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Weekend Trips to Mount Rainier National Park (WA)

  • Writer: The Wandering Warmacks
    The Wandering Warmacks
  • Apr 11, 2024
  • 4 min read

Updated: Aug 27, 2024

Visiting Mount Rainier was an absolute dream. This had been a bucket list park for a while, and we were so excited to visit. We got to visit twice during 2023 - once for a fall weekend, and another time for a snowy day trip. The enormous mountain, abundance of trees, fall colors in bloom, and glistening snow were everything.


CAMPING (Fall Trip)

Silver Springs Sno-Park - this was a fantastic internet find. Whenever possible, we loved car camping at local Sno-Parks in Oregon and Washington for free during summer and fall months. This wasn't too far from the White River Entrance, and was perfect for a late Friday night camp spot. We were the only ones there. Unlike some other Sno-Parks we'd been to, this one didn't have a restroom that we could find.


Cougar Rock Campground - we had no issues in September reserving a spot here as first come, first serve. Cougar Rock is located a decent distance away from Longmire and Paradise. This was perfect for some of our trails below (Myrtle, Bench & Snow, Narada). It was a super rainy Saturday night though, so unfortunately we didn’t really get to explore the campground.


HIKES & SIGHTS

Fall

𖠰 Mt. Fremont Fire Lookout (5.7 miles) - due to weather, we didn’t have a clear view of Mt. Rainier once we reached the final destination. While that was a pretty big bummer, the journey there was still beautiful and it was really neat getting to stand on the deck of the fire lookout. The views would have been absolutely spectacular on a clear day. We didn’t find this trail overly challenging, so we can see why this is trail is so popular!


𖠰 Myrtle Falls (0.9 miles) - super quick & easy hike right near the visitor center in Paradise. The paved trail leads you to a stunning braided cascade waterfall with Mt. Rainier looming in the background. Very picture worthy!


𖠰 Bench & Snow Lakes (2.2 miles) - this hike was literally amazing in the fall. The foliage was beaming reds, oranges, and yellows all along the trail. This 2 mile hike showcases two gorgeous subalpine lakes. While only a short distance, beware of the surprisingly demanding elevation gain.


Bench Lake offers an incredible view of Mt. Rainier - its reflection in the water was so pretty! Snow Lake felt like a secluded paradise. Teal waters were surrounded by luscious fir trees and the encompassing Tatoosh Range.


𖠰 Reflection Lake - this road side stop is beautiful when visited on a clear day. The reflection was truly mesmerizing!


Winter

𖠰 Narada Falls (0.2 miles) - while normally a very easy hike, hiking in the winter was no subtle feat. Luckily we had crampons for our boots that helped us navigate the slick ice with ease. All the sparkling snow and icicles made this waterfall that much prettier.


𖠰 Skyline Trail (incomplete) - for our winter day trip, we were pretty much limited to the Paradise area. Since all the packed snow made it hard to make out any path, we started somewhere along the Skyline Trail and wandered around aimlessly in the winter wonderland. This trail is normally a challenging 5.7 miles, but popular nonetheless. While we can't officially cross this one off our list, we didn't need to go far to enjoy beauty.


𖠰 Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center - this awesome visitor center is located in the Paradise section of the park. Equipped with a gift shop, exhibits, restrooms, food, and good cell reception! This is open most of the year.


FOOD/DRINKS

Packwood, WA - Since we had nothing else to do on a rainy fall night, we ventured out about an hour (from Cougar Rock Campground) down to this small town. We spent the evening eating at a classic burger joint and local brewery. Great food and great beer!

✤ Cliff Droppers

✤ Packwood Brewing


Tacoma, WA - we drove back towards Tacoma after our winter day trip. We enjoyed 3 breweries; Odd Otter being the favorite!

✤ E9 Firehouse and Gastropub (restaurant & brewery)

✤ Sig Brewing Company

✤ Odd Otter Brewing Company


OVERALL THOUGHTS

Even through gloomy and rainy weather on our fall trip, Mt. Rainier more than lived up to the hype. We had a great experience even when the conditions weren't ideal. While short, our winter day trip was nothing less than amazing. We had the clearest skies, sunniest weather, and an abundance of snow with roads free of ice. It truly felt like being in a real-life snow globe.


We're so glad we got to visit in two entirely different seasons; Mount Rainier transformed from an autumn paradise to a winter wonderland in just a few short months. Both were incredibly magical. It ranks as one of my favorite places in the world thus far, and we'd love to visit again in its summertime glory.



TRIP BREAKDOWN


LENGTH OF STAY: 2.5 DAYS

📍 Ashford, WA

💲 $30/vehicle for the park, or free with America the Beautiful Pass ($80/annually)

⛺ $20 (one night at Cougar Rock), Sno-Park $0

⛽ 🍽️ : variable




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