We got into Mount Rainier National Park via the southeast entrance early on Sunday morning. Our plan was to explore the Sunshine area of the park, which is on the northern side. But when we arrived we were told there was a two-hour wait to get in. No thanks. So we turned around and drove back the way we came.
We had to take a narrow canyon road toward the main area of the park but it was under construction. It took a good deal of time to get to the Paradise area. And when we arrived it was absolutely swarmed with people. Finding a parking spot was an ordeal. So it’s safe to say that our plan didn’t work out as expected.
But once we parked up and created some space to decompress we were ready to hike. The Skyline Trail is the most popular hike in the park. And I can definitely see why.
To be fair, there were a ton of people on the walk. So it wasn’t one of those trails that you were going to feel alone out there. Totally understandable though and that’s what we were expecting.
The first mile or so is a paved walkway and it is a death march. Just a steep incline. Really gets the blood pumping. I don’t mind starting a hike with a tough climb. It makes the rest of the trail seem a bit easier. Kind of like swinging a baseball bat with a weight on it. Once you get up to the plate the bat feels like a feather.
It was about a 3-mile trip up to the main lookout area with great views of Mount Rainier all the way. Thankfully it was a clear day. We were able to see Mt Adams, Mt St. Helens, and even Mt Hood in the distance. I even saw a mountain goat, which is actually my first time seeing one. A bit of a surprise seeing as I’ve been out west for quite a bit of time now.
Mount Rainier is actually a volcano and it stands 14,410 feet high. So it is taller than any mountain in Colorado. On top of that, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. Just some fun facts for you.
Anyway, when we got to the lookout point we found a quieter area to have lunch. Unbeknownst to us, we stumbled upon a marmot den. He decided to hang out and he was very interested in the food we brought with us. We had to continually chase him away but Amanda did a solid job of keeping him at bay.
The hike took us about 4 hours in total. We were camping in the southeastern part of the park so we didn’t hang around too long after finishing up. We still had to drive back through the canyon to the campsite.
We stayed at the Ohanapecosh campground and it was really really nice. Tons of space at each campsite. And the trees were magnificent. By chance, our site was tucked away in the corner by the river and we had our own private trail down to it. A really great way to finish out the weekend.