Mt. Rainier doesn’t get the glory it deserves. It may not be the grandest nor the tallest mountain in the U.S. National Park Service. In its Pacific Northwest home, often it is overlooked by Mt. Saint Helens, (a volcano like Mt. Rainier,) Olympic National Park, (sub-alpine like Rainier, but also Pacific Ocean coastline, plus tropical rainforest,) and even Mt. Hood in Oregon (for movie buffs, the famous lodge from the horror movie The Shining.) Yet, Mt. Rainier deserves equal time and respect from nature lovers and trail hikers. Fields of summer wildflowers, turquoise-colored streams and lakes, and a 14,410 foot tall peak that spawns the most glaciers of any mountain in the contiguous United States are some of its charms.
Generally, the best times to visit are in the summer months. However, I visited the park during the rainy season once when floods occurred, (you’ll see a picture in the following video.) The only road through was blocked by mud and debris, except for those in 4-wheel drive vehicles that were able to climb over a 15-foot high by 30-foot wide logjam! You can add that to experiences available in this worthwhile park within two hours of Seattle.