August 9, 2012 ---- After two days in Vancouver, Canada, Nathan and I drove straight back to the States to go to Mt. Rainier National Park. At first we didn't know if we would be able to make this trip since it would be a long drive from Vancouver. However, we had a late overnight flight to Savannah, and that would give us enough time to see some part of the park. We decided to go to the Paradise part of the park because our friend said that it is a great place for the first-time visitor. It took us about 4-4.5 hours to drive there from Vancouver.
We didn't know much about the park before we went there. We thought it would be like a giant mountain that you can just go and take a snap shot. No need for a lot of time to wander. It turned our that we were completely wrong.
This national park is huge and beautiful! It was worth every single minute we spent there. If I lived in Seattle, I would go there every month! Mt. Rainier Nation Park has a lot of hiking trails, camp grounds, gorgeous vista points, lakes, waterfalls, and much more, so you could spend your entire life wandering around there.
Longmire Museum and National Park Inn
Nathan and I got in the park through Nisqually Entrance and made our first stop at Longmire Museum. It is a very small museum but pretty interesting. Next to the museum is a hotel, National Park Inn, and it has a restaurant and a porch where the guests can sit and relax and enjoy the view of Mt. Rainier. There is also a small, old style gas station right next to the hotel. I'm not sure if it's really in use.
Christine Falls
Our next stop is at Christine Falls. It's a small waterfall right next to Paradise Road. To get to the fall view point, you have to walk down off the road a little.
Ricksecker Point
Ricksecker Point is one of the best vista points in the park. From here you can see the long, stony Nisqually River and gorgeous Mt. Rainier. If you want to get a great photo of yourself with the mountain, stop here!
Narada Falls
Narada Falls is one of the easy-access falls in the park. It's right on Paradise Road, but if you really want to go to the fall view point, you have to hike down a little. It might be difficult on the way back because the trail is a little steep and can be muddy. However, if you can make to the vista point, it is GORGEOUS!
Paradise Road
Paradise Road is a scenic path that cuts through Mt. Rainier National Park. The thick forests, beautiful flowers, and stunning mountain ranges along the road make it a paradise!
Paradise Lower and Upper Parking Lots
Paradise Lower Parking Lot is very small, but if you can't get a parking at the upper parking lot, this will be the closest lot for you. There are stair steps from here to the upper parking lot and the Visitor Center. There is also a picnic area here. The view here is also stunning! There were a lot of wild flowers in bloom on the day we visited.
Paradise Upper Parking Lot is huge but can fill up really quickly.The view from here is gorgeous!
Paradise Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center
Paradise Visitor Center is very impressive. It's big and has many exhibits. It's also a nice stop for a trip to the restroom before you go hiking in the mountains. If you don't feel like walking up, this can also be the best stop for a snapshot of Mt. Rainer's glaciers since it's located right at the foot of Nisqually Glacier.
Alta Vista Trail
Nathan and I had a little time left, so we decided to do a small hike toward the glacier, and the shortest trail is Alta Vista Trail. It's only 0.4 mile one way, but it is really steep. The weather was very nice the day we visited, and the trail was easy to follow. There were a lot of wildflowers in bloom, and I think mid or late August is the best time to visit Mt. Rainier.
There was a lot of snow on the mountains and some snow on the ground but not on the trail. Some parts of the trail can be slippery because of the melting snow. I saw a lot of people had trekking poles to help support them when they walked downhill.
Once we got to the vista point, every single minute we spent to climb up paid off! What a gorgeous view! I'm sure it's much more stunning if we go higher to the Panorama Point, but this was enough for the day because we had to head back to town very soon to catch our flight.
Reflection Lakes
This was our last stop in the park before turning around. I have seen many pictures of Mt. Rainier taken from Reflection Lakes. Unfortunately, the sky wasn't very clear and the water in the lake wasn't still on the day we visited, so we didn't really see the reflection of Mt. Rainier in the lake. However, it's a nice stop, and we enjoyed the lake.
Mount Rainier National Park has become one of my top-five favorite national parks. Too bad we didn't have much time to spend in the park because we were on our way to our new home in Pennsylvania, and this was just a side trip while moving. If we ever have a chance to be on the west coast again, Mt. Rainier is on the top of my list to come camping and hiking.