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Hiking in the Mt. Rainier National Park Area

NEW: The Top 10 Wildflower Hikes Around Mt. Rainier

Is your favorite trail hikeable yet (that is, snow-free)?
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Hiking trails lead to many of the most beautiful spots of Mt. Rainier National Park: crystalline high mountain lakes, cascading waterfalls, meandering streams, sub-alpine meadows carpeted in flowers, and peaks offering vistas of the glaciers of Rainier. The granddaddy of them all is the famous Wonderland Trail, a multi-day journey covering over 93 miles that encircles the entire mountain. Use the sortable list below or the interactive map to find the perfect hike for you, your friends or your family.

Find a Hike

General Hiking Info: How to Choose a Hike | 10 Hiking Essentials
Jump to: Easy | Moderate | Strenuous | Backpack | Year-Round

Find hikes using the interactive map
PURPLE LINKS = KID FRIENDLY HIKES

Easy

Hike Name Distance *Hiking Time Gain * Hikeable
Alta Vista Trail 1.2 miles, RT 0.75 hr 520 ft Mid-July - September
Boulder Cave Natural Area 2.25 miles, RT 1-2 hrs 300 ft Late-Spring - September
Chenuis Falls 6.4 miles, RT 4.5 hrs 50 ft April - October
Cispus Braille Trail 1 mile loop 0.5-1 hr 0 ft May - October
Cora Lake 1.4 miles, RT 1 hr 400 ft June - November
Corral Pass 2.6 miles, RT 1 hr 560 ft July - October
Deadwood Lakes 3.35 miles, RT 3 hrs 867 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Eastside Trail - Middle 3.6 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 1,000 ft July - Mid-November*
Edgar Rock 3 miles, RT 1.5 - 2 hrs 1,350 ft May - October
Emmons Moraine Trail 3.0 miles, RT 1.5 hrs 523 ft July - October
Goat Falls 1.0 mile, RT 0.75 hr 238 ft March - November
Goat Peak 3.9 miles, RT 3 hrs 1,900 ft June - October
Golden Gate Trail 3 miles, RT 2.5 hrs 1,000 ft August - September
Granite & Bertha May Lakes 3.6 + miles, RT 2-5 hrs 500 + ft July - November
Greenwater Lakes 4 miles, RT 2 hrs 200 ft May - Mid-November
Grove of the Patriarchs 1.5 miles, RT 1 hr 0 ft June - October
Nisqually Vista / Paradise Flower Trails 2.2 mile loop trail 0.75 hr 400 ft Mid-July - September
Packwood Lake 9 miles, RT 4 hrs 400 ft Late-May - October
Pleasant Valley Loop 5.4 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 715 ft Mid-May - October
Sand Lake 6 miles, RT 3-4 hrs 900 ft Mid-July - Late-October
Sheep Lake 4.9 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 650 ft July - Mid-November*
Silver Falls 3 miles, RT 1.5 hrs 300 ft May - November
Silver Forest Trail 2.4 miles, RT 1 hr 100 ft Mid-July - September
Skookum Flats 4.2 or 7.8 miles, RT 2 or 4 hrs 100 or 300 ft March - Mid-December
Snoquera Falls 4 miles, RT 2 hrs 700 ft March - November
Sourdough Ridge Trail 4 miles, RT 2 hrs 600 ft Mid-July - September
Trail of the Shadows 0.75 miles 0.5 hr 0 ft March - November
Twin Firs Loop Trail 0.4 mile loop trail 0.5-1 hr 100 ft March - November
Woods Creek Watchable Wildlife Trail 2.2 mile loop 1 hr 90 ft Late-May - Late-October

Moderate

Hike Name Distance *Hiking Time Gain * Hikeable
Allen Mountain 10 miles, RT 6 hrs 2,350 ft July - October
Bearhead Mountain 5.8 miles, RT 3 hrs 1,789 ft July - Late-October
Bench and Snow Lakes 2.6 miles, RT 1.5 hrs 700 ft July - October
Berkeley Park 11.3 miles, RT 6 hrs 400 ft in / 1,200 ft out Mid-July - Early-October
Boundary Trail - Carbon River 2.6 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 1,320 ft June - October
Boundary Trail - Nisqually Entrance 5.6 miles, RT 4-5 hrs 2,700 ft July - September
Bullion Basin Loop 8.1 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 2,420 ft June - October
Burroughs Mountains 5.4 miles, RT 3-4 hrs 1,443 ft Late-July - September
Crow Lake Way Trail 8.5 miles, RT 7 hrs 2,500 ft Late-June - Mid-October
Crystal Mountain Loop 7.25 mile loop 5-6 hrs 2,715 ft June - October
Crystal Peak 7 miles, RT 5 hrs 3,048 ft Mid-June - October
Dewey Lakes 5.4 miles, RT 3.5 hrs 388 ft in / 643 ft out Mid-July - October
Doe Falls via Suntop 7.25 miles, RT 4 hrs 1,718 ft June - Late-October
Eastside Trail - Lower 12 miles, RT 6 hrs 1,900 ft Late-May - October
Eastside Trail - Upper 5.36 miles, one-way 3 hrs (+) 440 ft, (-) 2,530 ft Late-June - Early-November
Echo Lake from Greenwater Lakes 14.08 miles, RT 6-7 hrs 2,900 ft July - September
Glacier Basin 9.6 miles, RT 5-7 hrs 2,530 ft July - October
Glacier Lake Trail 6.5 miles, RT 3.5 hrs 2,121 ft June - Mid-November
Grand Park via Lake Eleanor 7.5 miles, RT 5-6 hrs 1,080 ft Late-May - Late-October
Green Lake Trail 9.6 miles, RT 4 hrs 1,120 ft May - November
High Rock Lookout 3.2 miles, RT 3 hrs 1,350 ft July - October
Huckleberry Creek 10.1 miles, one-way 5-6 hrs (+) 400 ft, (-) 3,834 ft Mid-July - September
Juniper Ridge Trail 6.3 miles, RT 4-5 hrs 2,075 ft July - October
Kelly Butte 3.68 miles, RT 2.5-3 hrs 1,080 ft June - September
Knapsack Pass 3.4 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 1,200 ft June - October
Lost Lake from Greenwater Lakes 12 miles, RT 6-7 hrs 1,800 ft Late-May - Late-October
Mazama Ridge Loop 5.75 mile loop 3-4 hrs 1,350 ft July - October
Mount Beljica and Goat Lake 8 miles 5 hrs 1,300 ft Mid-July - October
Mount Fremont Lookout 5.4 miles, RT 3 hrs 800 ft Mid-July - September
Naches Peak 4.5 mile loop trail 3 hrs 700 ft Mid-July - October
Noble Knob Trail 4 miles, RT 3 hrs 1,100 ft July - September
Owyhigh Lakes 7 miles, RT 3.5 hrs 1,350 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Palisades Lakes 7.5 miles, RT 4 hrs 700 ft in / 900 ft out Mid-July - Mid-October
Palisades Trail (Hwy 410) 5 miles, RT 2.5 hrs 1,100 ft Late-April - Late-November
Paradise Glacier 8.5 miles, RT 3.5 hrs 1,885 ft Late-July - September
Paradise River / Narada Falls 6.1 miles, one-way 2.5 hrs 2,700 ft (or loss) Mid-July - October
PCT: Chinook Pass to Crown Point 14 miles, RT 6-8 hrs 3,480 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Pinnacle Saddle / Plummer Peak 3 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 1,150 ft August - September
Placer Lake via Morse Creek Road 8 miles, RT 4 hrs 1,900 ft Late-June - October
Rampart Ridge Trail 4.6 mile loop trail 2.5 hrs 1,420 ft Mid-June - October
Ranger Creek Trail 11.6 miles, RT 8 hrs 2,720 ft Mid-May - October
Reflection Lakes 2.75 mile loop trail 2-3 hrs 850 ft July - September
Sand Flats Trail 6.66 miles, RT 1-1.5 hrs 1,684 ft July - October
Skyline Trail / Panorama Point 5.4 mile loop trail 4 hrs 1,700 ft Late-July - Mid-October
Skyscraper Pass / Peak 7.9 miles, RT 4.5 hrs 1,700 ft Mid-July - September
Snowgrass Flats 9.4 miles, RT 5-6 hrs 1,650 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Sourdough Gap to Crystal Lakes 7.2 miles, one-way 4 hrs (+) 1,200 ft, (-) 2,800 ft June - Mid-October
Spray Park Trail 6 miles, RT 3 hrs 2,200 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Summerland 10.44 miles, RT 5-7 hrs 2,750 ft July - September
Summerland and Panhandle Gap 12 miles, RT 6.5-8 hrs 3,177 ft July - October
Summit Lake 6.5 miles, RT 3 hrs 1,340 ft Late-June - Early-November
Sunrise Rim Trail 5 mile loop trail 3+ hrs 772 ft Mid-July - September
Tolmie Peak / Eunice Lake 7.2 miles, RT 3 hrs 1200 ft Mid-July - October
Van Trump Park / Comet Falls 6 miles, RT 4 hrs 2,200 ft Mid-July - Mid-October

Strenuous

Hike Name Distance *Hiking Time Gain * Hikeable
Camp Muir Trail 9 miles, RT 8-10 hrs 4,788 ft Mid-July - September
Carbon Glacier Trail 17.5 miles, RT 6 hrs 1,300 ft May - Late-November
Cowlitz Divide 11.8 miles, RT 6-7 hrs 2,850 ft July - October
Deep Creek Trail No. 1196 11 miles, RT 7 hrs 3,750 ft June - October
Denman Falls / West Side Rd 16.3 miles, RT 7.5-8 hrs 3,360 ft June - October
Eagle Peak 8.4 miles, RT 5 hrs 3,041 ft July - October
Emerald Ridge / Tahoma Creek 13.7 miles 8 hrs 3,141 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Gobblers Knob / Lake George 12.5 miles, RT 6 hrs 2,700 ft July - Mid-October
Howard Peak - Scramble 7 miles, RT 5-6 hrs 2,200 ft July - October
Indian Bar 14.5 miles, RT 10 hrs 4,850 ft Late_July - September
Indian Henry's Hunting Ground 14 miles, RT 7-8 hrs 3,200 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Indian Henry's via Kautz Creek 11 miles, RT 7 hrs 3, 800 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Ipsut Creek Trail 8 miles, RT 4 hrs 2,800 ft June - October
Kautz Creek 10 miles, RT 6 hrs 3,138 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Laughingwater Creek Trail 12 miles, RT 6-7 hrs 2,825 ft Mid-July - Late-October
Mildred Point 10.1 miles, RT 5-7 hrs, RT 3,750 ft July - Mid-October
Norse Peak 9.5 miles, RT 4-5 hrs 3,122 ft July - September
Paul Peak 7.8 miles, RT 4 hrs 200 ft in / 950 ft out April - October
Shriner Peak 8.4 miles, RT 5-7 hrs 3,434 ft July - October
Tamanos Mountain 10 miles, RT 9-12 hrs 3,000 ft Mid-July - Mid-October

Backpack

Hike Name Distance *Hiking Time Gain * Hikeable
Big Crow Basin and Basin Lake 15.8 mile loop hike 2 days 4,000 ft Late-June - October
Cougar Lakes via the PCT 19.2 miles, RT 2-3 days 3,200 ft Mid-July - October
Fryingpan Lake 11.9 mile loop 2 days 2,000 ft July - October
Huckleberry Creek Backpack 15 miles, RT 2 days 2,750 ft July - October
Klapatche Park 21.4 miles, RT 2+ days 4,600 ft Mid-July - Oct
Northern Loop Trail 36.3 miles, RT 4 days 9,000 ft Mid-July - Mid-October
Seattle Park Loop 16.2 miles, RT 2 days 4,375 ft Mid-July - Oct
Sunset Park - Golden Lakes 20.6 miles, RT 2+ days 3,650 ft July - October
Three Lakes Backpack 14 miles, RT 2 days 2,800 ft June - November
Wonderland Trail 93 miles 10-14 days 3,500 ft avg daily gain/loss Mid-July - Early-September

Year-Round

Hike Name Distance *Hiking Time Gain * Hikeable
Carbon River Rd to Ipsut Falls 10.8-15 miles, RT* 3-7 hrs** 700-1,300 ft January - December
Fairfax Ghost Town 2 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 100 ft January - December
Federation Forest State Park 1.5 mile loop 1.5 hrs 0 ft January - December
Flaming Geyser State Park 2.5 mile loop trail 1 hr 300 ft, gain+loss January - December
Little Mashel Falls - Pack Forest 5.75 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 700 ft January - December
Manley Moore Rd / The Foothills Trail 5 miles, One Way 4.5 hrs 29 ft January - December
Melmont Ghost Town 3.84 miles, RT 2-3 hrs 304 ft January - December
Mud Mt. Dam Recreational Area 4.2 miles, RT 2 hrs 0 ft January - December
Nolte State Park 1.4 mile loop trail 1 hr 12 ft January - December
Pack Forest 4.5 miles, RT 3 hrs 900 ft January - December
Pinnacle Peak in Enumclaw 2 miles, RT 1-2 hrs 1,000 ft January - December
Rainforest Nature Loop Trail 0.3 mile loop trail 0.5-1 hr Negligible January - December
* RT: Round Trip; If hiking mileage is round trip, then so is hiking time.
* Gain: elevation gain on hike in. There may be additional gain on the hike out.