Mount Rainier National Park
Washington’s ice-clad active volcano feeds five major rivers and rises through old forest into subalpine meadows, with every district revealing a different face.
Artwork inspired by Richard Gilkey
Mount Rainier is both a 14,410-foot active volcano and the most glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. Its ice and snow feed five major rivers, while elevation compresses old forest, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, talus, and permanent ice into a remarkably short distance. A clear summit view is memorable, but the changing ecosystems tell the fuller story.
Choose one district—often Paradise, Sunrise, Longmire, or Ohanapecosh—rather than treating the park as a loop drive. Check the webcam, road status, and weather before committing, then keep a lower-elevation alternative because cloud can erase the mountain and snow can outlast summer elsewhere. Protect meadow vegetation by staying on constructed trail even when others cut corners.
- Setting
- Ashford, Washington
- Park pass
- Entrance pass; check current reservation requirements
- Allow
- At least half a day
Quick guide
- Choose one side
- Paradise, Sunrise, Longmire, or Ohanapecosh
- Read the mountain
- Follow water from glacier to meadow and forest
Build a Rainier day
- Visibility
- Check webcams first; a clouded summit can change the best district and route.
- Elevation
- Notice how forest, meadow, rock, snow, and temperature change during the climb.
- Water
- Connect glaciers and snowfields to waterfalls, rivers, and downstream valleys.
- Meadows
- Use established paths and never widen a trail to avoid snow, mud, or crowds.
Good to know
Paradise and Sunrise are not interchangeable entrances, and driving between districts can consume much of a day. Select the destination before navigating, then verify that its road, lot, and facilities are open.
Notice these
- active ice-clad volcano and the watersheds
- Paradise or Sunrise with a clear view of
- At least half a day