Mount Rainier 
National Park

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Mount Rainier became the fifth American National Park on March 2, 1889. Mount Rainier National Park is located in northeast Lewis County and southeast Pierce County in the state of Washington. Mount Rainier is a 14,410 foot tall volcano with 26 glaciers. It is the highest mountain in the Cascade Range.

The photos below of 
Mount Rainier National Park 
were taken August 11, 2008.

click here to view video 
of our visit to Mount Rainier

The National Park Inn at Longmire in Mount Rainier National Park.

 

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The National Park Inn at Longmire. This is a large complex of buildings in addition to the Inn. Among them are the Wilderness Information Center. There is Longmire Museum where you can ask a ranger a question and see a cougar. Cougar Rock Campground is about 2 miles northwest of Longmire. Longmire is the location of one of the starting points of the Wonderland Trail.

The trail towards Mount Rainier with the Paradise Inn Lodge.

It can be difficult to find parking at Paradise. Paradise is the main destination of Mount Rainier National Park visitors. It is from here you can easily hike to the mountain. Or stay in the Paradise Inn. That is the Paradise Inn you see in the background. Paradise is also the location of the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center.

Mountain peaks surrounding Mount Rainier.

Looking south at some of the mountains Mount Rainier looks down on. In Mount Rainier National Park there are valleys, wildflower meadows, forest of old growth evergreens and waterfalls.

Myrtle Falls at Mount Rainier National Park.

That cascading water is called Myrtle Falls. You can see some people crossing a wooden bridge above the falls, heading towards trails through the meadows that lead up to the base of Mount Rainier.

click here to view video of our 
visit to Mount Rainier 
including Myrtle Falls

Hikers trekking back up from the Myrtle Falls overlook.

Hikers making their way back up the steps from the Myrtle Falls overlook.

Hikers on trails through meadows leading up to Mount Rainier.

The meadows and trails that lead up to the base of Mount Rainier.

Mount Rainier shrouded in clouds.

Mount Rainier was not visible when we arrived. But The Mountain slowly revealed itself as the day progressed.

Fewer clouds covering the Mountain.

The Mountain is almost free of clouds.

More than 10,000 people attempt to reach the summit of Mount Rainier each year. Lately there has been a fad of speed climbing with many making the up to the top and back down to Paradise trek. The current record is held by Liam O'Sullivan who managed the round-trip climb on August 4, seven days before this photo was taken, in four hours, 46 minutes and 29 seconds.

Close up look at a cloud free Mount Rainier.

A clear look at The Mountain, the clouds all gone. The National Park Service claims that Paradise is the "snowiest place on Earth." Others claim that title is held by another Washington volcano, Mount Baker. 1,122 inches of snow fell the winter of 1971-72, setting a world record that year.

Looking at Myrtle Falls again, this time with the Mountain visible.

Back at the Myrtle Falls overlook again for another photo now that Mount Rainier has chosen to reveal itself.

Mirror Lake in Mount Rainier National Park.

We came into the park from the west, at the Nisqually Entrance. We drove the loop to exit from the north. On the way we came to Mirror Lake. This is the scene on many a postcard and calendar. Not quite the scene you see here, due to Mount Rainier being a little shrouded by clouds again and access to good viewing points being blocked by snow. In August.

Visitors stopping at a Mount Rainier viewpoint, coming in from the east.

Further down the road we came to a viewpoint overlook where visitors coming in from the eastside were stopping to get their first close look at Mount Rainier.

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