Paradise on high: Take a day trip to Mount Rainier

  • By Andrea Brown, Herald Writer
  • Thursday, July 24, 2014 3:58pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

It’s more than a namesake for beloved bargain beer.

Mount Rainier is also a priceless state jewel.

For most of the year, the massive peak is hidden behind thick gray skies. Come summertime, it’s eye-candy for those Interstate-5 traffic crawlers, luring the adventurous and the homebodies alike.

Mount Rainier National Park is an affordable and drivable day trip from Snohomish County. A carload costs only $15, map included, and the pass is good for seven days.

Pack a lunch, and bring a few bucks for the fresh produce stands along the way.

Countless species of flora, fauna and wild creatures call the lush park home. Hikes for every skill level encircle the mountain. Trailheads, waterfalls and scenic points are easy to spot, even without the map or an app, which won’t do much good anyway with so many areas without cell service. Use your smart phone to take pictures. Photo ops abound.

Mount Rainier is like a rustic theme park/water park/snow park in one, but without the neon, glitz and noise. There are thrills and spills at each stop, even if the highlight is a take-your-breath-away view of the mountain. It’s hard to believe the drop-dead gorgeous Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.

The popular Nisqually Entrance at the southwest corner of the park is about a two-hour drive from Seattle. On the way, stop at the produce stand across from the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad depot in Elbe and buy cherries. Five dollars buys a big bag. It’s a nice treat to eat along the way, especially if you get thwarted by the current road construction seven miles from the entrance to Longmire historic district.

Longmire was the original headquarters of Rainier, the fifth national park in the United States in 1899. There’s a museum and the National Park Inn, which has some very relaxing rocking chairs lining the front porch. These are so guests can unwind without the modern distractions of televisions, telephones and Internet.

Need something? There’s a general store in a vintage 1911 log cabin.

Next stop, a couple of miles away: Cougar Rock, a good place to stretch your legs and lose yourself in riverbed full of rocks that will make you feel like you’re in an episode of “The Flintstones.” It’s not every day you get to dip your toes in a glacial river that’s cold enough to make you want to yell “Yabba Dabba Do!”

A log bridge over the rushing rapids of the Nisqually River has a railing on only one side, but it’s not as scary as it looks based on the number of families walking across it without the parents freaking out.

A safe place to get wet is the spray from Narada Falls, a few loops down the road. The viewpoint is an easy jaunt from the parking lot. At the end is a mist funneled straight at the trail. Get drizzled or get soaked. Your choice.

The park is deeply forested. Driving along the two-lane road you almost forget there’s a mountain in the middle until those intervals when the snow-capped peak pops out.

Much of the time there are only small clusters of people and it makes you feel as if you have the park practically all to yourself.

That is, until you get to Paradise.

All of a sudden there’s hundreds of cars from every state, and people from all over the world.

We parked about a half-mile away.

That’s my idea of hiking.

Paradise is a mecca in the mountain, with hiking trails, guides, inn and visitor center. The modern Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center has exhibits, films, gifts, snacks and a bronze bust of “Scoop,” Snohomish County’s namesake politician.

The guide house is where many climbers start their ascent of the mountain. For those with lower thresholds of adventure, it’s a fine place to throw snowballs.

It was one of the hottest days of summer but there was plenty of snow to go around.

“I’m sweating in the snow,” I heard a visitor say as she dodged snowballs from her two kids.

The rustic Paradise Inn is tucked between panoramic views of Rainier and the Tatoosh Range. The hotel was built in 1916 and even with renovations retains that throwback charm of an old mountain lodge, with a wilderness solitude and long narrow carpeted hallways.

“Reminds me of ‘The Shining,’” my daughter jokingly remarked.

The lobby had big cozy chairs and a piano. It was filled with merry people drinking and singing. Next trip, I plan to be one of them.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.

If you go

Mount Rainier National Park is open all year. Visitation peaks in July and August. Vehicle access in winter is only available from the Nisqually entrance, in the southwest corner of the park on the way to Paradise. Cost is $15 for car; or $5 for each visitor 16 and older entering on motorcycle, bicycle, horseback or on foot. The pass is good for seven days. An annual park pass is $30 for the pass holder and covers passengers.

Free entrance days remaining in 2014: Aug. 25, National Park Service Birthday; Sept. 27, Public Lands Day; and Nov. 11, Veterans Day. For more information, go to www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm.

Ten essentials to bring to prepare for minor injuries, sudden weather changes or delays:

1. Map of the area

2. Compass

3. Flashlight with extra batteries/bulb

4. Extra food

5. Extra clothing, including rain gear

6. Sunglasses and sunscreen

7. Pocketknife

8. Matches in a waterproof container

9. Candle or other fire starter

10. First aid kit

Source: National Park Service

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.