Mount Rainier has a few main sections, the largest and most popular is an area known as Paradise. This has a massive visitors’ center, hotels, ranger station, and some other attractions. This area sits on the south side of the mountain and is a very popular spot for those who want to hike up some or all the mountain. The other major area in the park is known as Sunrise. It has stunning views of the mountain from both the parking area and from the numerous trailheads that venture out of the area.

We stayed just outside of the park on the southwestern side. This was very convenient for the Paradise area, however it meant long days of driving two or three hours each way to explore the far reaches of the park. We stayed in Ashford, a tiny (and I do mean tiny) ‘town’ that sits just outside of the park's border. There you can find several small local hotels and a handful of restaurants. Be warned that if you forgot anything you’ll have to do a decent amount of driving away from the park to find anything but basic supplies. Also, as we found if you arrive back later in the evening be prepared for everything to be closed.

Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range located around 59 miles southeast of Seattle. Its summit has an elevation of 14,411 feet making it the highest mountain in the Cascade Range. It’s a very prominent mountain that on clear days can be seen from the city. Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the very high probability of a future eruption putting around 80,000 people at risk. The mountain has 29 named glacial features covering about 30 square miles on the mountain's surface. These stunning features make for beautiful views but add to the risk of a large-scale eruption. If Rainier were to erupt with the same strength that Mount St. Helens last did, the effect would be cumulatively greater because of the massive amounts of glacial ice.

Mount Rainier has a long history of human inhabitants dating back at least 8,500 years. When the first Europeans arrived in the area, they encountered Native Americans who hunted and gathered in the valleys and meadows around the mountain.

John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888 and was an early advocate for protection of the mountain and surrounding area. In 1893 the area was set aside as part of the Pacific Forest Reserve. In 1899 President William McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as the fifth national park. Congress dedicated the new park “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition."

Its proximity to Seattle means that in the summer months, when the weather is nice, it can be very crowded. When we went into the park early (before dawn) it was not a problem but as soon as the sun came up the park was packed with people. When we headed out in the middle of the day, we would have to wait for over an hour just to get through the gate at the Nisqually Entrance. On our last day we took the 1.5-hour drive around the park to the east entrance just to “save time”.

We had three days in the park and explored most of the area. The first day and a half we had so many clouds that you could not see the mountain at all. While a significant disappointment we made the best of it. We stopped at the Longmire Visitors Center and spoke with the rangers there before heading deeper into the park on our first day. Longmire was first discovered in 1883 as a mineral spring and led to the first established spa and hotel in the area. There is still a hotel there today you can stay in, though in the peak of summer it is considerably expensive.

We tried to head to the Paradise area to hike but it was so enshrouded in clouds that you could not see anything. Instead we did the hike at the Grove of the Patriarchs which was truly amazing. The trail is easy and leads you to a suspension bridge over the Ohanapecosh River to a small island of behemoth old-growth trees. While it is not quite as massive as the redwoods in California these old growth Douglas-firs are massive with some almost 300 feet tall and 40 feet in diameter. We did this hike again the next day just because it was SO much fun. We drove to and hiked around the Tipsoo lake area but again with the clouds the views were very poor. We spent the sunset driving around the main road and ended up with a glorious view of the Tatoosh Range with storm clouds and wonderful color for sunset.

After another cloudy sunrise at Tipsoo lake we took the long, almost 3 hour, ride up to the Sunrise area. Here you find the highest elevation you can drive to in the park and amazing views of the mountain and surrounding area. You also will find what feels like endless meadows full of wildflowers in full bloom for us. We hiked around and explored the area and even visited the gift shop.

For sunset we tried Tipsoo lake, and it started off very promising. With a clear view of the mountain and a handful of clouds to make it interesting. However, as time passed the clouds came in and fully blocked the view of the mountain. It was a long day at this point, and we packed it in.

Our last (half day) in the park started at Reflection Lake where we finally had a clear morning and a wonderful sunrise looking at the mountain. After we headed towards Paradise to get our passports stamped before we headed onto the next park. As a side note we tried to go to Paradise the day before, but the parking lots were so full that the NPS had closed them and people were parking miles away. If you want to start a hike from here in the summer, you should plan on arriving before sunrise.

One last note about where to stay, we chose the Alexander Lodge just outside of the Paradise entrance. When we booked there were not many options open and with COIVD we could not be too picky. It was a ‘fine’ place to stay but if you do stay here be warned that it’s in no way a ‘normal’ hotel / motel / lodge/ It’s a 115-year-old mansion, every room is very different. While it does have some wonderful charm, the two massive staircases up to a tiny room was a bit rough.

After we finished up in Rainier, we headed out to the North Cascades National Park.