Challenging but rewarding strenuous loop; stay left at the initial fork for an easier go

We arrived at the Nisqually entrance around 8 a.m. and waited 20 minutes in a line of cars to enter the park. Once we got to the front, we breezed through with the timed-entry reservation, annual pass, and ID. Many of the smaller trailheads off the road didn't have any cars, so I knew everyone was going to be at Paradise.

The parking lot at Paradise was full, as predicted, so we ended up parking at the picnic area just down the road. There were quite a few people at the visitor center and near Myrtle Falls, but once we got onto the Skyline Trail (hiked counter-clockwise), the crowds were more spaced out. There was a young woman just past Myrtle Falls who walked into a meadow, and I politely asked her to return to the trail She was right by a sign saying not to enter the meadow. Just looking for a rock to sit on, she said. Sigh.

I read that the Paradise Glacier Trail does not get a lot of traffic, so we headed that way for some solitude. Indeed, we only saw one other couple — and a marmot — on that whole section of trail. We stopped for lunch where the maintained trail ends. The glacier has receded, but the rocky basin makes it feel like you're on the moon. Absolutely beautiful to be right under Rainier and have views of Mt. Adams, St. Helens, and the Tatoosh Range.

We headed back up the Skyline Trail and down Golden Gate to the visitor center. I logged about 6.5 miles roundtrip.

The wildflowers are past their peak but still beautiful and the fall colors are starting to slowly emerge. We noticed several large patches of huckleberries on the Skyline Trail.

Shoutout to the NPS staff and volunteers who answer questions, keep people on the trail, and keep the bathrooms clean and stocked! You are awesome!

It was a warm buggy, people-y, marmot-y day on the mountain. I got to the Jackson Visitor Center at 6 a.m. and wasted no time heading up to the Golden Gate trail. Like everyone is saying, most of the flowers are past prime, but you can still find some dazzling colors. I went super slow at the beginning to soak in the pink mountain. I crossed paths with a little boy who kindly told me once I go up and then go up some more I'll see marmots and then the whole sky is pink. There were so many marmots. The little ones looked to be chasing each other while the grown ups ate and ate. Very much like all the family bbq's going on this weekend. Once I hit the skyline trail, I took a right to the lower part of the loop. The hike got much busier then, but I just pulled over for everyone so I could luxuriate in the sights. I took the Paradise Glacier trail because last week my friend and I couldn't see more than five feet ahead of us. I had no idea it was so amazing! We could hear the running water and I could imagine we were passing beautiful scenery, but WOW! I love this little 1.5 mile trail. There's some climb to it, it's 100% exposed, and there are sections with loose rock, and it's now going to be a permanent fixture to my Paradise hikes (when it's accessible/safe). Back on the Skyline trail, there were so many people I had to shift my mindset to now enjoying being around people who are all there to see such a wondrous place. It's always neat to hear all the different languages spoken and different accents, hear the kids, and see couples finally stop holding hands because it's too damn hard and hot to be darling. I thanked one couple for pulling over for me, telling them they were the first to do so that day. They said I was the first to thank them. Then we chatted for a few minutes, which had me busting out in laughter. So thank you for the laughs. It was good stuff. All trails put me at 5.5 miles and almost 1,400 ft elevation gain. Note: with the current hot spell, pack more water than you normally would, plan for 75 degrees to feel like 89 degrees.

Wanted to close out our summer hiking season in MRNP. Hadn’t been at the park since a Mt. Rainier summit in 2018 and discovered the time entry system. The only available slot was in the late afternoon so we opted for the early route of getting to the park before 7am. Left Seattle at 4:00 to be on the safe side of things and made up much more time than anticipated. The planned stop at Ashford went awry as the times for the grocery store were misstated on Google maps. Rise and Grind Espresso came to our rescue and was open at 5:30 am. Had great espresso, lotus, and bars that started our day off right. We sailed through the park gates at 5:45 am. The rangers weren’t even at the gates yet.

Early morning start had the bonus of watching the sunrise at Paradise and a beautiful alpine morning driving through the park. Saw some elk crossing the road as we wound through the park. 

Arrived at the parking lot at 6:15 am and it already had cars trickling in. Set out counterclockwise up the loop. Gorgeous clear day with lots of marmots and over-friendly chipmunks (do not feed the wild animals !!).

We decided to add in Paradise Glacier for fun and enjoyed the short out-and-back. This section starts with meadows and turns into rock and gravel. The terrain is very different from alpine meadows and the trail is a lot quieter than the main loop. Saw a herd of mountain goats out in the distance on this section. The glacier has sadly retreated but is still a fun add-on if you are looking to spice up the trail. We passed the end of maintained trail sign and went up to the first snowfield before turning back.

On the down end of the loop we came across a sign signaling 1.5 miles back to Paradise via Skyline or a 4 mile loop back to Paradise via High Lakes Trail. Group still had plenty of gas left in the tank so decided to take the long way home and hopped down to Reflection Lakes. This was at around 11am and the Skyline Trail was quickly filling up with people. In contrast, the High Lakes Trail was near empty. It was a complete terrain change and really added to our day. Lots of huckleberries! Walked through meadows of them. At one point the group ahead called out a bear in the trees but we didn’t see anything.

Reflection Lakes are pretty, but also on the side of the road (out of the forest onto the sidewalk is a fun change). High Lakes Trail is a beautiful loop but the last half mile up to Paradise is steep and might catch people off guard (going clockwise). We packed lots of water and snacks and had a beautiful day. 

When we got back to the parking lot it was a zoo of cars trying to find parking. The drive out through the ranger station had dozens of cars backed up on the road waiting to get in. Definitely plan ahead.

In true alpine fashion, the morning was biting cold and the afternoon very hot. Sunglasses, sunscreen, hat, layers, plenty of water, and food are essential.

Hike Start: 6:20

Hike End: 1:10

Miles: 11.04

Elev: 2,870

Two of us hiked up the 4th Crossing Trail along a pretty creek to the Skyline Trail, then up to the Paradise Glacier Trail. A wide selection of wildflowers added color and beauty to the hike. As we turned on to the glacier trail, we entered the low-lying cloud and "Marmot Valley." We saw 4 marmots and heard them whistling loudly. Continuing up the trail through the moraine, we reached the end of maintained trail sign. We had decided to turn back when another hiker showed us a picture he'd taken in the ice cave under one of the snowfields another 1/4 mile or so further. That gave us motivation to keep going. It wasn't hard to follow the trail, which crossed a snowfield, then continued over the black moraine, crossing several creeks lined with bright green moss. We were able to climb down to the creek coming out from under one of the snowfields and saw the colorful cave under the snow. We enjoyed taking pictures there and in another smaller "cave" under another snowfield. As we headed back, the clouds began to lift. I spotted three mountain goats on the ridge above us before we reached the tarn. By the time we returned to the Skyline Trail, we had a clear view of the Tatoosh Range. We never did see Mt. Rainier this trip. While admiring the view, a hiker told us that there was a bear eating huckleberries in the valley below, and after watching for a while, we saw it! I was sad that I had forgotten my good Canon camera at home, but at least I could tell it was a bear from my cellphone picture.