Best trails in Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is located in west-central Washington and is ideal for hiking, mountain climbing and scenic drives. Most roads are open from late May to early October, which allow for both stunning views and access to a wide range of hiking trails and other sites. Hikers will find forests with cedar, hemlock, and fir trees as well as streams and wildflower meadows. On Rainier's alpine slopes, visitors will find firs, glaciers, and tundra. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most prominent peak in the Cascades, and it is covered by 26 named glaciers including Carbon Glacier and Emmons Glacier, the largest in the continental United States. The mountain is popular for climbing, and more than half of the park is covered by subalpine and alpine forests. Paradise on the south slope is one of the snowiest places in the world, and the Longmire visitor center is the start of the Wonderland Trail, which encircles the mountain. Fees: Mount Rainier Annual Pass - $55 Grants unlimited entry for one year to pass owner and passengers in the same car Mount Rainier Single Vehicle Fee - $30 Grants unlimited entry for one vehicle and passengers for seven consecutive days. Vehicle must be private, noncommercial, and with a seating capacity of 15 or less Mount Rainier "Per Person" Fee - $15 Walk-up or single bicycle fee Grants unlimited entry for seven consecutive days Mount Rainier Motorcycle Fee - $25 Grants unlimited entry for one motorcycle and passenger for seven consecutive days Campground Fees - $20 Per site, nightly Campground Fees - Groups - $60 Groups sites, nightly Accommodates 25 to 40 people Accessibility: The Interagency Access Pass for free or discounted admission for US Citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities is accepted here. The Jackson Visitor Center and Sunrise Visitor Center (summer only) are wheelchair/mobility equipment/stroller accessible and have accessible bathrooms. The theater and dining room at the Jackson Visitor Center are also wheelchair accessible. The hallways in the Longmire Museum may be too narrow for wheelchairs. The park history and exhibit films at the Visitor centers include closed-captions. Assistive listening devices are available for loan at the front desk. Wheelchairs are available for short-term loan for use inside the Visitor Center. The park brochures are available in several formats including audio and braille. There are wheelchair accessible rooms at the Paradise Inn and National Park Inn at Longmire. They also have wheelchair accessible dining rooms. The Paradise, Kautz Creek, Ohanapecosh, Cougar Rock, White River, Mowich Lake, and Stevens Canyon Picnic Areas have wheelchair accessible picnic tables and accessible restrooms close by. There are two wheelchair-accessible campsites at the Ohanapecosh Campground and four at the Cougar Rock Campground. Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park. For more information about accessible facilities and trails in the park, visit https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm