If anyone were to argue for Mount Rainier National Park being the crown jewel of Washington state, I wouldn't raise any objection. There's something for everyone here— the park is a great balance between accessibility and ruggedness, so avid hikers and general sightseers should be equally happy. There are shorter and longer trails, trails with paved sections, less or greater elevation gain, plenty of lakes, and some beautiful forests.
I think this was actually the only clear day at the park!
Contrary to Alltrails, I would classify this as a moderate difficulty hike rather than a hard one, because anything else would be disservice to hikes like the Burroughs Mountain Trail which have much more elevation gain. The paved path soon ends, panoramic views open up and remain stunning till the end. In that aspect, this is a great trail in terms of effort-to-reward, especially considering you can stop at Myrtle Falls along the way. I showed up late in the day and parking was difficult to find so I recommend arriving as early as possible.
Prepare to be humbled..
At an altitude of over 7,800 feet, and with an elevation gain of 2,600 feet in 9.5 miles, this is a very steep and strenuous hike. You will ascend up to Second Burroughs Mountain, back down a barren pumice field, and then up to the peak of Third Burroughs Mountain. Part of the loop towards the beginning is shared with the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail because they both travel along Sourdough Ridge. The trail is exposed for almost the entire duration so bringing layers and sunscreen is essential. This is one of my favorite hikes ever, being along a ridge with panoramic views in every direction. It truly felt like climbing a mountain.
Like the Tolmie Peak fire tower, this one is locked.
This is another great bang-for-your-buck hike, the other essential one being the Skyline Trail. It can easily be completed in under 3 hours with only moderate elevation gain and distance. The mountain views along this trail and the included Sourdough Ridge Trail are some of the best I saw at the park. Once you reach Frozen Lake, the trail also forks off to the Burroughs Mountain Trail and the lengthy Wonderland Trail. Most of the hike is along meadows and rocky cliffs with little tree cover, so bring layers and sunscreen.
The fire tower was unfortunately closed for construction at the time (Sept. 2024)
Tolmie Peak starts below the treeline and remains there for most of the duration. While I was super disappointed about missing the view at the peak due to fog, I still thought it was a worthwhile hike to stop at Lake Eunice along the way and because the forest was beautiful. It's not too bad in terms of elevation gain other than the final push to the fire tower. Parking at the trailhead is along the side of the road— it was probably the worst road I went on in the park in terms of potholes and drivability, being gravel for the last stretch, but it was still doable in a sedan. There isn't an official park entrance booth for the road to this hike so make sure you either have your pass in advance or pay at the self-pay station along the way.
Snow Lake.. one of my all-time favorites.
Stopping here on a whim was one of the best decisions I made on this trip. Bench Lake and Snow Lake are far superior to Reflection Lake in my opinion, so if you have an hour to spare for this easy trail I highly recommend it. I ended up randomly encountering two Oregon hikers I'd met earlier in the day on the Skyline trail and swam in Bench Lake with them after they shouted for me to jump in! The water was so cold in September it took the breath out of me. The parking lot here isn't very large, but I arrived late enough in the evening that it wasn't hard to find a spot. It's not as much as an issue since this trail is less popular than Reflection Lake. On the way back home I stopped at the Stevens Canyon Tunnel for some very picturesque photos.
No reflection, but still a gorgeous view.
This is more of a viewpoint of a trail since it's accessible immediately from the parking lot. Swimming isn't allowed and you can't get too close to the lake due to a lot of the shoreline being roped off for meadow restoration. The trailhead to Pinnacle Peak is also directly across from here. Ultimately I much preferred the views at Bench Lake and Snow Lake. And you can swim there!
This waterfall is 72 feet tall.
Myrtle Falls is accessible via a half-mile paved walk from the nearby parking lot along the Skyline Trail or Golden Gate Trail, and is definitely an essential stop considering its short length. The prime viewing area is pretty small and cramped so keep that in mind when taking photos.
This lake is large and not so roped off like Reflection Lake.
This spot actually wasn't on my radar at all, but it looked so cool on the way up the Tolmie Peak Trail that I had to stop on the way back to the car. The color of the water was surreal. It's just a short walk from the road, and the Spray Park and Wonderland Trails can be accessed from the campground on the south side of the lake. There's plenty of parking at the campground if you can't find a spot along the road. Swimming, fishing and non-motorized boating are all allowed here.
No Rainier views, just crystal clear water..
Louise Lake is only a few minutes' walk from the road so it falls more into the category of a viewpoint. The water is beautiful but there's not much in the way of views since it's closed in by the surrounding ridge. Definitely not an essential stop.