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Two children hike on trail through wildflower meadow with Mount Rainier above them.

← Washington guide · National Park

Start with a waterfall. Stay for the mountain.

Mount Rainier · A day that begins with one good stop.

See your first day
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve Redman · NPS source ↗
01 / WASHINGTON

Why this place matters

Mount Rainier

Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers.

Read the full NPS story ↗
A fan-shaped waterfall cascades over lava cliffs with a rainbow in its mist.
Photo: NPS Photo / E. Brouwer · NPS source ↗

A flexible first day

Start here. See where it takes you.

These are ways to explore, not a timed itinerary. Check conditions before you set out.

01 · ARRIVE

Enter through an open park entrance and choose a short trail that matches conditions.

02 · GO DEEPER

If Paradise is accessible, add a meadow walk or look toward Sunrise on a separate day.

03 · BEFORE YOU GO

Mountain roads, snow, and entry rules can change your route.

Check current Mount Rainier access with the National Park Service ↗

Find your bearings

Explore nearby chapters.

Switch stops to see where this chapter sits in the wider state.

Mount Rainier1Olympic Peninsula2North Cascades3Seattle & the Gold Rush4Seattle–Tacoma Airport: 6.3 inches average annual snowfall1Longmire, Mount Rainier: 143.0 inches average annual snowfall2

Outline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 cartographic boundary files. Points show guide starting areas and NOAA stations.

DESTINATION 1 / 4

Mount Rainier

Start with a waterfall. Stay for the mountain.

Open this guide →

Snow markers compare station normals only. They are not a statewide snow cover or forecast map.

NOAA 1991–2020 · monthly normals

A little weather context.

These stations show two parts of the state; neither is a forecast or necessarily local to this site.

Longmire, Mount Rainier · average temperatureMonthly mean °F
NOAA station data ↗
Show all 12 monthly values
Longmire, Mount Rainier · monthly mean temperature (°F)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Value31.63336.240.648.453.760.860.955.144.835.930.8

Normal = 1991–2020 average at the named NOAA station. Snowfall is new snow over a month, not snow currently on the ground. A blank NOAA snow series is shown as unavailable, never as zero. See current NOAA snow depth ↗

Weather changes the trip

Let the season shape the day.

Mountain roads, snow, and entry rules can change your route. The graph above uses a named NOAA station; conditions at this place may differ with elevation and weather. Check the local NWS forecast ↗

Keep exploring Washington

Where next?

Olympic PeninsulaThree climates, one remarkable peninsula.Explore →North CascadesFollow the blue water into the peaks.Explore →Seattle & the Gold RushA city stop with a bigger frontier story.Explore →

Start with Seattle’s waterfront and neighborhoods; save a second day for a ferry or a park. See current events ↗

Make the trip yours

Build around what you want to remember.

Tell WTDO your dates, where you start and how you travel. The first plan is free.

Plan this trip free