Hikes in Mount Rainier National Park

Below is a collection of trails in Mount Rainier National Park. These hikes are listed from north to south, but the table may also be sorted alphabetically or by distance to help you pick your next hike. Each trail links to its own report complete with photos, GPS maps, directions, and all the other information needed to locate and enjoy these hikes. An interactive map is also provided.

Highlights of Mount Rainier

Hiking Mount Rainier

When the sky is blue and summer lupines are booming across the alpine grasses, Mount Rainier is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The park is often blanketed in fog, so if you see the park on a clear day, consider yourself very lucky. There is a lot to see. The 14,411-foot volcano is covered with more glaciers than any other mountain in the lower 48. It is the highest summit in the Cascade Mountain Range and all of Washington. According to wikipedia:

[Mount Rainier] is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United states … [and] is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

On a visit to Mount Rainier, you can see old-growth forests, meadows of wildflowers, and fields of snow, all at the base of a dauntingly beautiful mountain. The nearest trailheads to Mount Rainier are called Paradise and Sunrise, where there are also historic lodges and visitor centers. To summit Mount Rainier requires technical climbing and is best attempted through a guide service. Mount Rainier National Park was the nation’s fifth national park, born on March second, 1899. The park protects 368 square miles of Central Washington and offers hundreds of miles of hiking trails.

Trail	Description	Distance	Latitude, Longitude
	Mount Freemont Lookout Trail This picturesque trail visits a fire lookout tower near the summit of Mount Freemont, with incredible views over Mount Rainier and the surrounding mountains.	6 miles 800 feet	46.914598, -121.642045
	Naches Peak Loop Trail This colorful loop crosses fields of summer wildflowers, passes subalpine lakes, and offers great views of Mount Rainier.	3.75 miles 575 feet	46.869727, -121.520033
	Skyline Trail This tremendously scenic loop on the slopes of Mount Rainier is consider the park's must-do hike.	5.5 miles 1,625 feet	46.786691, -121.734536
	Silver Falls Loop Trail This loop travels through an old-growth forest to a waterfall on Ohanapecosh River in the southeast corner of the park.	3 miles 300 feet	46.733677, -121.569312