Best Trails in Mount Rainier National Park

We did the Skyline hike to Panorama Pt yesterday and highly recommend it. It’s difficult to gauge the weather so prepare for anything. The entire trail and mountain is still snow covered so snow shoes and poles are a must. Definitely a strenuous climb, especially the last 600 ft chute climb to Panorama pt. Plenty of back country skiers making the climb as well. Once you’re at the top, the views are unbelievable and you are right next to Mount Rainier. Add this trail to your list!!

Great snowshoeing hike. All uphill. No switchbacks. The last climb was a good one.

I have hiked this trail several times in the past. My Lab and I consider it our favorite.

Still quite a bit of snow on this trail so for the next few weeks be prepared. Watch out for slippery snow/rocks. My wife slipped and broke her wrist. When it heals we’ll be back...very nice.

Road is closed 6 miles from trailhead. Bummer.

04-14-2019
First few miles of this hike drag on a little because it’s just hiking down a gravel road with not too much to see. Once you get to the uphill part of the hike where you leave the road it gets much more scenic. The falls are beautiful and the lake is as peaceful as it gets. Makes the less exciting part of the hikes worth it. It was snowing toward the end of the hike and there was about 6 inches on the ground, but it was well packed down and was manageable without the use of microspikes. If you like a forest setting that’s not too strenuous this is a great hike! Took me about 3 and a half hours including appreciating the views.

Great fall hike! Hiked in September, by 8/9 parking was packed! Get there early!

About a foot or more of snow 5 miles before the actual trail. Many cars were abandoned due to being stuck. Even tried to help couple of guys who got their pick up stuck. Had to turn around.

Gorgeous hike but we didn’t make it to Comet Falls without snowshoes. Made it to the slope and turned around.

One of my favorite hikes of all time. Not difficult but has a phenomenal view at the top.

The trail was relatively short but fairly steep. We were hiking in the clouds most of the day/way and waited for them to clear. If you want a real challenge, you can scramble to the top of Pinnacle Peak. It was my first time scrambling, and I made it okay, except it was difficult to find the access to the main trail again. Unfortunately, the clouds never cleared for us, and we never got to see Mt Rainier in its true glory. But the mountain range and valley behind was pretty.

We felt like we got a little bit of everything on this hike! A lush forest, river, creek crossings, meadows, and of course mountains! We also ventured the extra mile to Pan Handle Gap, where there was a beautiful little glacier lake/pond. I would call this trail moderate as the uphill through the woods was fairly gradual, and there were only a few switchbacks. There were also way fewer hikers on the trail, and most were Wonderland Thru Hikers. Went over Labor Day weekend 2018.

Very tough going at first, high elevation gain in short amount of miles. I had to go slow (had my full pack on) but it was manageable. Snow in parts made it difficult. Did not bring my snowshoes and would have possibly used them a few miles in, but weren’t necessary. The poles however did help a lot. Wish I would have had gaiters. Pretty views at the top, VERY windy! Views would likely have been even better if it weren’t snowing at the summit.
Did thoroughly enjoy this hike.

Did Longmire to Rampart Ridge ending in Wonderland Trail. Beginning was quite steep and snowy (but manageable without spikes) however views were worth it!

I completed about half (3.4 miles) of the west side of the trail today, mostly with snowshoes. We were recommended to avoid the east side due to snow accumulation and increased risk for avalanches.
Not too many people on a Tuesday at the beginning of the spring.
The day was clear and the view gorgeous. During our descend there were some mix slush and icy patches which made it perfect for butt sledding.
I haven't decided if the going up or down (especially on the steepest parts) was the most intense...definitely a good work out and happy my teens did it with me.
Can't wait to try it in the summer.

snowshoed on 3/26/19. i highly recommend this trail. my experience was beyond words. the views were very impactful. recently realized alltrails can be used in airplane mode. very helpful for keeping the battery and knowing where you are. the trail is marked with poles a little different than this map so checking our location was helpful. you can stop at the museum in longmire on the way up and pick up a free close-up map of the trails in paradise, this map has avalanche danger zones and shows which way the avalanches fall. this particular trail is not in an avalanche danger zone so it is a safer trail for this time of year. make sure you bring chains (required), check to make sure the gate is open in the morning, and plan to leave before the gate closes. road/gate info available on the mt. rainier website.

We got a bit over 2 miles into the woods and did not get all the way to the falls due to losing the path to snow and rain moving in so we decided to turn back.
We had our snow shoes but hiked with snow boots and hiking shoes.
The views were amazing, it was sunny when we started.
It is a consistent incline, definitely worth the sweat.

Good first hike of the year. Quite a bit of snow towards the end, especially across the riverbed. The first bridge to cross the water was washed-out, so we used a downed tree instead.

Attempted to walk into ipsut campground however there was still a lot of icy snow on the trail. Would recommend walking poles. Will check back in a couple weeks.

I showed up ready to hike and I was stopped because I had my dog with me, no dogs not even on a leash. Beautiful area but the management of the area is trash.

This trail is more for bike riders or walking a dog.. mostly flat grounds very little scenery..

hiked August 2018 ... there were a massive amount of flies through most of the hike.

Great hike. Snow held firm until I topped the last switchback (about noon) so I was able to do the ascent without snowshoes. As it warmed up the snow got sloppy & soft, but still manageable. I could have used more views of Rainier, but the ones I got were incredible and well worth the effort. Visibility was pristine

Hi

Does anyone know if the read is already open for trail head?

Thanks, Antti

Easy and snowy

We followed snow shoe tracks up to the bridge then stomped out the trail to the meadow below the summit. Steep, open hillsides close to the saddle are potential avalanche areas. It took us 4 hours to get the meadow. We turned around and came down in less than 2 hours. The snow was wet and heavy. Snow shoes recommended.