Mount Rainier in two days

A day trip shows you Rainier. Two days let you actually walk it: the full Skyline Trail, sunset at Reflection Lakes and a quiet morning at Longmire before the day crowds arrive. Here is a plan built around the Paradise side, where the 2026 roads and facilities are open.

Where to stay

• Ashford: the gateway village 6 miles (10 km) from the Nisqually Entrance, with cabins, lodges and a few cafes. Easiest base for Paradise.
• Inside the park: the National Park Inn at Longmire, or the historic Paradise Inn (mid-May to early October). Book months ahead.
• Packwood: south-east of the park on US 12, handy for Stevens Canyon Road and the east side.
• Enumclaw: the north-east gateway for Sunrise and SR 410, less useful while the Sunrise Road is closed.

Day 1: Seattle to Paradise

Leave Seattle by 6 AM and enter at Nisqually. Stop at Longmire and Christine Falls, then go straight up to Paradise. Walk the Skyline Trail loop, 5.5 miles (8.8 km) and around 1,700 ft (520 m) of climb, to Panorama Point and back past Myrtle Falls: allow 4 to 5 hours. Finish at Reflection Lakes in the evening light and sleep in Ashford or at the park inns.

Day 2: forests, waterfalls and home

Start early at Narada Falls before the crowds, then drive Stevens Canyon Road for Box Canyon’s narrow gorge. Back at Longmire, walk the Trail of the Shadows or the longer path to Carter Falls. After lunch in Ashford, head back to Seattle by late afternoon. Note that the Grove of the Patriarchs trail and the Ohanapecosh visitor center are closed in 2026.

No car?

Take a guided day tour on the clearest day of your trip, and use the second day for Olympic or Mount St. Helens. The Olympic comparison helps you choose.