The Best Summer Hikes at Mount Rainier National Park
Cascading mountain peaks, crystal clear lakes, wildflower filled meadows, and seas of evergreen trees – Mount Rainier National Park has got to be on your itinerary for when you visit Washington!
Summer is truly one of the most magical times in Washington. (Mostly) snow-free trails, alpine lakes, wildflower meadows, and access to one of the most beautiful national parks in the world. Here are some of our absolute favorite hikes at Mount Rainier National Park that you must add to you list to explore!
Disclaimer: This blog post features affiliate links. This means we get a small commission if you make a purchase at no extra cost to you! Thank you so much for the support and happy hiking!
Table of Contents
Where is Mount Rainier?
Mount Rainier, also known as Tacoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle. With a summit elevation of 14,411 ft it is the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington and the Cascade Range, the most topographically prominent in the contiguous United States and the tallest in the Cascade Volcanic Arc.
From Seattle: ~2 hours
From Portland: ~2.5 hours
When to Visit
The perfect time to visit Mount Rainier National Park is Mid-July – September for peak summer season. If you plan on visiting Mount Rainier National Park any time outside of those peak months – be prepared for snow and colder weather! It takes a long time for the snow to melt there. We highly recommend going late August to catch the wildflowers at their peak as well! The summer time is definitely one of the most popular times to visit this trail for wildlife, wildflowers, and seeing the mountain out and not hiding behind overcast skies – so plan ahead! We recommend getting there earlier in the day for sunrise or later for sunset to avoid the crowds!
Planning Your Visit
I recommend downloading the Alltrails app – this is the best app in my opinion for finding trails at Mount Rainier. You can filter out the trails you are searching through with the keywords like “Wildflowers,” “Forest,” and “Lake” for example so you can find your very perfect summer trail at the National Park. Also, we love using Washington Trails Association Trip Reports to research trails and make sure that they are accessible (especially earlier in the season like May, June and early July). People also provide great reviews of the trail as well so you know what you’re getting into (so it’s not too hard, or not accessible – downed tree, closed trailhead, washout, etc).
Alltrails also comes in handy for having navigation right on your cell phone – you can download the trail before you go so you have the map downloaded on your phone and it will automatically track you on the app so you know where you are on the trail and so you don’t make any wrong turns. My favorite feature on this app is that it also has icons that shows you where camping spots are and where restrooms are along the trails so that you can navigate to your desired location with ease.
Fees
To enter the National Park – it is a $30 fee. There are pay stations that you drive right up next to for you to pay once you enter the park! This pass grants unlimited entry for one vehicle and passengers for seven consecutive days. Or if you are Washington locals like us and go there more than once a year, it would be best to invest in a Mount Rainier annual pass for $55 here! Or if you plan on hitting up multiple National Parks within a year, snag an America the Beautiful Pass !
Camping
If you want to camp at one of the campgrounds at Mount Rainier, you must go to nps.gov to reserve a campground. Campgrounds get taken quickly, so make sure you plan ahead and book in advance! You can also enter into lotteries in order to win permits to backpack at Rainier. We would love to do that one day!
Road Closures / Trail Accessibility
The National Park Service website for Mount Rainier has webcams you can view year round to access the conditions of certain areas at the park. From November 1 – May 1 all vehicles are required to carry chains for snowy and icy conditions. Be sure to also check AllTrails and WTA Trail Reports before you hike a trail to ensure it is accessible and safe!
Wildlife
Mount Rainier is buzzing with wildlife if you’re lucky to spot any! There are foxes, black bears, marmots, pikas, and much more! As cute and amazing these creatures are, please keep your distance and do not feed the wildlife. Let’s keep them wild!
Leave No Trace
It is so important to respect these beautiful places and leave them even better than you found them! To brush up on how to leave no trace and learn about the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace – head over to Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics website!
Please do your part to keep our National Parks wild and beautiful and leave them better than you found them. Thank you!
Tolmie Peak Trail
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Distance: 5.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,541 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Pass: America the Beautiful Pass
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: No
Located at Mount Rainier National Park, Tolmie Peak takes you up a trail that leads you to a fire lookout that overlooks Mount Rainier and a beautiful alpine lake (Eunice Lake). Hike up a shaded, forested trail up to Eunice Lake. From Eunice Lake, if you look up, you’ll see a tiny fire lookout that you need to hike up to! It looks intimidating – but you can do it! And it will be worth it – promise! Highly recommend catching sunrise here – it was so beautiful and we can’t wait to do this trail again! How epic is the bottom left photo – our friend @dylanspitz took that one for us! Such a talented photography – such an epic photo at the fire lookout!
Sunrise Rim Trail
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Distance: 5.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,115 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Pass: America the Beautiful Pass
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: No
A beautiful and fairly easy to moderate hike located at Sunrise Visitor Center! Get right up close to Mount Rainier (and even closer if you continue on the Burroughs Trail). We loved coming here for sunrise and bringing our jetboil to make instant coffee since we had to get up super early to catch sunrise! But always so worth it. After climbing up to get close to Mount Rainier – loop back down through beautiful evergreen tree filled meadows. Be on the lookout for wildlife – apparently people have seen bears, foxes, and marmots! We did not see any – but probably since we were there so early the wildlife was still sleeping! 😛
Skyline Trail and Myrtle Fall Viewpoint
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Distance: 6.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,788 feet
Difficulty: Hard
Pass: America the Beautiful Pass or Pay entry fee
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: No
Experience this beautiful and breathtaking hike at Mount Rainier National Park – this is one of our absolute favorite trails. It’s 6.2-mile loop trail near Paradise Inn, Washington. Be sure to go to the Myrtle Falls Viewpoint first to see the iconic waterfall with Mount Rainier behind it. So epic and beautiful! We always get to this trail super early in the summer to avoid the crowds and catch sunrise. We might have to set our alarm clocks at 2/3 am so we get to the trail in time for sunrise – but it’s always so worth it! Also to catch the wildflowers in their prime here – be sure to go mid-August! It’s the perfect time to get amazing weather and meadows of beautiful wildflowers.
Emmons Moraine Trail
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Distance: 4.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 902 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Pass: America the Beautiful Pass
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: No
Hike to an icy blue alpine lake with sweeping views of Mount Rainier and evergreen trees galore! Once you arrive at the lake you will have to scramble down some rocks in order to get to the lake if you want to jump in! Be careful and swim at your own risk. The water can be really cold – so stay close to the edge in case you need to get out to avoid hypothermia. Bring a towel and snacks to hang by the lake and have a picnic! Always remember to leave no trace and pack it out!
Nisqually Vista Loop
Location: Mount Rainier National Park
Distance: 3.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 636 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Pass: America the Beautiful Pass
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: No
Such a beautiful and easier hike to go on at Mount Rainier with stunning views! Can you tell our favorite time of day is to come at sunrise? That golden glow – always so beautiful and so worth the early wake up call! And you get to hike with little to no crowds at all.
Summit Lake Trail
Location: Carbonado, Washington (Not at Mount Rainier National Park)!
Distance: 5.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,443 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Pass: Northwest Forest Pass
Drive from Seattle: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Dog Friendly: Yes
We love Summit Lake Trail so much since it is as close you can get to Mount Rainier National Park without being inside the national park which means we can bring our dog! Hike up to a beautiful blue lake and on a clear day – be able to see Mount Rainier behind the lake. The most picturesque scene. Keep hiking from the lake until you reach the summit to get the most epic view of Rainier! We have day hiked this trail and we have backpacked here as well! Be sure you have a high clearance / AWD vehicle to get to this trailhead. The road up to the trail is very vertical, and has lots of rocks and potholes! So just be sure to drive slowly and you should be ok. Also – when you map to this trailhead on Apple Maps will tell you it is going to take 4-5 hours to reach the trailhead. Which is not true – it only does this since it knows you have to go up a pot hole filled road to reach the trailhead so it adds some extra time on the GPS. But it truly only takes about 2 1/2 hours from Seattle to reach this trail!
More Summer Hikes in Washington – click here!
What to pack
Day Backpack
It’s important to bring a backpack that’s comfy and able to hold all your gear for hiking! I love my REI backpack!
Refillable Water Bottle / Water Reservoir
When I first started hiking here in Washington, I just used a reusable water bottle – a hyrdroflask – to take with me on the trails. But after I had been hiking for a few months, I ended up getting a water reservoir and it’s the best ever! It’s so nice to have the convenience of drinking water while you hike from the water reservoir straw! It definitely helps you stay hydrated on the trail and they hold more water for longer, hotter summer hikes.
Hiking Clothes
Layers are key! Dress warm to start the day, and then you can always take off clothes during the day as you get warmer / get your blood pumping from hiking. Comfort and function are key when it comes to finding hiking clothes that work best for you while backpacking. Make sure most of our apparel is moisture-wicking so that when you get sweaty while hiking it is able to dry quickly so that you can stay dry and warm throughout your entire trip!
Socks
Wet, cold feet are not happy feet! Keep your feet warm, dry, and comfortable in the backcountry and on the trails by investing in wool socks. And always bring a few extra pairs with you! My favorite brands are REI and Darn Tough Socks!
Footwear
much too! I would suggest going to your local REI and trying on a few of your favorite pairs to see which hiking shoe/boot would be best for hiking. The people at REI are also super great resources and should be able to help you find your perfect hiking shoe! Also very important to have microspikes even in the summer! We have come across over a handful of instances hiking in Washington in the summer where we were so glad we had our microspikes on snow and ice up at high elevations!
Headlamps + Lanterns
Headlamps are key to have packed in your backpack – especially if you’re planning on doing any sunrise or sunset hikes or plan on hiking in the dark. Sometimes you might also be hiking on a trail longer than you expected and might be hiking unexpectedly in the dark! So having a headlamp to light up the trails when it becomes pitch black is so important for your safety!
First Aid Kit
First Aid kits have come in handy multiple times for me while hiking and backpacking! You can get nice compact ones made for hiking and backpacking. I’ve gotten a few scrapes and gashes while out in nature – and we’ve used the first aid kit to help disinfect and protect wounds from becoming infected!
Bear Spray
Black Bears typically are not agrressive. But if you end up stumbling upon one with her cubs or just spooking one – they could become aggressive. To be safe – please have bear spray with you! It could also help for other potential run-ins with wildlife like goats or mountain lions or even could be used as pepper spray for protection. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Sun Protection
The best way to avoid sunburn and stay cool while hiking and backpacking is to use sun protection! And yes, you can even get sunburnt in the winter! So be prepared and protect your eyes and skin from the sunshine while out exploring nature! Also chapstick/lip balm is a must! You’re lips will get dry and if you don’t have chapstick with you to help satiate them – it sucks! Find chapstick that also has sunscreen in it for double the protection.
Bug protection
The backcountry means beautiful alpine lakes views, but it also, unfortunately, means bugs! Don’t forget to bring bug protection on your hike to avoid getting eaten alive and itching all night. Definitely no fun! The amount of bugs and mosquitoes depends on the time of year – so the best way to know if the bugs are bad or not so bad on a trail is to look up recent trail reports.
Snacks
It’s important to bring plenty of snacks and fuel while hiking! You will most likely be burning a lot of calories hiking to the top of a lot of these trails – so having the proper snacks to refuel is key! You don’t want to be hangry on the trails…right? These are a few of our favorite trail snacks to take with us!
Safety
Be sure to let a family member or close friend know where you’re going to be hiking to and for how long. You can give them GPS coordinates and the day you plan on coming home. To feel even safer, you can also buy something like a Garmin In-reach in order to be able to send text messages in case of an emergency.
