Is there a better hike in Mount Rainier National Park than Skyline Trail? The hike begins from Paradise, a perfectly named destination on the southern slope of Mount Rainier. Loop up to Panorama Point, a stunning viewpoint that is about as close to the summit of Rainier as you can get without an ice ax. The trail passes snowfields, streams, waterfalls, and fields of alpine flowers. On a... Read more.

Mount Rainier National Park has three main campgrounds with over 450 campsites. The campgrounds are located in the southwest, southeast, and northeast corners of the park near the most popular hiking areas. Backcountry camping is also an option, by permit only. Visit the official Mount Rainier National Park camping page for more information.   Campgrounds in Mount Rainier National... Read more.

Mount Fremont houses the nearest fire lookout tower to Mount Rainier. On a clear day, the lookout promises some of the park's best views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding Cascade Mountains. The 6-mile round trip hike from the Sunrise Lodge and Visitor Center to Mount Fremont Lookout is exceptionally scenic and fulfilling, with 800 feet of elevation gain. Lupines in the field above... Read more.

The bloom of wildflowers on Naches Peak Loop is the #1 draw to this trail. An extraordinary carpet of purple lupines and other colorful flowers appearing along this trail each summer. The fact that Naches Peak Loop stands out among other trails in Mount Rainier National Park, which has lots of great places to see wildflowers, tells you that this trail is something special. The 3.75-mile... Read more.

If you are itching to hike through a forest that is a postcard of the northwest, Silver Falls Loop Trail is for you. To make things even better, the 3-mile circuit (with 300 feet of elevation gain) also visits a thundering 70-foot waterfall on Ohanapecosh River. This is a premier woodland hike in the southeast corner of Mount Rainier National Park. Depart from Ohanapecosh Visitor Center... Read more.

Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument may not have any campgrounds, but you'll find plenty of places to camp in the surrounding Gifford Pinchot National Forest and other parks. Here are two campgrounds consider: Beaver Bay Campground This campground, which is not operated by the national forest, is conveniently located near trails like Ape Caves, Trail of Two Forests, June Lake,... Read more.

With a name like Lava Canyon, you aren't likely to overlook this trail in the blast zone of Mount Saint Helens. What can you expect from this hike? For starters, you'll travel down a narrow canyon with precarious edges and exiting waterfall views. Then you'll cross the canyon on a suspension bridge that bounces and sways a bit too much for comfort. If that sounds good, get ready for an... Read more.

You know you're hiking in a special place when the trail to a waterfall-filled lake in the shadow of America's most famous volcano is not the area's must-do hike. With so many exceptional trails in Washington's Cascade Mountains, June Lake Trail could easily be overlooked. This 2.6-mile hike visits a shallow subalpine lake on the southern slopes of Mount Saint Helens. There is 450 feet of... Read more.

Do you want to go on a long hike in a dark tunnel? Ape Cave is the place. Ape Cave is one of the longest lava tubes in the world, measuring approximately 2.5 miles from end to end. Hikers may travel unguided through the lava tube. Make just a few preparations and Ape Cave will deliver a one-of-a-kind adventure. From the cave's main entrance, visitors have two options: Head down to... Read more.

Trail of Two Forests offers a window into two time periods of forestation shaped by nearby Mount Saint Helens. The current forest is obvious - moss, fern, trees, and fighting shrubs that have regrown over lava that covered this land approximately 2,000 years ago. The second forest is ghosts of trees that once stood here. As slow-moving molten lava cooled, it surrounded trees and began to... Read more.