Mount Rainier

July–August weekends fill Paradise lots by mid-morning; timed-entry reservations have applied in recent summers, so check current rules.

Rainier makes its own weather — expect clouds and rain even in summer. Roads like Stevens Canyon and Sunrise close with snow (usually mid-October–June). It is one of the snowiest places on Earth.

The signature Paradise hike. Circles the meadows above the visitor center with close-up glacier views, wildflowers in season, and Rainier towering directly overhead. The Panorama Point section is the high point.

One of the least-crowded meadow routes on the mountain. The trail breaks out of old-growth forest into a high basin with lupine and paintbrush in August, with Rainier's northwest face filling the horizon.

A 1930s fire lookout on a rocky knob above Eunice Lake. The reflection of Rainier in the lake on a calm morning is one of the great backcountry views in the park — worth every step.

The full circumnavigation of Mount Rainier — 93 miles with 22,000 feet of elevation gain over 10-14 days. One of the great backpacking routes in the country. Permits required; apply in March.

Leads to the lowest-elevation glacier in the contiguous US. The glacier's snout sits at just 3,600 feet in a deep old-growth river valley — a completely different landscape from Paradise.

The primary approach from the west through Ashford — old-growth forest all the way to the Nisqually entrance. Connects to Packwood and US-12 for a loop around the south side.

Washington's signature scenic drive — 400 miles from Everett over Stevens Pass, through the Wenatchee Valley and Winthrop, back over North Cascades Highway. Best done over 3-4 days.

Crosses the Cascades east of Rainier through Goat Rocks Wilderness and William O. Douglas Wilderness. Less-traveled than Stevens or Snoqualmie passes — beautiful and quiet.