The possibilities are seemingly endless… Mt. Rainier offers experiences for the young and the young at heart. It yields expansive vistas of alpine meadows and up-close moments in temperate rain forests. Hike in the summer sun or snowshoe in a winter wonderland. See the mountain from the car or set out on foot into the backcountry. Depending on when you visit and where you travel around the mountain, your visit is sure to be unique. Where to start? What to do? Here are 100 Rainier moments waiting to be experienced. And you can believe this is only a snapshot of the possibilities…
- Spot a marmot
- Take 5 wildflower photos
- Go snowshoeing
- Rent cross country skis
- Find 3 lakes that reflect Mt. Rainier
- Discover 5 waterfalls
- Check out the 100-year-old-weather station on the Nisqually Vista Trail
- Eat blackberry pie at Copper Creek Inn
- Play cards at Paradise Inn
- Take a fall color drive
- Go for a train ride
- Visit Recycled Spirits of Iron
- Go horseback riding at Crystal Mountain
- Ride the Mt. Rainier Gondola at Crystal Mountain
- Enjoy a brew at Snorting Elk Cellar
- Pick huckleberries
- Gather mushrooms in the forest
- Spot a fox
- See elk grazing in the wild
- See bison at Northwest Trek
- Hike a portion of the Wonderland Trail
- Circle Tipsoo Lake
- Wander the Westside Road
- Find a geocache on the Centennial GeoTour
- Watch the featured movie at Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center
- Find climbers on route to the summit from the Sunrise telescope
- Discover frogs at Shadow Lake
- Play in the water fountains at Mud Mountain Dam
- Learn about early explorers at Longmire Museum
- Find the hot springs at Longmire
- Take the Trail of the Shadows nature walk
- Walk the suspension bridge at Grove of the Patriarchs
- Bike the Carbon River Road
- Cross the Nisqually River near Cougar Rock
- Wine walk through downtown Enumclaw
- Have an ice cream cone at Sunrise Day Lodge
- Read a story by the fireplace at Paradise Inn
- Enjoy a campfire in the evening
- See sunrise at Sunrise Point
- Drink hot chocolate on the veranda at National Park Inn
- See one of the two homesteads in Carbonado
- Fish for your dinner at Alexanders Lodge
- Walk across the historic arch at Chinook Pass
- Go sledding at Paradise’s Snowplay Area
- Zipline at Northwest Trek
- Take a selfie with the mountain
- Go camping
- Take a 4th grader to get their free National Park Pass
- Take your dog for a free ride on the gondola at Crystal Mountain Resort
- Discover picture-perfect Myrtle Falls
- Photograph fall color hot spots
- Visit a fire lookout
- Hike the Naches Loop trail in reverse
- Bike ride Skookum Flats
- Act like a pioneer at Pioneer Farms
- See a frozen waterfall
- Photograph the 12 Photo Hot Spots
- Have a picnic in the park
- Discover Kids’ Trek at Northwest Trek
- Stay overnight in a historic lodge
- Eat traditional Nepali food prepared by a Sherpa family at Wildberry
- See the wildflowers on Mazama Ridge
- Play dominoes at Paradise Inn
- Solve a puzzle in the fireplace room at National Park Inn
- Let the kids “blow off steam” at the Ashford County Park
- Climb the rock wall at Whittaker Mountaineering
- Play disc golf at Crystal Mountain
- See the little white Church in Elbe
- Find the best collection of train souvenirs in the state at Mt. Rainier Railroad in Elbe
- Visit Mineral Lake, the gem of the Pacific Northwest
- Go boating at Alder Lake
- Catch a 10 lb. trout in Mineral Lake
- Take the Legacy Walking Tour in Enumclaw
- Buy a hand-crafted hat at Wapiti Woolies
- See an authentic sandstone-built schoolhouse in Wilkeson
- Explore the temperate rainforest in the Carbon River area
- Take a selfie with an old-growth Douglas fir tree
- Take your kids to the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center
- View the lupine in the wildflower meadows of Sunrise
- Take a ranger-led snowshoe trip
- Enjoy a ranger-led interpretive talk
- Learn the history of Mt. Rainier National Park at the Sunrise Visitor Center
- See 5 volcanoes from Sunrise Point
- Drive the nationally designated Chinook Scenic Byway
- Go glamping
- Have dinner at the highest elevation restaurant in Washington State
- Find the year your grandparents were born on the 8 ft. diameter Douglas fir cross-section at Longmire
- Drive to the highest point accessible by car in the Northwest
- Admire Narada Falls
- Help your kid learn about Mt. Rainier at the new displays at Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center
- Have a picnic lunch along the Silver Falls Trail
- Have Sunday brunch at Paradise Inn
- Host your family reunion at historic Copper Creek Lodge
- Go skiing or snowboarding at Crystal Mountain
- Indulge yourself at a spa
- Take a tram ride at Northwest Trek
- Spend the night in a cozy cabin
- Enjoy a local festival at the Enumclaw Expo Center
- Discover hand-crafted and locally sourced art
- Take the Circle Rainier drive tour
