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Mount Rainier National Park

Washington

By Yes Mom I'm Alive

High Rock Lookout

In August 2020 – will seeing that year ever not be a jump scare? – I found myself with a free weekend and a soon-expiring national parks pass. I grabbed my camera and jumped in my car for a weekend of hiking in Mount Rainier National Park.

My first hike was to High Rock Lookout for sunrise. It was a crystal clear morning with not a cloud in the sky – just a thick layer covering the valley below.

Mt. Rainier National Park

After a 40-minute drive and 40-minute wait to get in, I arrived at Mount Rainier National Park. Even before 8 AM, the line of cars was backed up a mile down Hwy 706. This park has seen a 40% increase in visitors in recent years and recently implemented a timed entry system.

Naches Peak Loop Trail

I intended just to go a little ways down this trail, but it was so green and peaceful that I kept going until I had completed the loop.

Sunrise Park

Sunrise sits on the park’s drier northeastern side, in the rainshadow. While fewer wildflowers than the popular Paradise area in late August, Sunrise's golden grass and views of the Emmons Glacier made it an equal rival in beauty.

Fremont Lookout Tower

For my third and final hike of the day, took a series of interconnected trails from the visitor's center to the historic Fremont Lookout Tower. This rustic structure was built in 1934, and once served as a vantage point for spotting smoke and lightning.

By the time I reached the lookout and set up my tripod, clouds swept in and tucked the mountain in for the night.

Sunrise Park

I aspired to wake up early and drive to Sunrise Park to witness its namesake. After doing 3 hikes the previous day from dawn to dark, however, my ambitions gave way to my lethargy. It still made for a beautiful vista at mid-morning.

Skyline Trail

5.6 miles, 1,778', mid-morning

The next morning I drove south to Paradise for one last hike before heading home. For the first few miles, it was just me and the screeching marmots in the quiet subalpine meadows. The trail winded through open terrain before climbing above the treeline, ending with the grandest views of the Nisqually Glacier.

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