![]() ![]() When you arrive at Sunrise pick up a trail map from the Sunrise Visitor Center. Plus, the WOW-factor begins before you even get to Sunrise (take time to stop at the Sunrise Point Overlook). You can also get a sneak preview of what Grand Park is all about by hiking to Berkeley Park from Sunrise. Grand Park melts out later than trails at Paradise so in heavy snow years you may see early-season flowers mixed in with later-season flowers such as asters and gentians. Parking is limited a Northwest Forest Pass is required. However, the gravel road is steep, narrow and best suited for a 4WD vehicle. 73 (Huckleberry Creek Road ) via State Route 410. The shortest approach is from Forest Service Road No. ![]() The long approach starts from Sunrise, a hike best suited for strong hikers. In summer Grand Park is a green sea of billowing wildflowers including magenta paintbrush in late summer look for asters and gentians. Grand Park is one of the largest meadows inside the park, a plateau of wildflowers dotted with silver snags – not to mention the view of Mount Rainier. For a more moderate hike continue on to Sourdough Gap, an airy notch between a ridgeline of rugged peaks for views in all directions. Look back for views of Mount Rainier or down to the green meadows that border State Route 410 as it wends its way eastward. As you hike toward the lake look for Indian paintbrush, false hellebore, Western pasqueflower, sweetly-scented valerian and more. The hike begins on the Pacific Crest Trail at Chinook Pass and heads east on an easy grade. Since Sheep Lake lies outside the park you don’t need to make reservations to camp – campsites are on a first-come-first-serve basis. This luminous gem is not only a spectacular day hike the lake is also ideal for an easy backpack for beginning backpackers or families with children. If you are lodging inside the park or nearby you can view these lakes at sunset – watch Mount Rainier turn rosy when tinted with alpenglow. Stroll along the lakeshore on the designated trail or venture a further onto the Lakes Trail for different wildflower displays and views. It gets even better – when Mount Rainier is not obscured by clouds The Mountain casts its reflection in the lakes (hence, Reflection Lakes). If the wildflower displays are not enough to make you heady, there’s the postcard view of Mount Rainier. There are two approaches to Refection Lakes the longer approach is from Paradise on the Lakes Trail – the shorter approach is from the Reflection Lakes trailhead on the Stevens Canyon Highway. You don’t have to venture far from the car to be dazzled by the scenery if you start your hike at Reflection Lakes. To speak in broad terms, the wildflowers in the alpine meadows of Paradise and Sunrise reach their peak from mid-July to late-August – always depending on how fast the snow melts. We suggest you bring a wildflower guidebook as there are more wildflowers than you can shake a trekking pole at … Some wildflowers, such as avalanche lilies, bloom before the snow is gone, others bloom just after snow melts while others like gentians herald the end of summer and linger into fall.Īnd there’s the popular question, “When do the flowers bloom?” With different factors affecting the bloom each year, every year is a little different. With the exception of the Skyline Trail these hikes are rated easy to moderate, suitable for hikers of all ages and persuasions. These ten hikes offer lavish wildflower displays and some of the best opportunities to view the flowers from the trail. Rainier’s wildflowers is worthy of a bucket list to-do. From an up-close look at a delicate glacier lily, to expansive fields of purple lupine, experiencing Mt. Pinks, purples, blues, yellows…seemingly every color of the rainbow are represented in awe-inspiring displays. Rainier’s wildflower displays are often heralded as the world’s best. It’s a phenomenon you must see to believe. Road Conditions Get the latest updates on road conditions throughout the Mt.NOAA Weather Forecast for Mount Rainier. ![]() This Quest will help you experience the wonder and pristine scenery of this snowy world. Kids’ Quest for Snow Mount Rainier offers easy access to snow for much of the year.Experienced skiers are drawn to the expert runs comprising nearly half of the terrain and the 1,000 acres of skiable backcountry areas. Skiing at Crystal Mountain Crystal Mountain is a world class ski resort, rated by SKIING magazine as the #7 ski resort in North America. ![]()
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