Fall Activities | VisitRainier

Top 10 Fall Hikes

1) Reflection Lakes – Moderate | Paradise Area This is a popular hike for many reasons especially on a clear day. In summer the lakes are bordered with wildflowers but in fall the lakes are bordered with mountain ash and the gold-threaded leaves of...

FALL COLOR DISPLAYS

Vine Maple, high elevation huckleberry bushes and Larch (Tamarack) are the main sources of fall color and begin turning in late September. Larch is golden and is visible after much of the other color is gone. It is only found in the Chinook Pass and White Pass areas...

Mt. Rainier Railroad & Museum Fall Rides

Celebrate the brilliant autumn season with a themed ride on the Mt. Rainier Railroad. Choose from a family day out on the Pumpkin Train or Autumn Leaves ride. Enjoy a day of history on the Civil War Train or savor a full-bodied red on the Washington Wine Express...

Mushroom Picking

Dozens of good edible mushroom species begin to appear in late summer. Most species need the first fall rains to come before they appear. Some species wait until the first frosts. As is well-known mushrooms can be poisonous, so mushroom hunters need to have positively identified species...

Hunt for Huckleberries

Non-commercial berry picking is allowed within the National Park. Two quarts per person per day of huckleberries, blackberries, thimbleberries and salmonberries may be gathered by hand. This small quantity has been determined to not adversely affect park wildlife...

Slug Fest reigns supreme as one of the zaniest weekends of the year at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

Celebrate all that is slimy and silly about the Pacific Northwest’s most valuable and misunderstood mollusk: the yellow-greenish banana slug.

Banana slugs are fascinating decomposers that break down organic matter and return nutrients to the soil. Without decomposers, forest floors would quickly become overrun with plant and animal waste, rather than being a beautiful place for regrowth.

To celebrate banana slugs, trams will be equipped with tentacles as they make their way through the wildlife park’s 435-acre Free-Roaming Area on an animal-watching Discovery Tram Tour.

This event is scheduled for June 24 and 25, 2017. Watch this video to learn more about this special event to celebrate the slimy little heroes of the Pacific Northwest forest. Bring your camera because kids can enter a slug race! You won’t want to miss the silliness. And after the slug-shenanigans take a tram ride through the park, climb all over the new playground “Kids Trek”, zip through the forest on the “Super Kids” course at Zip Wild at the park. You’ll want to plan on spending the day at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park.

June is a popular time to visit the Mount Rainier area. When making plans to visit for Slug Fest be sure to place your lodging reservations early as family friendly accommodations can book up quickly. For nearby lodging use our lodging pages and select properties in the Elbe or Ashford areas. Make a weekend out it. There’s so much for families to see and do in the area. Explore Pioneer Farm and Ohop Village where kids can try their hand at churning butter, gathering eggs, milking a cow and party like it’s 1889. Climb aboard living history and take a steam train ride at the Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum. Or take one of the guided horseback riding tours through the forest at Elbe. Stop by the county park in Ashford, WA to take advantage of the free playground area. Visit Paradise at Mt. Rainier National Park and take a family friendly hike.

We’d love to connect with you on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to share your adventure pics with us and tag us in the post. We love seeing families experience the Mount Rainier region!

Kids Can Enter a Slug Race!

Learn About PNW Wildlife

Take a Tram Ride Through Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Play at the New Kids Trek
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park

Pioneer Farms in Eatonville, WA

Steam Train Rides Departing From Elbe, WA

Steam Train Rides at Mt. Rainier Railroad and Logging Museum

EZ Times Outfitter in Elbe, WA

Take a Family Friendly Hike