Mount Rainer Hiking Trails
Looking for something to do on the next sunny weekend? Why not head up to Mount Rainer National Park for a day hike?
The park offers many trails to choose from. You can find advanced hikes for the experienced outdoor athlete, or trails suitable for beginners who just want to head out to enjoy the sun and see some wildlife.
In the Longmire area, you can find the easy .7 mile Trail of the Shadows, a loop trail that runs through forest and meadow and can be walked in a half hour or less, or you can hit the 4.6 mile steep Rampart Ridge loop trail that travels through forests and breaks out to offer ridge top views (give yourself 2 and a half hours for this one). Notice I highlight the loop trails. I don’t know about you, but I love going full circle instead of coming back the same way (the way back always seems so much longer…).
Some other popular spots with hikes in the Mt. Rainer National Park include Paradise Area, Ohanapecosh (say that five times quickly without tripping your tongue…), Sunrise, and the Carbon/Mowich Area.
To look up trail conditions and get more specifics on the hikes, visit the park service’s day hikes page: