Wanderlust Traveler: Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

One of Washington State's most beautiful icons, Mount Rainier was the country's fifth park to be designated a National Park back in 1899. Its ice capped summit is 14,411 feet tall, making it the fifth-highest peak in the US. The park is 368 square miles in size and offers visitors more than 300 miles of pristine hiking opportunities through varied landscapes. The best months to visit, in terms of visibility, are July and August when clouds are most likely to disappear, allowing the mountain to be out in all its glory. Although Mount Rainier National Park is only about a three hour drive south from where I live, I had only visited once before as a young child. I decided to plan my second visit during the month of August and spread my visit over a three day weekend to increase my odds of seeing the mountain. If it's cloudy out, you aren't going to see the mountain so in my opinion it's risky to only plan a one day visit.

This blog will be divided into the following sections:

Accommodations
Sightseeing
Dining

Accommodations:
There are a few options when deciding on where to stay if you are planning to overnight in or around Mount Rainier National Park. Within the boundaries of the National Park there are two inn options including Paradise Inn and the National Park Inn as well as hundreds of different campgrounds. Additionally, the town of Ashford, located on the border of the park as well as Eatonville, several miles to the east of the park offer several more options including hotels and motels. I decided to stay the first night in Eatonville at a motel and the second night within the park at Paradise Inn. In hindsight, I think it would have been a better decision to stay the first night at the National Park Inn instead of the motel. However, be aware that the National Park Inn only has 25 rooms in comparison to Paradise Inn's 121 so if you want to secure a room you need to reserve it several months in advance of the busy summer season.

Paradise Inn:
This historic hotel was built in 1916 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. As you walk inside the rustic wooden lodge you are immediately greeted by a tremendous great room with open wood beam ceilings and two huge stone fireplaces at either end, creating a very dramatic effect which evokes complete coziness. When I walked into my room, I was shocked and speechless with its small size; it barely had enough room to fit the queen sized bed and was definitely the smallest room I'd ever stayed in. However, it didn't lack in the charm department and I was glad that I had reserved a room here. Be forewarned that the hotel is very popular with families, especially during the summer months. I was awoken very early in the morning by the sounds of young children running and screaming in the hallway: not exactly the quiet environment I was hoping for so plan to bring some earplugs if you are a light sleeper!

Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

View from Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

Hikers in the parking lot of Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

View from Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

My room at Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

Mill Village Motel:
Located in Eatonville, this inexpensive motel is a good option for those who want to stay close enough to the park without having to pay the more expensive rates for one of the lodges inside the park. This was your typical motel experience: the mattress was terribly uncomfortable, the pillows were practically flat, and the room was tired and dated. I think I tossed and turned several hundred times that night, however, it's located only one hour from the park and there are several nearby restaurants making it a good option for those on a budget.

Sightseeing:
Mount Rainier National Park is divided into five developed areas: Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh, Sunrise, and Carbon/Mowich. The most visited of these areas are definitely Longmire and Paradise since they are closest to the Nisqually entrance, the most popular entrance point in the park. In addition to Longmire and Paradise, I also decided to visit the Sunrise section. All three of these areas will be described in detail below.

Paradise:
A sub-alpine meadow that is famous for its incredible views, beautiful abundant wildflower meadows, and plentiful hiking opportunities, this amazing area of Mount Rainier National Park is a must-see stop for all visitors. First pay a visit to the Paradise Visitor Center which offers interesting multimedia presentations and lots of park rangers to help answer any questions you might have. There are numerous hiking opportunities within this section of the park and the visitor center offers brochures describing the details of each. I participated in two hikes including Alta Vista Summit and the High Lakes Trail which will be discussed below. As mentioned previously, this area of the park is the most visited, but I can honestly say that I was completely blown away by the insane number of people I saw during my visit. The parking lots were unable to hold enough cars, so additional parking was created along the road for several miles away from the visitor center, and most all of the spots were taken. Plan accordingly and arrive early if you want a spot in the parking lot!

Alta Vista Summit Hike:
This 1.75 mile trail overlooking the Nisqually Glacier and Paradise Park is classified as a moderate hike. The initial incline from the Jackson Visitor Center is quite steep with 600 feet in elevation gain. This hike provides incredible views of the Paradise area and its surrounding trails as well as amazing views of the jutting peaks of the Tatoosh Range. The beauty here is truly jaw-dropping and photographers and nature buffs alike will enjoy every single moment of their experience. Be forewarned that I have included a ton of pictures from this hike below.

Alta Vista Summit hike at Mount Rainier National Park.

Small waterfall at the Paradise section of Mount Rainier National Park.

High Lakes Trail:
Located just south of Paradise, this hike sounded very appealing to me as I am a huge fan of lakes. It’s a 2.7 mile loop that goes around Reflection Lake and many other small lake and also provides a great view of Louise Lake and the Tatoosh Range. Apparently, Reflection Lake is one of the most photographed spots in the entire park due to its beautiful setting with the mountain sitting directly behind it. The initial part of the hike was easy, with little to no elevation gain. However, about ten minutes in, the ascent became very steep. I quickly came upon a ridge where I had a beautiful view of Louise Lake and the Tatoosh Mountain Range in the background. From here, I continued to walk uphill, and at one point, had to cross a large piece of wood that was laid across a waterfall. I normally wouldn't have thought twice about crossing the wood except for the fact that the wood was nearly split in two. Luckily, I made it across just fine. I later walked across many snow-filled meadows that allowed for beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Be forewarned that there were several points during the hike that I lost the trail due to snow blowouts from previous avalanches so pay very close attention to the trail markers.

Reflection Lake at Mount Rainier National Park.

High Lakes Trail hike at Mount Rainier National Park.

Reflection Lake at Mount Rainier National Park.

Viewpoints:
Throughout the park there are numerous points at which you can pull out your camera to take photos of gorgeous scenery. Below are a few that were taken in and around the Paradise section of the park.

Mount Rainier National Park

Longmire:
This section of the park contains the site of Longmire’s Medical Springs that were created by James Longmire in 1888 and now houses several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. This area of the park is what attracted the first visitors to Mount Rainier over 100 years ago. I stopped in at the Longmire museum which explained the history of the park and also had many different types of animals from the park including a large and scary-looking stuffed cougar. Next door to the museum was the National Park Inn, built in 1917, which still houses and entertains travelers today. A word of warning to those who come to Longmire during the busy summer season: it's nearly impossible to find a parking spot, so either arrive early or plan on driving in circles around the parking lot for a long time until you finally snag a spot. Like with Paradise, there are plenty of hiking opportunities in this section of the park.

Mount Rainier peeking through the trees.

Mount Rainier National Park at Longmire.

National Park Inn at Mount Rainier National Park.

Longmire Museum at Mount Rainier National Park.

I decided to try out an easy trail called Trail of the Shadows which was less than a mile in length and circled around the meadow where the original Longmire resort once stood. The walk was easy, on level terrain, and provided a quiet reprieve from the craziness of Longmire.

Trail of the Shadows at Mount Rainier National Park.

Sunrise:
This high sub-alpine plateau of Mount Rainier has an elevation of 6,400 feet and is the highest point in the park that you can reach by vehicle. It was completely clear and sunny when I arrived making the views of the mountain absolutely breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Added to the dramatic backdrop of the mountain was the intensely colorful wildflowers that filled the never-ending meadows. It was truly a spectacular sight and I was glad that I had decided to come to the park in August instead of July when the flowers begin to bloom. I also found it refreshing that Sunrise was filled with about 1/10 of the number of tourists compared to what I had seen at Paradise. Apparently, the long one hour drive from Paradise detracts most of the tourists from visiting Sunrise, which is important to keeping the atmosphere peaceful and serene. Be aware that the visitor center at Sunrise is only open from early July to late September and offers food service and a gift shop. As with the the other sections of the park, Sunrise also offers plenty of different hikes to choose from.

Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park.

I had wanted to complete a hike called Sunrise Rim which is 5.2 miles long and includes 1000 feet of elevation gain. This hike sounded extremely interesting to me since it included a walk along the ridge of a mountain, several views of lakes, and a view of Emmons Glacier. I had hoped the guidebook was accurate in describing that it would take about two hours to complete. However, when I arrived at Sunrise I picked-up a trail guide and it indicated the trail would actually take about three hours to complete. This was disappointing to me as I didn't have quite enough time to make it all the way around.

Wildflowers at Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park.

As I started the hike, I was shocked by the temperature; it had to have been in the 70’s, which seemed rather hot for 6,400 feet! Aside from the warm temp, I began to get eaten alive by mosquitoes. That coupled with the fact that there was very little shade made the hike more difficult than I had imagined. I walked along the trail for about an hour, when I just couldn't take anymore of the bugs so I turned around. Remember to bring bug spray if you are visiting on a hot summer day!

Wildflowers at Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park.

Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park.

Mount Rainier National Park

Elbe:
Located on the southern edge of the park near the Nisqually entrance, this tiny little town was established by German immigrants in the late 1800's. I made a quick stop in the town on my way to the park and took some photos of a small but charming white church that is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Historic church in Elbe.

I enjoyed every moment of my stay and visit to Mount Rainier National Park. I was so fortunate to receive sunny weather on two of the three days I visited because it resulted in clear and gorgeous views of the mountains. I was pleasantly surprised with the large number of hiking options the park contains. Although I was there for 2.5 days, I don’t feel as though it was quite enough time to see all of the main sites. The park is truly huge and has so many different things to see and do so on a future visit I think four full days would be ideal.

Dining:
Within the National Park there are restaurants at the National Park Inn at Longmire, Paradise Inn at Paradise, and a small cafeteria at Sunrise. Not too surprising, none of these option are particularly cheap so if you want to save some money your best bet is to pack a cooler full of food. Along the southwest edge of the park there are several eateries in Ashford. Further out, you will find plenty of dining options in Eatonville.

Copper Creek Inn:
Located just outside the park, I stopped in for lunch during the first day of my visit. I had read about the small restaurant in Lonely Planet’s Washington, Oregon, and the PNW book which stated it as being one of the “state’s greatest rural restaurants.” It was a small but charming restaurant filled with lots of people. I ordered the French dip sandwich with roasted garlic potatoes and was pleasantly surprised. It was delicious.

Copper Creek Inn

Paradise Inn Dining Room:
Located inside the Paradise Inn, this sit down restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the busy summer months. I decided to eat there for dinner during my stay at the inn. I made the mistake of not making a reservation and had to wait nearly an hour before being seated. For dinner, I decided to order a small cup of Seafood Bisque and the Coq Au Vin. I enjoyed the seafood bisque, which had a tomato base. My Coq Au Vin ended up being a piece of chicken with a white alfredo sauce and a medley of vegetables. For those of you familiar with Coq au Vin, you know it’s traditionally cooked in a red-wine sauce, so this "attempt" of a creative change to a classic French dish seemed quite odd to me. I wouldn’t recommend eating at this restaurant unless you have no other options to choose from. The food was okay, but the prices were a bit steep for the quality which I suppose should be expected in such a setting.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Mount Rainier National Park

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