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.

During a quick trip to Mount Rainier National Park, we pulled over to a viewpoint for Christine…read moreFalls. I had no idea to expect such splendor with a waterfall perfectly positioned behind a bridge. If you follow the trail there is the perfect picture spot. It makes a great spot to relax or enjoy a snack after the drive to the park.

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.

Easy hike. Beautiful!!! The turquoise water is incredible! Came here with another couple and their…read morebaby - they were able to hike with the baby in a body carrier. Not stroller friendly.

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.

The most beautiful park. There was a lot of closures when I visited in 8/26, especially on the est…read moreside of park, so my access was limited. There are 4 main areas of the park: Longmire, Paradise, Stevens Canyon and Sunrise. Longmire: Very historical, with a walking Historical tour of the buildings, park inn, museum, old gas station, wilderness center and general store. Paradise: extremely busy! Get here before 7am or after 2pm to get a parking space. Includes an inn with gift shop, visitors center woth deli and store and ranger station. This is where the most popular Skyline Trail is located (5.5 miles, 1700ft elevation gain). Steven's Canyon/Ohanapecosh: campground, visitors center (both currently closed) Sunrise/White River: currently closed Even if you have mobility issues, there is plenty to see in this park. Along the southern border, there are 4-5 easy trails. A few are even paved and ADA accessible. There are several beautiful waterfalls and rivers to see just from the road pullouts too. 34/63

One of America's most majestic peaks, Mount Rainier towers over the Washington landscape like a…read morebeacon, easily visible on clear days from downtown Seattle, 70 miles to the north. Close up, the mountain's 14,000' peak often disappears behind treetops and fog, playing a game of hide and seek with visitors traversing the winding roads of its sprawling national park, craning their necks for a glimpse of the summit. But a visit to Mount Rainier National Park is like a game of chance. You can leave Seattle, as we did recently, under clear morning skies, with the mountain looming far in the distance, and then watch the clouds slowly close in as you near your destination. Weather conditions can make all the difference here, so make sure you pay close attention before setting out. Mid July through early September provide the best window to see the mountain in all its summertime glory -- come earlier in the year and you may find an environment decidedly less accommodating for the casual hiker. Rainier offers dozens of hiking trails, waterfalls, lakes and scenic vistas, and the ideal visit requires multiple days to experience it all. If you're coming for a day trip from the Seattle area, arrive early to beat the traffic at the entrance and prioritize easily accessible spots like Narada Falls, Reflection Lake and Paradise Meadows, where parking spots quickly disappear by noon. We arrived at the South Entrance on a weekday around 9 a.m. and drove right up to the entrance gate, but the lines to enter during peak season, especially on weekends, can be notoriously long. A highly recommended stop is the Longmire Visitor Center, where the rangers will advise you on road and trail conditions and help you plan your day. The park's showstopper is the popular Skyline Trail, a moderately challenging 5.5-mile loop that climbs 1,500' from the parking lot at Paradise Meadows to the spectacular Panorama Point Overlook. In summer, the trail meanders through a breathtaking sea of wildflowers and offers views of glaciers and waterfalls as it works its way across Rainier's southern slope. But on our recent visit, in early June, we found out that a even a light rain can makes the park's spectacular Skyline Trail a dicey expedition. The cold drizzle we encountered at the trailhead quickly evolved into an icy mix of sleet and snow as our family neared Panorama Point, making the narrow trails dangerously slick. Despite coming equipped with winter jackets, warm gloves and sturdy hiking boots, the conditions forced us to retreat before reaching the trail's famous overlook, which was already shrouded in dense fog. Despite not being able to enjoy the views and scenery we had hoped for, our visit to Mount Rainier was an unforgettable experience -- a challenging but highly rewarding winter hike on snow-covered trails surrounded by glaciers, icy peaks, and furry marmots who bounded around us like giant squirrels posing for candid photos. It was also a reminder that any visit to a national park is subject to the grace of Mother Nature, and inspired us to plan a return trip to this spectacular place -- hopefully when we can see Rainier's summit against a blue Washington sky.

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.

Lovely waterfall on Rainier's Paradise side. Attached to the Skyline Trail, this waterfall is a…read morepretty easy hike away from the parking lot. The path to this is paved. You can extend your hike to the rest of loop. I personally would recommend going clockwise on the Skyline Trail since it gives you a much better view while climbing, which would leave this as one of the last things to see on Skyline Trail, but going counter clockwise is definitely a thing people do so if you want to visit this first, that's also a viable option.

Came here for the Myrtle falls x dead horse creek trail x christine falls bridge, and all very…read morepretty sights as you could see the contrasting hues of blue as the water falls on each of the rocks down to the bottom. I just wish that there was a trail to get you closer to the water of the falls themselves bc I had to enjoy them from a distance. Parking has a lot of spaces, but a lot of people come here, so get down your parallel parking, or just take the L and wait until a spot opens up. May need to do a mini hike to your starting point before you actually begin the hike to your desired destination. Love that I came here when the season of autumn or fall is nearing, so I got to see the snowy caps with the ever changing red orange yellow green colors in the trees and grass. Anticipate a long line for entry because there is an admission fee depending on the vehicle that you pull up in and how long you plan to stay in Mount rainier. As active duty military personnel, I got free admission, which they provide if you are still serving that u then can renew once you leave active duty service for a free lifetime admission to the park.

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!

We were recently traveling with our dog in the area so we had to take her on the pet friendly Mt…read more Rainier Gondola. Even though the weather didn't agree with us, we still had an enjoyable time. We purchased our tickets online a few days ahead because you get a better price that way. Each ticket is good for two separate rides. We arrived just after 10 in the morning and it was grey and overcast. The sky was very cloudy and there was a foggy mist over the mountains. It was lovely but not the best weather for sight seeing. We went ahead and rode up the mountain and back and it was fun but as you can guess the views weren't great from the gondola. About half the ride it was just like being inside frosted glass and all we could see was grey. We stayed at the top for a while but the winds were to fierce for our pup so we headed back down and spent some time eating, shopping and enjoying the area. We were hoping the weather would clear up later in the afternoon. Unfortunately for us, Mother Nature had other plans and it was cool, foggy and totally overcast all day. I wasn't even really that disappointed though because it was just so beautiful being there. It was honestly my favorite kind of weather. On our second ride, we did try riding the famous "Green Gondola". We had seen other people waiting for it on our earlier ride and asked a staff member what it was all about. They said it was just a replacement gondola so it didn't match the others exactly and we kind of laughed at how silly it is but people love things that are unique. There was no line, so we gave it a go and I'm here to tell you that it didn't part the clouds and I haven't won the lottery since riding it :) Sorry to say it is just like the red ones. Even with the weather, we made a really nice day of it and if you haven't seen this area, I would definitely recommend giving the gondola a try. I think next time we will probably risk the higher prices at the gate to make sure the weather is cooperating for the ride.

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.