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Mt. Rainier National Park

Introduction	Park History	The Mountain
Paradise Area	Paradise Inn	Jackson Visitor Center
Longmire Area	The Tatoosh Range	Sunrise
Glaciers	Lakes	Rivers & Creeks
Waterfalls	Box Canyon	Other Park Areas
Grove of the Patriarchs	Wildflowers	Roads
Birds & Animals	Trails	References

Trails

Mt Rainier features an extensive network of trails which provide access to many of the most popular featurs as well as to the wilderness backcountry. More than 300 miles of recreational trails can be found within the boundaries of the park.

The most famous trail is the Wonderland Trail, a 92.2 miles trail which completely circles the mountain, which was completed in 1915-1916. The challenging but beautiful route may take 8-14 days to complete if attempted at one time. At various places there is a "high" and a "low" trail, the higher being more rugged and scenic. There is also a network of designated campsites which are found 8-12 miles aparpt on the trails.

For potential visitors, ParkVision recommends "Story Behind the Scenery" guides and "Trails Ilustrated" maps.

Another popular trail is the Nisqually Vista Trail, located in the vicinity of Paradise Inn and the visitor services in Paradise Valley, is 1.2 miles long and provides an outstanding view of the Nisqually Glacier.

There are a number of additional trails in the Paradise area just above Paradise Inn. This trail climbs up the meadow and provides spectacular views of Mt. Rainier.

One of the most interesting features in the park is Box Canyon where the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River has cut a deep chasm through the rock. The area features a paved nature trail which allows visitors to view the canyon and cross the river on a bridge far above the water.

The trail also leads by rocks which bear the scars of glaciers which carved the topography of the area. Such rocks can be seen in the right foreground section of the picture.

There are a large number of trails in the Sunrise area, most of which provide spectacular views of the east side of Mt. Rainier, the Tatoosh Range, and other scenic wonders of the park. Here, the Sourdough Ridge Nature Trail leads from the main building in the Sunrise Valley.

The Sourdough Trail leads from Sunrise Point to the Sunrise area. The view of Mt. Rainier from this trail is spectacular.

References

Information about Mt. Rainier National Park has been drawn from personal experience, data available in the park itself, and a number of other sources, including:

• Bucher, Deveraux. (1949). Exploring Our National Parks and Monuments. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
  
  
• Decker, Barara B., & Decker, Robert W. (1985). The Sierra Club Guide to National Parks: Pacific Northwest and Alaska. New York: Stewart, Tabori, and Chang.
  
  
• Decker, Barbara, & Decker, Robert. (1996). Road Guide to Mount Rainier National Park. Mariposa, CA: Double Decker Press.
  
  
• Dengler, William. (1992). Mt. Rainier: The Continuing Story. Las Vegas, NV: KC Publications.
  
  
• Driedger, Carolyn L. (1986). A Visitor's Guide to Mount Rainier Glaciers. Longmire, WA: Pacific Northwest Parks and Forests Association.
  
  
• Field, Nancy & Machlis, Sally. (1993). Discovering Northwest Volcanoes: A Learning and Activity Book. Corvallis, OR: Dog-Eared Publications.
  
  
• Filley, Bette. (1992). Discovering the Wonders of the Wonderland Trail Encircling Mount Rainier. Issequah, WA: Dunamis House.
  
  
• Filley, Bette. (1996). The Fact Book About Mount Rainier. Issaquah, WA: Dunamis House.
  
  
• Heacox, Kim. (2001). An American Idea: The Making of the National Parks. Washington, DC: The National Georgraphic Society.
  
  
• Keyes, Nelson Beecher. (1957). America's National Parks. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc.
  
  
• Martinson, Arthur D. (1986). Wilderness Above the Sound: The Story of Mount Rainier National Park. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press.
  
  
• McMillon, Bill. (1983). The Old Lodges & Hotels of Our National Parks. South Bend, IN: Icarus Press.
  
  
• McNulty, Tim, & O'Hara, Pat (Photographer). (1998). Washington's Mt. Rainier National Park.Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers.
  
  
• Moir, William H. (1989). Forests of Mount Rainier. Seattle, WA: Northwest Interpretive Association.
  
  
• National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States (6th Edition). (2009). National Geographic Society.
  
  
• National Geographic Guide to the National Parks: West. (2005). Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
  
  
• National Parks of North America. (1995). Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
  
  
• Scott, David L., & Scott, Kay W. (2006). The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges. Guilford, CN: Grove Pequot Press.
  
  
• Severy, Merle. (1959, 1980). Mt. Rainier. In America's Wonderlands: The National Parks. Washington, DC: The National Geographic Society.
  
  
• Schmoe, Floyd. (1968). A Year in Paradise. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Co.: Publishers.
  
  
• Snow, Ray. (1984). Mount Rainier: The Story Behind the Scenery. Las Vegas, NV: KC Publications.
  
  
• Spring, Ira, & Manning, Harvey. (1988). 50 Hikes in Mt. Rainier National Park. Seattle, WA: The Mountaineers with the Mount Rainier Natural History Association.
  
  
• Steelquist, Robert, & O'Hara, Pat (Photographer). (1987). A Traveler's Companion to Mount Rainier National Park. Pacific Northwest National Parks and Forests Association.
  
  
• Warfield, Ron. (1998). Mount Rainier National Park. Mariposa, CA: Sierra Press.
  
  
• Whitney, Stephen. Western Forests. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1985.

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All photographs ©Patrick Holleran, Shannon Digital Imaging, 1994-2012 Commercial use of the images contained in this document without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Comments and other remarks can be sent via e-mail to parkvision@shannontech.com