Hiking Guide
WTA's hiking guide is the most comprehensive database of hikes in Washington, and comprises content written by local hiking experts and user submitted information. All data is vetted by WTA staff. This resource is made possible by the donations of WTA members.
We respectfully acknowledge the lands we are visiting are the homelands of Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, some of whom have reserved treaty rights on these lands. Tribes continue to rely on and share in the management of these lands today. Please tread gently and treat these places with respect.
Results List
116 HikesMount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise
1.1 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 200 ft.
Highest Point: 5400 ft.
Rating:
Follow the trails here to views of Mount Rainier's rocky Nisqually River valley and the much-receded Nisqually Glacier.
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
25.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4400 ft.
Highest Point: 6100 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 The entire Carbon River area is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
Mystic Lake is a charming emerald tarn nestled in a subalpine basin along the Wonderland Trail. A scenic saddle separates it from Moraine Park, an expansive mountain meadow threaded with gurgling brooks under the dome of Mount Rainier. Getting there requires first hiking or biking the 5 miles of closed Carbon River Road and then hiking to the Carbon Glacier. This route is longer than starting at Sunrise, but backpackers will appreciate the numerous streams and forest shade.
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
18.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1800 ft.
Highest Point: 3500 ft.
Rating:
Trail Closed: As of 11/16/21 this trail is closed due to a road washout making it unsafe to access this area. Please respect this closure.
The Carbon Glacier is a dramatic expanse of slow-moving ice beneath the shadow of Mount Rainier’s north face. While the glacier sits at a relatively low elevation, the approach is long due to the additional 5 miles of road that must be walked or biked to reach the trailhead. The trail to reach the glacier is equally as exciting as the scenery along the way, including seasonal foot logs and a suspension bridge over the raging Carbon River.
Mount Rainier Area
93.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 22000 ft.
Highest Point: 6750 ft.
Rating:
Trailhead Access Limited: As of 11/13/21 The Carbon River area is closed to all visitors due to a road washout.
The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile hiking trail that encircles Washington's most famous volcano. Each year, hikers vie for permits to embark on a backpacking trip on it, with only a handful scoring the permits to undertake this strenuous hike.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 325 ft.
Highest Point: 6400 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
The Silver Forest Trail is a lesser-known and therefore less-crowded alternative at Mount Rainier’s Sunrise. Enjoy mountain, glacier and river valley views along a gentle trail that is mostly out of sight of the bustle of Sunrise.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
7.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1650 ft.
Highest Point: 5275 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Walk a very pleasant and well-graded trail through old- and new-growth forest. After a moderate elevation gain, the forest opens into meadowlands filled with wildflowers after the snow melts. A pair of shallow but pretty lakes, with a rocky ridge as a backdrop, completes the scene.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
36.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 12000 ft.
Highest Point: 6500 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
A beautiful loop trail on the north side of Mount Rainier, this is a shorter, but no less lovely, option to the Wonderland Trail.
Mount Rainier Area -- NW - Carbon River/Mowich
18.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1870 ft.
Highest Point: 6800 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
This is a trail where the journey is as interesting as the destination. Enjoy a beautiful waterfall and views of icy Winthrop Glacier. Gaze directly at Mount Rainier and witness the fascinating destruction caused by the floods of 2006. All of this is chased by the peaceful basin of Mystic Lake and surrounding meadows.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
4.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1250 ft.
Highest Point: 6920 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Forest lake is a small lake in the Sunrise area of Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
12.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2950 ft.
Highest Point: 6800 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Begin in old-growth forest, climb up to one of Mount Rainier's most spectacular wildflower meadows, then continue along the highest section of the Wonderland Trail to reach the alpine world of Panhandle Gap. Along the way be alert for marmots and goats, and it is not unusual to see a black bear.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
11.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3100 ft.
Highest Point: 7400 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Expansive views of Mount Rainier, up-close views of Emmons Glacier, lakes, and campsites are just a few features of the Glacier Basin Loop's varying landscape.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
13.7 miles, one-way
Gain: 5200 ft.
Highest Point: 6700 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
A section of the scenic Wonderland Trail, enjoy views of Mount Rainier and the Carbon Glacier, numerous creek crossings, and meadows as you connect between Sunrise and the Carbon River.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3080 ft.
Highest Point: 6790 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Tamanos is a moderately strenuous 10 mile round trip hike that goes through forest, meadows, rock and ridge scrambles ending in glorious up close views of Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
14.0 miles, roundtrip
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Grand Park provides one of the absolute best views of The Mountain from any of the trails in the park. Though longer than the access from Lake Eleanor, this route is more scenic, passing through the stark rocky landscape of Sunrise to flower-filled Berkeley Park and then climbing gradually through cool forest before getting to alpine meadows and majestic Grand Park itself.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
8.9 miles, one-way
Gain: 1400 ft.
Highest Point: 6400 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Done as a one-way car shuttle hike, this route takes you past several lakes and streams, through meadows of wild flowers, patches of huckleberries, views of mountains and occasional wildlife such as marmots, black bears, pikas and mountain goats. And on a warm day you can take a cooling dip in Sheep Lake on your journey.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
2.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 470 ft.
Highest Point: 5600 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
This un-maintained trail can be accessed from the Pacific Crest Trail. The trail can be difficult to follow, so be sure to take appropriate precautions.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
3.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 400 ft.
Highest Point: 5750 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Sheep Lake is a picturesque alpine lake guarded by jagged-edged ridges. It makes a good destination for children, especially if you let them swim, play in the meadows, or explore the small rock outcroppings. Sheep Lake is also a worthy destination for adults who want a pause from daily life to enjoy the outdoors. The campsites around the perimeter are ideal for base camping or for backpacking with children.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
3.2 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 5850 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
This popular hike provides a range of alpine experiences in a short loop. Walk along a hillside above a small valley, pause at a viewpoint overlooking a lake, and stroll through grassy meadows with stunning views of Mount Rainier. In season enjoy an abundance of wildflowers or perhaps a handful of huckleberries.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
2.4 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 100 ft.
Highest Point: 3680 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
If you want both a walk in the sunshine and a walk through the trees, Mesatchee Creek is the place to go! Keep your feet dry on the turnpikes and bridge made by WTA.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
15.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2759 ft.
Highest Point: 5858 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Hike a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail through meadows of wildflowers and past sparkling lakes with views of Nelson Ridge, Mount Aix and Mount Rainier. This outing makes for a great day hike or backpacking trip.
Mount Rainier Area -- Chinook Pass - Hwy 410
6.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1100 ft.
Highest Point: 6400 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
This is a pleasant hike to a small lake and a notched gap with sweeping views. Sheep Lake is nestled in a subalpine area that explodes with wildflowers in July and August. The lake is a good place to relax and enjoy nature or perhaps take off your boots and go wading. Sourdough Gap is a small saddle in a rocky-edged ridge. The hike from the lake to the gap offers increasingly picturesque views of the south Cascades with every foot of altitude you gain. Once at the gap, you will be rewarded with grand views of Sheep Lake on one side and the Crystal Lakes basin on the other side.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
13.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2800 ft.
Highest Point: 5000 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Laughingwater Creek conjures up a nice stroll alongside a bubbling creek but read on; the most scenic lower part of the creek keeps hikers well above the creek. Initially, at several spots along the hike, you can hear the creek but you won't see it.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
10.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 2200 ft.
Highest Point: 5400 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Access the Owyhigh Lakes Trail via Deer Creek Falls on this slightly longer hike than the one from the Sunrise Road. This trailhead is marked on the right of southbound Highway 123, across the street from the parking area. Quickly cross the road (watch for traffic, it’s a busy road on a blind corner) to the marker and you will finally see the trailhead, which is mostly invisible from the road due to brush and low hanging tree branches.
Mount Rainier Area -- NE - Sunrise/White River
8.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3100 ft.
Highest Point: 6595 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The highway to this trailhead is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring when the snow can be cleared.
Check the weather before heading out for this hike, and if it’s going to be clear, bring a camera. From the summit, it’s possible to see six (yes, six!) volcanoes spanning two states. Baker, Glacier, Adams, Rainier, St. Helens and Hood wait patiently for you to climb the more-than-moderately steep path to the summit of Crystal Peak, where you can take in beautiful snow-capped majesty from the top.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1000 ft.
Highest Point: 5920 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
Imagine that you are looking through a telephoto lens at one of those iconic images of Mount Rainier taken from the south. Now zoom out to a wider view of the entire mountain, the thick forests below timberline, the enormous brown gash of the Nisqually River Valley, and beside it the verdant parkland that became known as Paradise. This is the view from the Pinnacle Saddle trail.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
5.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 1600 ft.
Highest Point: 3940 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
Ollalie Creek Camp offers a walk through old growth woodland, colorful blooms and berries to an isolated creekside campsite perfect for solitude or connecting to the stunning Cowlitz Divide and iconic Indian Bar.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
2.5 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 610 ft.
Highest Point: 4725 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
Escape the crowds within Mount Rainier National Park without going on a lengthy adventure. Visit one or both of two alpine lakes, the second one just a bit more than a mile from the parking lot.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
34.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 4400 ft.
Highest Point: 6800 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
One of the most popular routes on Mount Rainier for its varied terrain, wide-open meadows, and incredible views, this 17-mile one-way hike along the mountain’s eastern side showcases the kind of scenery that will have you doing happy little dances of joy from one stunning panorama to the next.
Mount Rainier Area -- SE - Cayuse Pass/Stevens Canyon
14.6 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 3130 ft.
Highest Point: 5900 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
This section of the Wonderland Trail, which begins at Box Canyon, continues along the Cowlitz Divide, and eventually concludes in the valley that houses Indian Bar, will certainly test your trail stamina. But the rewards for all of your efforts are plentiful: swaths of old-growth forests, bountiful berries (when in season), rolling alpine meadows, an epic in-your-face view of Mount Rainier, and finally, the rushing waters of the Ohanapecosh River and Wauhaukaupauken Falls, which offer a cooling respite after your long, and sometimes arduous, climb and descent into this famed valley.
Mount Rainier Area -- SW - Longmire/Paradise
3.0 miles, roundtrip
Gain: 600 ft.
Highest Point: 5425 ft.
Rating:
Road Closed 11.9.21: The Stevens Canyon Road is closed for the winter season. It will reopen in the spring depending on weather.
Reflection Lakes are not just a popular photography stop. From the lakes you can hike to a stunning cliffside view of the lakes and the Tatoosh range. From there you have the option of returning the way you came, or hiking in a loop around the largest of the lakes.