Glacier Vista Loop via Skyline Trail is a 2.6 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Ashford, Washington that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking and walking and is best used from July until October.
Mount Rainier National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $30 per vehicle or $25 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot, horse, or bike the fee is $15 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $55.
From the Nisqually entranceon Highway 706, 18 miles on Longmire-Paradise Road to the main Paradise Parking area. The trail starts to the west of the Paradise Ranger Station.
January 10, 20212.7 miles only
January 7, 2021
December 28, 2020Lots of people, great conditions. I had to put chains on both ways. Beautiful weather! Very well maintained trail!
December 22, 2020November 29, 2020Great for snowshoeing! Wonderful view this time of year
November 11, 2020Excellent! Deep powder!
November 1, 2020Trail was great! Very populated on a Sunday, very little mask wearing and small children off the trail in meadows
October 28, 2020Absolutely loved this hike! The views were so breathtaking! I will be coming back for sure. My Rainier never disappoints!
October 26, 2020Beautiful trail. Completely covered in snow and very slippery. We did not have walking sticks or spikes for our shoes, but they would have been very helpful. Definitely worth the visit!
October 17, 2020October 15, 2020Snow and slush, slippery in places.
October 14, 2020September 20, 2020The paved part at the beginning is very steep, especially if you are pushing a stroller. It was foggy so we couldn’t see Mt Rainier or the glacier at all, but we still really enjoyed this rather steep but short trail. There was some fall color in the meadows and still quite a few wildflowers despite it being past peak. Would love to do again when it’s clearer. Not too crowded, but that could be from recent wildfires and smoke scaring people off.
September 19, 2020September 7, 2020Pretty fun. Lot was full by 10:45 so get here earlier. Great hike. But of snow at the top too.
September 6, 2020Steep in the beginning but easy afterwards. Beautiful views of mountains and well developed meadows. You can find patches of snow near the top.
September 5, 2020September 5, 2020I took my 18 yo daughter who is not a big hiker but she really enjoyed it. We arrived at 8:45 and it was feeling busy at the trailhead already. The first part is a steep paved trail and then it turns into a rocky, nicely maintained trail. Absolutely beautiful views everywhere you look. A lot of green meadows and wildflowers. We saw 5 marmots, over 20 chipmunks and many butterflies. The trail felt crowded at times but we managed to find gaps without people around us. Would definitely do this one again.
September 3, 2020August 29, 2020August 13, 2020Beautiful!
August 11, 2020We took our two children, one in a hiking backpack and a 3yo. Initial climb and final descent was pretty steep even though this was the paved part of the trail but there are lots of places to stop and rest. Our 3yo took full advantage of that. Incredible views on a clear day of Mt. Rainier, Adams and St. Helens. If you choose to go to the glacier vista view point there is snow covering the trail, which was slick. But the view was well worth it. We didn’t take our 3yo to this point since he just had tennis shoes, but he probably could have done it with hiking boots. A ranger said she thought this view point was better than the one further up if you choose to keep going. There were some mosquitoes in the shade and mountain flies. Wild flowers are blooming and are so pretty!
August 8, 2020August 8, 2020August 8, 2020August 2, 2020My family took another family up here yesterday. We were 10 people total including 6 kids age 5-13. Legit hike! All of us had a blast, capped off with sledding on our rain jackets on the top. The beauty is truly breathtaking. We saw marmots, tons of tame ground chipmunks, deer, and more. Flowers are in bloom and it was sooooo amazing! Get up there now! Bring a mask for passing lots of people, but there are opportunities to social distance as well. Have fun!
August 1, 2020Fantastic.
