Mount Rainier is a large volcanic peak located 85 miles (140 km) southeast of Seattle Washington. It rises to 14,410 feet (4,392 meters) and towers at least 8,000 feet (2,500 meters) above any of the surrounding mountains. On clear days, it dominates the southern horizon from Seattle and every surrounding community. The summit and its upper flanks are perpetually covered with 35 square miles of ice and snow including 23 active glaciers.
Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,625 acres (95,354 hectares) of forests, meadows and mountains. 97% of the park is designated as wilderness. All of Mount Rainier and many of the neighboring peaks and foothills are included within the park
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| Mount Rainier |
You can drive from Seattle to Mount Rainier in three hours or less. The shortest route is via route 169 from Renton to Enumclaw. From there, it is a 40-mile drive through beautiful mountain scenery to the Sunrise Visitor Center high on the eastern slopes of the mountain. As an alternative, you can follow route 7 south from Tacoma then head east on route 706 to the village of Ashford which is 6 miles from the Nisqually entrance to the park, about 8 miles from the Longmire Visitor Center and approximately 25 miles from Paradise and the Jackson Visitor Center high on the southern slopes of the mountain. You can also continue further south on route 7 and turn east on route 131 to the village of Packwood, which is 15 miles from the Stevens Canyon entrance to the park and 35 miles from the Paradise Visitor Center.
A scenic drive to Mount Rainier National Park is an excellent one-day excursion from Seattle. It is also a great destination for several-days of sightseeing, camping, backpacking, hiking or climbing. The best time to visit is June through October. Many higher elevation roads and trails are closed during the winter months due to heavy snow accumulation, but the road from the Nisqually entrance to Longmire and Paradise is normally kept open for activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter camping. These cold-weather sports begin as soon as the snow accumulation is sufficient to protect the environment.
If I had only one day to see Mount Rainier, I would start early in the morning and would drive to the Sunrise Visitor Area at 6,000 feet (2,000 m) elevation on the eastern slope. The early morning light offers the most photogenic views on this side of the mountain. I would drive south to the Stevens Canyon Entrance stopping at the Grove of the Patriarchs to see the giant thousand-year-old trees. Then, I would head west to Paradise and lunch at the Lodge before hiking through the alpine meadows to some spectacular views of the southern face of Rainier, the Nisqually Glacier, the upper snowfields and the nearby Tatoosh Mountain Range. In the evening, I would head west to the Nisqually Entry stopping at Longmire or in the village of Ashford for dinner before returning to the Seattle area.
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| Rental Cabin |
If you can spend more than one day, you might stay in the town of Enumclaw north of the mountain. It is about 45 minutes drive to the Sunrise Visitor Center and 1.5 hours from Paradise, but it has a good selection of hotels, restaurants, food markets, convenience stores etc. The town of Ashford is ideally located just a few miles from the Nisqually Entrance and 30 minutes from Paradise. It has about 10 hotels or lodges, two service stations, a small general store, a convenience store and a half-dozen restaurants. It also has a nice selection of vacation rental cabins and lodges. The village of Packwood is closer to the Stevens Canyon Entrance and at least 45 minutes from Paradise; but it has a few more stores, accommodations and restaurants than Ashford. Packwood is close to the Mount Saint Helens National Monument.
