. Mount Rainier is a large volcanic peak located 85 miles (140 km) southeast of Seattle Washington. It rises to 14,410 feet (4,392 meters) and towers at least 8,000 feet (2,500 meters) above any of the surrounding mountains. On clear days, it dominates the southern horizon from Seattle and every surrounding community. The summit and its upper flanks are perpetually covered with 35 square miles of ice and snow including 23 active glaciers.
You can drive from Seattle to Mount Rainier in three hours or less. The shortest route is via route 169 from Renton to Enumclaw. From there, it is a 40-mile drive through beautiful mountain scenery to the Sunrise Visitor Center high on the eastern slopes of the mountain. As an alternative, you can follow route 7 south from Tacoma then head east on route 706 to the village of Ashford which is 6 miles from the Nisqually entrance to the park, about 8 miles from the Longmire Visitor Center and approximately 25 miles from Paradise and the Jackson Visitor Center high on the southern slopes of the mountain. You can also continue further south on route 7 and turn east on route 131 to the village of Packwood, which is 15 miles from the Stevens Canyon entrance to the park and 35 miles from the Paradise Visitor Center.
Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,625 acres (95,354 hectares) of forests, meadows and mountains. 97% of the park is designated as wilderness. All of Mount Rainier and many of the neighboring peaks and foothills are included within the park
Mount Rainier
The three main Visitor Centers are Longmire near the Nisqually Entrance at the southwestern foot of the mountain, the Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise, 5,400 feet up the southern slope, and Sunrise, at the 6,000-foot level on the eastern slope. All three facilities offer parking, information, restrooms, restaurants, picnic areas and walking trails. Only the Jackson Visitor Center and Longmire have lodging. Only Longmire has a convenience store. There are hiking trails, walking trails and scenic viewpoints at numerous locations along the mountain roads. Paradise and Sunrise offer the greatest variety of trails and the easiest approaches to the upper slopes of the mountain.
A scenic drive to Mount Rainier National Park is an excellent one-day excursion from Seattle. It is also a great destination for several-days of sightseeing, camping, backpacking, hiking or climbing. The best time to visit is June through October. Many higher elevation roads and trails are closed during the winter months due to heavy snow accumulation, but the road from the Nisqually entrance to Longmire and Paradise is normally kept open for activities such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and winter camping. These cold-weather sports begin as soon as the snow accumulation is sufficient to protect the environment.
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