Longmire is located at the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park and about six miles east…read moreof the Nisqually Entrance. It was once the site of the park headquarters when Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899. In this area is the Longmire Wilderness Information Center, National Park Inn, a gift shop and restrooms. Longmire is a nice area for a quick pit stop after entering the park. There is some Wi-Fi in the area, but it is a little spotty. The Longmire Museum building was built in 1916 and was the first location of the park's headquarters. Years later, it became a museum with exhibits and a mini bookstore. The Longmire Museum is a small building and opens daily all year round. The exhibits inside the museum tell the story of the early days of the park. There is also a park ranger on hand to answer any questions that you may have. I stopped here and appreciated the ranger giving me a few tips about the park. I then grabbed a few things from the gift store next door and headed to my next destination. Cougar Rock Campground and Christine Falls are a short drive away. There are a number of hiking trails in this area and some picnic tables if you want to hang out and relax here in Longmire.

Just a few miles east of Longmire is this beautiful waterfall in Mount Rainier National Park…read more Christine Falls is a 60-foot waterfall that plunges underneath a historic arched bridge. There is a small pullout on either side of the bridge. I missed the pullout the first time I drove to Christine Falls. So keep an eye out for it because it comes up quick as you turn the corner. There is also no sidewalk to walk on when walking to the short path to the falls. Be careful of passing cars. You get a nice view of the falls once you get to the overlook. Christine Falls is named for Christine Van Trump. She is the daughter of Philemon Beecher Van Trump. He and his partner are credited with the first ascent of Mount Rainier in 1870.

Sorry to add a photo that's practically a carbon copy of 50 others on this Yelp pg, but what can we…read moredo? It's a beautiful waterfall. With the bridge perched above the waterfall like an upper eyelid, the view is a scaled-down version of Multnomah Falls, OR. Don't get me wrong, both are exquisite sights for sure. Parking was easy (~15 spots). The hike was short but slippery at times due to the moist weather. A good rest stop on the way to the legendary Mt Rainier (14k ft elevation). No amenities like restrooms or drinking water.

Easy loop hike. A little bit of up then down then up kinda stuff. Its beautiful nature but really…read morenot much real view until the waterfall. Compared to skyline loop it isn't much. But its easy and quick.

Good hike through the woods. This provides "forest bathing" and good falls. Many huckleberry bushes…read morebut not too many fruit. Reverse hike! Uphill when you are hot and tired ...

Mount Rainier NPis such a gorgeous park. The drive up from Seattle was simple and didn't feel like…read morethe 2 plus hours. I was grateful for nearly perfect weather- even with the various microclimates throughout the park. I was prepared for the heavy humidity and the chilli weather. The park was "closed" due to the government shutdown and so we didn't have to pay the entrance fee which was nice. I do however feel bad for the park rangers and staff that were unable to work. We took the route of the Paradise route and stopped at the different viewpoints but there were a few closures. Reflection lake was beautiful but a bit crowded.

Every year I pick one or two national parks that I have never been to for vacation. This year I…read moredecided to fly to Washington and travel to both Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks. My Dad lived north of the Seattle area for many years, and I would travel to see him. I would always marvel at Mount Rainier when flying over it by plane or seeing it from afar while in Seattle. Its snow-capped peak and overall size are incredible sites to see. Mount Rainier is a 14,410-foot active volcano in Washington's Cascade Range. It is the tallest mountain in Washington State. My Dad never had any interest in seeing this mountain up close, so I made my own trip out here to visit the park and do some hiking. I also ran a 5K that was going on in nearby Ashford to add a little fun to my trip. President William McKinley signed a bill authorizing the creation of Mount Rainier National Park in 1899. It is the nation's fifth national park. There are many cities around Mount Rainier National Park that you can stay in. I stayed in Packwood, which is southeast of the park. I took an overnight flight to Seattle-Tacoma and drove straight to the park where I ended up sleeping in my rental truck for a few hours until the sun came up. Mount Rainier National Park now requires a timed entry reservation made in advance during peak hours. I had got there early enough to avoid having to wait in the timed entry line. I began my day hiking to base of Mount Rainier on the popular 5.5-mile Skyline Loop Trail. It was a beautiful trail full of wildflowers, waterfalls, snow and wildlife. Marmots were running around all over and providing all sorts of entertainment for us hikers. The Skyline Trail begins and ends next to the visitor center in Paradise. At the visitor center, you can grab a bite to eat and check out exhibits that provide some history and information about this beautiful park. I spent much of my time driving around Mount Rainier National Park and enjoying its breathtaking views. The park has four main entrances - Nisqually, Carbon River, White River/Sunrise and Stevens Canyon. I was able to check out several waterfalls while exploring the park. Narada Falls was probably my favorite. One beautiful place to check out is Reflection Lake where you can see a reflection of Mount Rainier in the lake. Longmire is another popular destination that has lodging, camping, food, a visitor center and is the location of the park's original National Park Service Administration Building (which is now an information center). Ohanapecosh is an area in the park that has many campsites. I did make time to drive to Sunrise to get a different view of Mount Rainier. Sunrise is the highest point in the park that is accessible by vehicle at an elevation of 6,400 feet. When I visit national parks, I try to do a hike each day while I am in the park. There are 168 trails in Mount Rainier National Park. So I had to be selective in how many I could do because of time. After hiking the Skyline Loop Trail, I ended up doing some shorter day hikes like the Twin Firs Loop Trail and Bench & Snow Lakes Trail. I also did some hiking in the Sunrise area. There are so many trails to choose from at various lengths and difficulty. There is no Wi-Fi in Mount Rainier National Park. So I had to rely mostly on paper maps to get around. But if you do need Wi-Fi, you can stop at any of the three visitor centers in the park to connect. There are also park rangers on hand who are very helpful and will answer any questions that you may have. You will find restrooms, merchandise and food options at the visitor centers. I am so glad that I finally made my way to this beautiful national park to see this incredible mountain. Hiking the Skyline Trail and seeing some of the waterfalls were the highlights for me on this trip. Flying to Washington to spend some time in Mount Rainier National Park is an experience that I won't forget. I look forward to a return visit someday.

For a 1.2 mile this trail will surely be an ultimate favorite for families with strollers and…read moregrandparents who just wanna have an easy stroll yet still have that gorgeous view. Also a paved trail this one will made you stroll in loop at the same time do some photowalk. It is so gorgeous in here and as a bonus, you get to see part of Mt. Rainier in several viewpoints. The only cons in here is that there's a lot of bugs that flies around. And if you keep talking there's a possibility that they'll fly straight inside your mouth. These flies also keep coming to you as you stroll so if I were you, better carry some bug spray when you plan to hike here during summertime. PS: for those hardcore hikers, this might bored you. So skip this one or you can keep going to its connected trails available at Paradise Area located Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center. Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps!

Magnificent paved trail with beautiful views of Mount Rainier throughout. I love that trail options…read morelike this are available that are very easy for younger children, elderly, etc. We arrived very early before 9 am and only saw a couple others on the trail. I recommend always coming early to avoid crowds/long car lines to enter the park.

The trail to reach Myrtle falls is pretty easy/short (a little less than a mile) and BOY are the…read moreviews stunning. The actual view of Myrtle facing Mt. Rainier is kind of the "poster child" picture for Mt. Rainier at least that I saw online so that was fun when I realized! A crowd definitely does gather right in front of the falls so don't be surprised, you may have to wait/ask folks to shift around if you want to get a nice photo. It's worth it though! Overall if you're visiting the Paradise part of Mt. Rainier, this is such an easy spot to get to that you absolutely should not miss. The whole trail path is paved.

This is one of the most photographed areas in Mount Rainier National Park. The view of Myrtle Falls…read morewith Mount Rainier in the background is one of the most stunning viewpoints in the whole park. Myrtle Falls is located in the Paradise area and is a short walk from the parking lot on the Skyline loop trail. The trail is moderately challenging and is on paved asphalt. This waterfall tumbles 72 feet into a rugged gorge, There is a viewing area off to the side that allows you to take photos of Myrtle Falls with Mount Rainier directly behind it. Just know that it can get crowded in this small area. There may also be professional photographers in this area taking photos with a tripod. There is a bridge over Myrtle Falls that allows you to see it from above. I highly recommend doing the full Skyline loop trail if you have time. It's a great hike. The Paradise area is closed during the winter season.

Hello, river fun!!…read more Wenatchee river is long, winded and strong!!! And we got to see the park right from cel elum/ suncadia resort! It's gorgeous! Green! Crazy strong! So pretty! So refreshing. So scary! All at once. In short, it was perfect. The hotel does guided activities here. Fly fishing, river rafting etc! Since Baci wasn't allow on most/ if not all, we ended up hiking a lot!! Hiking down 50 flights of stairs this river! Crazy windy up above, calm down here. I wish I can let Baci swim but pretty sure I'll never see him again if I did. So we did a little soak! And stand! It was still fun! Beautiful hike. A ton of lethal mosquitos!! Bring a lot of repellent!

This takes you to a private gated community, or you can approach from another place but that's not…read moresuitable for kids. We couldn't even go, unfortunate that info is missing!

A MUST when visiting Mt. Rainier / Crystal Mountain resort - it was the perfect way to admire what…read morethe wifey had just accomplished, running down the gigantic mountain, the ride up is about 10 - 15mins, all worth it!!! breath taking views of Mt. Rainier, do dress accordingly, it was pretty windy and about 10 degrees colder up on the mountain. there is a restaurant/restrooms observation chairs and a beer garden at the top! but the view!!! stunning, the greens/whites/ snow peak colors with the sky blue in the background. as usual parking could be hit or miss, they do have several parking lots but the closest one to the gandola ( the paved one ) is on the smaller side, they have other lots designated by letters ( which also unpaved ) Info on Gondola here: https://www.crystalmountainresort.com/things-to-do/activities/mt-rainier-gondola

Came for the day while friends skied. Beautiful, sunny and gorgeous! Snow already melting - this…read moreis the last day of the season. Gondola tickets $54 each and you get 2 round trips.

This is a great hike for photographers if you want to get both a nice view of Mount Rainier and of…read moreits reflection in the lake. The best time to come here is on a clear day and when the water is calm. You get stunning views of the alpine lakes and of the mountain peaks in the background. I made two stops here during my trip because the wind had caused ripples on the water and I wasn't able to get a clear shot with my camera. The reflection was much more clearer the second stop. Reflection Lakes is located off of Stevens Canyon Road just south of Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park. After parking, head down to the lake to find the hiking trail. The parking lot can fill up during the busier part of the day. The Lakes Trail is a three mile loop trail that goes around the lake and starts from either end of the parking lot. Wildflowers border the lakes in summer which adds some nice color to your photographs. The park asks that you stay on the trail to protect the meadow around the lake. Pinnacle Peak Trail is another popular trail that starts south of the Reflection Lakes parking lot. I really enjoyed making a stop here. It is one of the best places to get an iconic picture of Mount Rainier. There is no swimming, fishing, or boating in Reflection Lakes. But nearby Louise Lake allows wading and fishing. You can only visit Reflection Lakes in the summer as Stevens Canyon Road closes up during the winter season.

Made a quick stop here to see the reflection of Mt Rainier…read more Heard it's supposed to be beautiful at sunrise, but it was rainy during our visit so we forewent the early morning visit. Came around 9am-ish on a cloudy day and were able to see a decent reflection - can only imagine how beautiful it would be on a nice, sunny day. We did a bit of the walk around the lakes, and while the walk was nice, the best views come from the overlooks where you park. Definitely worth a quick stop while driving by. If the weather is good, consider sunrise - you might be in for a wonderful surprise.

The Eagle Peak Trail is one of the hardest trails in the Longmire area of Mount Rainier National…read morePark. The peak offers amazing, closeup views of Mount Rainier, and as far into the distance as Mount Hood on a clear day. The trail starts in Longmire, across the Nisqually Suspension Bridge from the Wilderness Center. The trailhead is right between the bridge and the old campground. There are enough parking spaces for about 3 cars here, with a few more spaces down the road, and more across the bridge. The trail is 7.2 miles round trip, with about 3000 feet elevation gain. It took me about 4 hours total, going at a moderate pace. It's shaded all the way up. The climb is pretty consistent, although it gets a little more steep towards the saddle, and a lot more steep from there to the peak. The trail can be very narrow, slippery, and steep in some places near the top. This wasn't hard for me on a clear day, but I imagine it could be a lot harder in ice or muddy snow. I saw several deer on the trail, and a black bear that looked to be about 2 years old. (It ran away when it saw me.) Cougars have been spotted in the area this year, but I didn't see any on this trail. Before hiking this trail I would check the weather the day before and the day of. I personally wouldn't want to hike it in active snow, but a clear day after snow should be okay. There is no cell service whatsoever on this trail, but there is free wifi nearby in Longmire. Dogs, bikes, and skis are not allowed on this trail.