Compare Mount Rainier Inn-Based Tour by Wildland Trekking

Day 1

Accommodations: Historic National Park Inn

Shuttle to trailhead: 2 hours

Hiking Mileage: 4-8 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: 1700-3000 feet

This Mount Rainier hiking tour begins with pick up at your hotel in Olympia. From there we will shuttle to Mount Rainier for an amazing first day! Today we explore shimmering alpine lakes, abundant wildflower blooms, and tumbling waterfalls on the shoulders of North America’s most famous volcano. Mount Rainier stands at 14,411 feet tall, and is the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States.

We will start our hike near scenic Narada Falls, before climbing gradually through gentle forests and abundant blueberry bushes. We will climb past the beautiful Reflection Lakes, aptly named for their stunning mirror image reflection of Mount Rainier, up to Faraway Rock with panoramic views of lakes and mountains below. After wrapping up our hike we will check in to our lodging at the historic National Park Inn, and then have time to stroll down the Wonderland Trail just outside the door, or to relax on the veranda with views of Mount Rainier. After a delicious dinner, we will enjoy the stars outside or take in a ranger talk at Longmire or Paradise.

Day 2

Accommodations: Historic National Park Inn

Hiking Mileage: 5-8 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: 1700-4000 feet

The second day’s hike takes us through the famous Paradise Meadows of Mount Rainier, a subalpine wonderland of flowers and fragile meadows. We will head up the Skyline Trail towards Glacier Vista, with its panoramic views of the Nisqually Glacier, and then continue upward. A full day - and a lot of elevation - will take us to Camp Muir, the basecamp for mountaineers aiming to summit Rainier, at over 10,000 feet. We will turn around when we want to, aiming first for Panorama Point, secondarily Camp Muir. On our way we will keep an eye out for marmots, pikas, mountain goats, and more, while absorbing views of Mount Rainier and beyond. If the weather cooperates, we could get views of Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams, three of the other major stratovolcanoes in the Cascades range. Our return will take us past the braided Myrtle Falls, and finally back to the vehicle and the main lodge. The Paradise area of Mount Rainier is full of human history, and we will have a chance to explore some of it as we poke around the Paradise Lodge and the Visitors’ Center.

Day 3

Hiking Mileage: 4.7 miles

Elevation Gain/Loss: 700 feet

Shuttle to Olympia: 2.5 hours

Our final day includes both our highest point on the trip and the least elevation gain. We will drive counter clockwise around Mt. Rainier until we reach Sunrise, the highest point accessible by car. With stunning access of the north-eastern side of the mountain, rare tundra, and abundant views, Sunrise is not to be missed. We will head out towards the Burroughs Mountains, a series of three mountains on a ridge just below Rainier, and hike past alpine lakes and dramatic overlooks of the Emmons Glacier. We will keep our eyes peeled for parties of climbers traversing the glacier in the distance. Delicate plants and snowfields that remain through late summer accompany us back to the car. We will enjoy a final picnic lunch during our hike or at a scenic locale on our way back to Olympia. Eventually we will return you to your hotel in Olympia and say our good-byes, knowing we've had an unforgettable 3 days!