Do Tips | All Tips (64) Here is the other epicenter of tourist activity. The parking lot here is much larger than that of Paradise - for a reason. For the best pictures and to find a parking spot, come early in the day. Afternoon will find you shooting directly into the sun. Sunrise is also higher than Paradise by 1000 feet - 6400 ft/1950 m. The approach road branches off WA 410 about 7 miles into the Park. For the first five miles, the road gains elevation slowly until crossing the White River, whereafter, the road goes up a little over 2000 feet in the next 11 miles, including a couple gargantuan switchbacks. There are grand views from the road and strategic pull-outs offering the visitor and opportunity to pull out the camera.
At Sunrise, there is another large visitor center, a ranger station (backcountry and climb permits available), a cafeteria and picnic areas. There are many trail possibilities - Sunrise lies within the flower-filled meadows of Yakima Park. A short walk takes you to the very grand Emmons Vista, a point standing 2000 feet above the White River far below. The immense icefields of Emmons Glacier tumble down off the top of Rainier. Look carefully and you might make out climbing parties as they slowly pick their ways through the oceans of crevasses. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
 | |  |
Mt Rainier is a huge mountain. Many people come to climb and there are many different routes up. Most will climb the Disappoint ment Cleaver route up from Paradise: Paradise - Camp Muir - across Cowlitz and Ingraham Glaciers and up the Cleaver (a rotten rock ridge) to the top. Most of the others will walk up the vast Emmons Glacier on the northeast side starting from White River (another 1000 feet of elevation to be gained this way - 10000 feet in all!). Climbing by the normal two routes is not normally technically difficult - familiarity with an ice axe and crampons helps, though many who come here sign up with the guide services and learn as they go. If you are doing the mountain wtihout guides, then familiarity with rope teams and maybe some experience with crevasse rescue could be useful. The main thing you will need is good physical shape and a good mental outlook to undergo the long slog up.
The mountain is a grand place to wander about on, but be very careful about pushing beyond your skill levels or getting caught in bad weather. Rockfall is a constant threat in some areas and the rock on the mountain is horribly rotten - a helmet is a must. Crevasses are stupendous and should be treated with utter respect. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
Or instead of Mt Fremont, you can walk straight ahead on the Wonderland Trail into the wide flower-filled meadows of Berkeley Park. Marmots whistle about. Mighty Rainier rises above Burroughs Mountain. To the north, a trail pushes off towards the plateau of Grand Park which you can see a few miles away. The Wonderland Trail continues, of course, beyond Berkeley Park. On the other side, the trail goes over a small pass on the south side of Skyscraper Mountain. Now, high above Winthrop Glacier, you can see awesome north side of Mt Rainier, the glaciers and the gigantic Willis Wall. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
While Mrs Longmire thought that the meadows of Paradise were Heaven, there are many other splendours to be found around the base of the mountain's glaciers. True alps - mountain meadows above or at timberline - are know in the Pacific Northwest as 'parks'. And there are many scattered around the mountain: Van Trump, Spray, Seattle, Morain, Yakima, St Andrews and Cowlitz. Many of these parks are visited if you walk the 93-mile long Wonderland Trail. My favorite section is along the Cowlitz Divide on the southeast side of the mountain. The trail wanders along the Divide's crest, through meadows and timber islands over to Indian Bar and up to Ohanepecosh Park. Beyond is the Fryingpan Gap - 6800 ft/2074m - and the meadows of Summerland. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
6562 ft/2000 m, this peak and its neighbor, the Castle, can also be climbed, though these are more difficult than Plummer. Lots of tedious loose rock here mean a helmet would come in handy - especially with others on the same route. The rock of the Tatoosh, like Rainier and most of the Cacades is rotten, crumbly vocanic stone. Routes that are easy affairs in other ranges can become quite hairy affairs in these rocks. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
Camp Muir lies at 10188 ft/3105 m, a little under 5000 feet above your car at Paradise. Trails go up to almost 7000 feet and then you hike up through the Muir Snowfield from there. You are exposed to the sun the entire way up. On a busy weekend, there will be hundreds of people sweating and slogging their way up or down here. With good boots, water, sun protection, maybe some gaiters and stamina, you can easily get up to Camp Muir. Most people will camp here or just beyond. Permits are needed and can be hard to come by becasue of demand. The higher you go, the more of southern Washington you can see. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
Coming up from Reflection Lakes, the Pinnacle trail comes up the north side of Pinnacle Peak, officially ending at the pass between Pinnacle and Plummer Peaks. Many can easily continue up a good bootpath to the south and up to the top of Plummer PEak - 6370 ft/1942 m. You are in the heart of the Tatoosh here and the range is laid out before you. Of course, Mt Rainier looms always dramatically to the north. The few time I have been up here, I have always seen mountain goats, sometimes cooling off in snow banks on warm summer days. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
Deer can be found fairly easily in the Park. Bears will come and visit your campsite if you are sloppy and leave garbage around. Away from your car, up in the higher parks, the mountain goat can be found. Many times if you find one, there are others about. I have seen them in numbers in the Tatoosh near Plummer Peak and along the Cowlitz Divide near Indian Bar. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
Just below Chinook Pass on WA 410, lies Tipsoo Lake. Many classic phtos have been taken of the mountain relfecting in the lake's waters while the mountain rises to west above the rocky crags of the Owyhigh Ranges. There is a picnic area on the west side of the lake. Come early in the morning for the best pictures. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
Nisqually Glacier is one of the 25 glaciers encricling the vastness of Rainier. Very dramatic, the glacier begins on the crest of the volcanic cone and drops 9000 feet down the mountain to where the Nisqually River is born below from the icy snout. The vast crevasse fields are amazing. For all of the huge size, the glacier is far from the largest one on the mountain, that honor being held by the mammoth glaciers on the north side of the mountain.
You can easily visit the grand viewpoint by way of a short walk from the Paradise parking area. Leave a Comment Address: MRNP, Tahoma Woods, Star Rte, Ashford, WA 98304Phone: 360-569-2211Directions: Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance in the SW corner. Limited winter access via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access via Hwy. 410 on the N and E sides.Website: www.nps.gov/mora/
|
| | |
More Mount Rainier National Park Tips |
 |
 |
Search Hotels
Find the best room rates |
|
 |
|
on December 16, 2003
