Length: 1 Day | Budget: $
This post covers a day trip to Mt. Rainier National Park, the 5th established national park in the United States, and our hike around the Naches Peak Loop trail at Mount Rainier. The park is massive and features a variety of outdoor activities (from hiking in the summer, to snowshoeing in the winter) as well as several lodging/camping options. From sprawling meadows, old-growth forests, glaciers, and waterfalls…to the dramatic peak of Mt. Rainier (dormant volcano), there are a million beautiful things to see and experience when you visit. Try to visit the park on a sunny, clear day – otherwise, you may find it hard to see anything (including Mt. Rainier) through the clouds!
TIP: Tack this experience onto a visit to the Pacific Northwest…it’s a perfect day trip from Seattle or Portland. You can check out my suggested 2-3 day Seattle itinerary here.
Our main purpose for visiting the park was to complete one of the famed Wildflower Hikes (there’s a reason Mt. Rainier is listed as the #1 destination for wildflower viewing in Bob Gibbons book “Wildflower Wonders: The 50 Best Wildflower Sites in the World“). Peak viewing time is late July/early August (we went the last week of July, which was perfect). There are several hikes (ranging from easy to very difficult) that allow for spectacular wildflower viewing, for a comprehensive list, check out this article which lists the Top 10 Wildflower Hikes.
We decided to go with the Naches Peak Loop Trail for a couple of reasons:
- It’s an easy to moderate hike, roughly ~4 miles round trip with a 700ft. elevation gain
- There’s a bit of everything in this hike, including picturesque viewpoints of Mt. Rainier, wildflowers, lakes, valleys
- We’re a fan of ‘loop trails’ since it means that you get to see different scenes the entire hike
- We wanted time to explore other areas of the park, including the easy Grove of the Patriarchs trail and Paradise Valley.
Getting there
We started the drive to Mt. Rainier National Park from Seattle…it’s about a 2.5-hour drive to the actual trailhead. Traffic to (and in) the park can be a beast so I would recommend starting the drive early (we left around 7am!). Going early means that you also can avoid fighting the crowds on the trail!
We made a brief stop in Enumclaw, WA for a hearty breakfast at The Kettle. This was nice because it broke up the long drive and also allowed us to fuel up for our hike. The Kettle was an adorable local restaurant offering traditional American breakfast fare (think pancakes, omelettes, biscuits) and HUGE portions. We loved that you had the choice of fresh muffins (Blueberry or Cinnamon) instead of toast with your meal. The blueberry muffin comes highly recommended….moist, fresh out-of-the-oven, and chock full of blueberries!
Hiking the Naches Peak Loop Trail at Mount Rainierr
There are 2 parking areas that are close to the Naches Peak Loop Trailhead – skip the main Tipsoo Lake parking area (1st lot) and continue the drive up to the Chinook Pass parking lot (2nd lot). You’ll pass by a small wooden sign that calls out Naches Peak Loop near the main parking area…..don’t worry, there is ANOTHER entrance to the trail from the 2nd parking lot. Parking in the 2nd lot is better because 1) there are more bathrooms available, and 2) it allows you start the trail clockwise, offering better views of Mt. Rainier.
Start the trail by crossing the bridge/overpass. You’ll know you’re going the right way because immediately after the bridge you’ll see a sign highlighting that you are on a leg of the Pacific Crest Trail. See pictures below.
The hike was everything I imagined it to be and more…there was an abundance of wildflowers every step of the way, and I was constantly ooohing and aahing at the beautiful scenery. It’s definitely an experience to add to your bucket list! Common wildflowers in the area include: blue lupine, white bistort, and magenta paintbrush.
Need a snack break? The Dewey Lake viewpoint is around the halfway point for the hike, and offers a great view of Dewey Lake (600 ft. below!) and the surrounding valley.
The highlight of the hike was definitely the south side of Naches Peak – I remember turning a corner, taking a few steps uphill, and suddenly coming up against the most magnificent view of Mt. Rainier. How many times in your life will you see a giant snow-capped mountain, surrounded by lush fields of wildflowers, and a glassy lake?! We made sure to take several pictures to capture the moment…don’t forget to do the same! Once you’re done taking photos, continue along the trail – at this point, the hike gets easier since it’s downhill for the rest of the way. Follow the trail past the Tipsoo Lake Parking Lot, continue up a steep incline, and you’ll find yourself back at the Chinook Pass Parking Lot. The entire hike should take roughly 2-3 hours.
TIP: Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. You’ll also want to have bug spray ready because we were devoured by mosquitoes (and that was with us wearing long sleeves/long pants)!
Grove of the Patriarchs + Paradise Valley at Mount Rainier
After hiking the Naches Peak Loop Trail, we took a ~20 minute drive to the Grove of the Patriarchs Loop, one of the most popular hiking trails in the park (be prepared to share the trail with a LOT of people). It’s an easy, flat hike (~1.5 miles on a maintained boardwalk) and is shade-covered most of the way. The Grove of the Patriarchs was a completely different hiking experience from the wildflower hike – we loved being surrounded by towering, majestic old-growth trees…it felt like we were in a Lord of the Rings movie! Highlights of the trail include the massive 40-ft. wide Douglas Firs and the suspension bridge crossing the Ohanapecosh River.
Paradise Valley is a section of Mt. Rainier National Park. My recommendation would be to drive towards the Henry M Jackson Visitor Center (this is the park’s main visitor center, and is in the heart of Paradise Valley) from Grove of the Patriarchs. You’ll be able to stop at several viewing spots (e.g. Reflections Lake, Box Canyon) on the way. For those who want to convert this day trip into an overnight trip, the Henry Jackson Visitor Center is also right next to the beautiful Paradise Inn, and there are several trails that depart from the Paradise area (e.g. Nisqually Vista Loop Trail, Skyline Trail, etc.). We spent ~1 hour in the area taking in the sights (it’s also a good place for a bathroom break) before making our way out of the park, and back towards Seattle.
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