Going to Mount Rainier National Park

What to do in Mount Rainier National Park

Washington State is crammed with vertical topography, but when locals mention "The Mountain," there's no mistaking which peak they're referring to. At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is without peer in this part of the world. It towers 8,000 feet above surrounding Cascades peaks, and is such a behemoth that it creates its own weather.

Every year approximately two million people wend up onto Rainier's flanks. Most drive up twisty mountain roads to gape at sublime natural scenes: the summit cone, stark against a cobalt-blue sky; subalpine meadows spangled with summer wildflowers; steep-walled valleys scored into the mountain's flanks by glaciers—25 of which still tumble down the mountain. Many visitors explore no further, but those hungry for adventure and wild places will find them by stepping off into the park's vast...

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