Hiking Trails in Mt. Rainier National Park

This peak was originally known as Sim-layshe, a Native American word for eagle. When the Longmire family settled nearby, George Longmire anglicized the name to Eagle Peak. For the first two miles the trail ascends steeply through dense forest to a small stream, then continues another mile to a meadow. Beyond the meadow the trail is much steeper and rocky as it climbs the final .5 mile to the 5700 ft. saddle where the trail ends.

From Longmire the trail climbs gradually 1.6 miles as it parallels the road to Cougar Rock Campground. Here it veers away from the road and crosses the Nisqually River, continuing its steady but gentle ascent two miles along the west side of the Paradise River. Then, just one mile below Narada Falls, the trail crosses the Paradise River and becomes much steeper as it nears the falls.

Family Suggestion: For a shorter hike start from Cougar Rock Campground. Or start your hike from the campground but only go as far as Carter Falls. A favorite with families, this section of the Wonderland Trail is 2.2 miles round-trip.

Literally translated, the name "Narada" means "uncontaminated."

One of the highest waterfalls in the park, Comet Falls was named because it resembles the tail of a comet. Or so some thought! Van Trump Park honors P. B. Ban Trump, who, with Hazard Stevens, was one of the first people to stand on the summit of Mount Rainier.

For two miles the trail climbs steadily up hill until it reaches the base of Comet Falls. From there it switchbacks .6 mile uphill to the junction with the Rampart Ridge Trail. Van Trump Park is to the right, where the trail winds through the meadows until it dead ends in .5 mile.

Bench Lake is so named because the flat area around the lake is called "The Bench." Snow Lake may have been named because the cirque in which it lies is filled by icy meltwater from the snowfields of the Tatoosh Range or because snow often rings the lake until late summer.

The trail is a succession of gradual ups and downs as it crosses a series of low ridges. The path first reaches Bench Lake after .75 of a mile, then continues another .5 mile to Snow Lake. Most years these lakes do not melt out until late July and the trail can be muddy until then.

Also known as "The Ramparts," this ridge is the remnant of an ancient lava flow which originated at the summit of Mount Rainier.

The loop can be hiked in either direction, but going clockwise keeps Mount Rainier in front more of the time and is thus recommended. The hike begins steeply as the trail leads through dense forest to the top of the ridge. Once on the ridgetop it is 1.3 miles of relatively level hiking before starting the descent along the Wonderland Trail back to Longmire.

Check current trail conditions before starting this hike! Early season hiking on this trail may be hazardous. Rest on benches or rocks. Please do not sit or walk on delicate subalpine plants!

Hiking the loop clockwise, the trail climbs 2 miles until reaching Panorama Point, where a toilet is provided for hikers. Past Panorama Point the trail begins its one mile descent to the junction with the Golden Gate Trail. Another .75 mile, and the Skyline Trail reaches the Stevens-Van Trump Memorial and its junction with the Paradise Glacier Trail. From here it descends into the Paradise Valley, then climbs slightly to Myrtle Falls and finally back to Paradise.

For a shorter version of this loop, take the Golden Gate Trail back to Paradise.

Pinnacle Peak is situated in the middle of the Tatoosh Range at an elevation of 6562 feet, the second highest peak in the range.

The trail begins with a gradual ascent but soon becomes, and remains, a steep climb to the 5920 foot saddle where the trail ends. Hiking boots are recommended since this trail has either a snow or loose rock surface all summer. From the saddle to the top of Pinnacle Peak is a precipitous scramble on loose, unstable rock. Hikers wishing to get to the top should use extreme caution and have proper equipment.