The Best Spring Hikes near Seattle
Spring is a long season in the Seattle area, starting sometime in late February or early March in the lowlands near the Salish Sea (Puget Sound) until the end of June in the nearby Cascade and Olympic Mountains. As the days get longer and warmer, it’s a great time...
The Best Mt Rainier Waterfalls
Mt Rainier National Park is one of our earliest national parks and is famous for the massive volcano right in the middle of the park, Tahoma, or Mt Rainier. Visiting Mt Rainier National Park has so much more to offer that just views of “the mountain”. Mt Rainier waterfalls...
Comet Falls: Dramatic Waterfall Hike in Mt Rainier National Park
Comet Falls is one of the most dramatic and beautiful waterfalls in Mt Rainier National Park. It’s also on a trail with multiple waterfalls to see along the way, not just one! You can extend the hike further to a wildflower meadow. A steep hike with up to 1500...
Spectacular Skyline Trail Loop at Mt Rainier
The Skyline Trail loop absolutely has it all and is a truly gorgeous hike from Paradise in Mt Rainier National Park. Wildflowers? Yes. Marmots? Yes. Epic Mountain views? Yes. Glacier views? Yes. Fall Color? Yes. This trail is extremely popular and parking can be impossible on summer weekends (see...
Crystal Mountain Gondola: Epic Mt Rainier Views
Looking for something different to do at Mt Rainier? Want epic mountain views while eating your lunch outside? Looking to be swept to a mountaintop without hiking? What to hike to a destination others rode a gondola too? If any of these sound like you then you’ll love a...
Spray Park Hike in Mt Rainier National Park
Wildflowers? Mountain views? A dazzling waterfall? YES. This is Spray Park! The hike to Spray Park in Mt Rainier National Park has it all. It is a challenging 6-8 mile hike with up to 2000 feet of elevation gain. There’s variation because of the options for turning around (see...
12 Best Day Trips from Seattle
One of the many wonderful things about living in Seattle or visiting Seattle is that there are so many things to do outside the city! Seattle is surrounded by a vast diversity of landscapes within a few hours, including islands, forests, mountains, orchards, farmland and desert canyons. In this...
Mother Mountain Loop Backpacking in Mt Rainier
Looking for a less-hassle or shorter alternative to the Wonderland Trail? Want to experience all Mt Rainier has to offer – epic mountain views, spectacular wildflowers, lakes, forest and the occasional marmot or black bear? Want to do a backpacking trip in a few days instead of weeks? Not...
Tolmie Peak Lookout Hike: Big Views of Mt Rainier
Imagine the best views around of Mt Rainier, two alpine lakes and incredible wildflowers and you’ve got the Tolmie Peak Lookout hike. At close to 8 miles round trip and 1100 feet of elevation gain, it’s a moderate day hike. A long gravel road and being located on the...
Naches Peak Loop Hike: Wildflowers and fall colors
The Naches Peak Loop hike is one of my favorite hikes in Mt Rainier National Park and even in all of Washington State! I’ve written about it before, including in my post about Mt Rainier wildflower hikes and my post for a day trip to Mt Rainier. This hike...