We started the weekend off right on this trail to Reflection Lakes with the Mountaineers from Tacoma.

PASS use your interagency pass, senior pass or paid pass to enter Mt Rainier National Parks Nisqually entrance.

GATE ENTRANCE the upper gate at Longmire to Paradise opened at 9 am. It is closed Tuesday-Thursday this winter season due to a staffing shortage. Chains must be carried in your vehicle.

PARKING The drive up from the Nisqually gate to Longmire was icy and slick in a few spots as we continued past Longmire. Narada Falls parking lot had 6 cars when we arrived at 10:00. Warm bathroom nearby. 

THE TRIP Just beyond the bathroom the trail begins to the left. After the dry week with little precipitation, the trail was easily walked with micro spikes. We did use snowshoes past the lake and around the backside of the lake.  

BIRDS The Canada jays must be nesting now at Reflection Lakes. Please be mindful to not intentional feed the little beggars if they reappear. Read up about feeding on Fish and Wildlife and the harm it causes to animals when you do. Just by putting your hand up above you will cause a panic in the group and they will swarm you.

Our trip was an out and back lollypop loop. I am always reluctant to go out in the avy terrain of Stevens Canyon Rd. but it was low and a crisp morning. We navigated using the prominent snowshoe and ski tracks in front of us.

HAZARDS Avalanche report from NWAC was low today however we still chose the preferred safer route as we checked out the trail for any signs of instability. Tree wells were quite big but obviously avoidable on the ridge trip back. 

4 miles- 700' elevation gain

Day Snowshoe Narada Falls to Reflection Lake 3/7/25

Mountaineers group of 7, sunny, 35 degrees, no wind, made for a perfect day.  The trails were clear, unobstructed, and well marked.   

LOGISTICS

Rendezvoused at Longmire National Park Inn while waiting for the park gate to open at 0900.  There were perhaps 20 cars in the queue.   Parked at Narada Falls by 0930 along with about 5 other cars, most went on to Paradise.  Narada Falls Parking area capacity is perhaps 50 cars.

When we returned to the cars at about 1500 there were about 15 cars, with half of them being momentary visitors vs. backcountry users.  We only encountered one couple at the lake in our 5 hours on the trail.

Warming room and Restrooms at NE end of the Narada parking area.  Lighted, running water, and benches to gear up. 

TRAIL

Recent sunny warm weather provided a firm snow base.  The first, perhaps, quarter mile, was "crunchy" surface, but then it was a lovely 2-3" of powder on top of a firm base, making for lovely, but not strenuous snowshoeing.  Poles serve as trail path blazes, as do previous snowshoe tracks.   Much of the route is on closed, surfaced, but unplowed NPS roads, so grades, tread, and route are easy.

ROUTE

The trail entrance is immediately past the restroom building.   You need to climb up some iffy snow steps to get onto the snow pack.  After that the trail is easy and safe.  

We went clockwise ENE on the Narada Falls Trail until we intersected the Stevens Canyon Road for a brief piece until a left turn on the Valley Road briefly until heading S on the Lower Lakes Trail down to Reflection Lake.  

A very nice lunch spot is at 46.76947, -121.73265, but guard your food as the birds have been (badly) trained to expect humans to feed them; they will alight on you.  They do no harm but will surprise you.

If you proceed further along the S side of the lake on Stevens Canyon Road, your views of Rainier will get even better in the afternoon light.

Because the Avalanche danger was low, as confirmed by checking with Northwest Avalanche Center, https://nwac.us/avalanche-forecast/#/west-slopes-south we returned to the Trailhead via Stevens Canyon Road to get some spectacular views of the mountain, including at Inspiration Point.

FUN FACT

Stevens Canyon Road is named for Hazard Stevens, who along with P.B. Van Trump were the first documented ascents of Mt. Rainier on August 17, 1870.  Hazard Stevens was the son of Washington Territorial governor, Isaac Stevens. The road was constructed in the 1930s by the National Park Service, as part of the New Deal's massive government investment in infrastructure to jump start the economy out of the Great Depression.   Today's National Park users are still benefiting from 100 year old government investments.

A bit late on reporting this snowshoe trip but we had a blast! I usually snowshoe this trip a couple times per season and it's always great. Our group arrived about 9:45am at the Narada Falls parking lot and most of the outer edge parking spots were filled. The comfort station was stocked with TP and the water was cold there! We started our trip about 10:30am after spending time gearing up.

The challenge with this route always seems to be the first few steps up beside the comfort station. There were some steps cut in but those were suitable for folks in spikes or boots, and were more challenging to manage with snowshoes, but everyone made it up without a problem. Most of us used our heel lifters on our snowshoes to get to the landing beside the comfort station.

This route is marked with poles through the forest so you can easily find your way. We took our time ascending up to Stevens Canyon Road then snowshoed out a little beyond the intersection with Paradise Valley Road. This is your first good view of Mt. Rainier and she was showing off her snowy self well today. We turned back to the intersection and snowshoed up Paradise Valley Road and followed the marked route up to Inspiration Saddle to avoid the avy danger along Stevens Canyon Road. This is a nice gradual climb with some areas that are more level to give yourself a break. It also has several nice views of Mt. Rainier to keep you company as you make your way to the saddle. On our way up we encountered some winter campers that had camped the night before on Mazama Ridge and were returning to Paradise. They looked well rested considering the cold weather. We descended from the saddle to the lake through some slippery areas and as we approached the lake it was just beautiful. We snowshoed along the southern end of the lake to find a nice sunny spot with a view of the mountain near the peninsula for our lunch. There were lots of folks out enjoying the sun and the mountain views. 

After our lunch break, we returned by the same route. We covered about 5.5 miles and 900 feet of gain in 4 hours including about half an hour lunch break in the sun. When we reached the trailhead with the partially cut steps, we found that it was easier to slide on your butt rather than try to walk down in snowshoes. The parking lot was packed full when we returned and people were circling for parking. This is a beautiful trip, but remember to come early to park if you plan to adventure farther than just the falls themselves.  

We started the early weekend off right on this trail to Reflection Lakes.

PASS use your interagency pass, senior pass or paid pass to enter Mt Rainier National Parks Nisqually entrance.

GATE ENTRANCE the upper gate at Longmire to Paradise opened at 9 am. It is closed Tuesday-Thursday this winter season due to a staffing shortage. Chains must be carried in your vehicle.

PARKING The drive up from the Nisqually gate to Longmire was icy and slick and continued past Longmire. It was well plowed with some light gravel for traction. Narada Falls parking lot had 6 cars when we arrived at 10:00. The lot was icy so be cautious without any traction. Warm bathroom nearby. 

THE TRIP Just beyond the bathroom the trail begins to the left. After the dry week with little precipitation, the trail was easily walked with micro spikes. We did use snowshoes past the lake and around the backside of the lake.  

BIRDS The grey jays are prolific here at Reflection Lakes. Please be mindful to not intentional feed the little beggars. Read up about feeding on Fish and Wildlife and the harm it causes to animals when you do. Just by putting your hand up above you will cause a panic in the group and they will swarm you.

Our trip was an out and back lollypop loop. I am always reluctant to go out in the avy terrain of Stevens Canyon Rd. We navigated using Gaia and a previous Garmin track I had made from a trip earlier this season.

HAZARDS Avalanche report from NWAC was low today however we still chose the preferred safer route as we checked out the trail for any signs of instability. Tree wells were quite big but obviously avoidable. Some of the trees can be loaded with snow on overhead branches so be alert for large heavy snow bombs as conditions warm. Also we noticed some folks walking on the edge of the lake and on the lake. We did make a safer loop around the lake well away from the water features again using Gaia.

4.88 miles- 900' elevation gain and a lot of solitude.

Making a change in plans from White Pass to Mt. Rainier was a great choice today as we hoped for a few views and soft snow to spend the day in.

PASS use your interagency pass, senior pass or paid pass to enter Mt Rainier National Parks Nisqually entrance.

GATE ENTRANCE the upper gate at Longmire to Paradise opened prior to 9 am. It is closed Tuesday-Thursday this winter season due to a staffing shortage. Chains must be carried in your vehicle.

PARKING The drive up from Longmire was icy and slick but well plowed with some light gravel for traction. Narada Falls parking lot was close to full when we arrived at 10:00. The lot was icy so be cautious without any traction. Warm bathroom nearby. 

THE TRIP Just beyond the bathroom the trail begins to the left. Sundays are great days this year for a snowshoe here. Usually a few trailblazers have done the work prior to your arrival by breaking the trail and providing insights by writing trip reports. As long as the weather is cooperative, it would be my first choice the next time I head out if I want to avoid breaking a lot of trail and you're simply out for an enjoyable snowshoe and picnic.  

BIRDS The grey jays are prolific here at Reflection Lakes. Please be mindful to not intentional feed the little beggars. Read up about feeding on Fish and Wildlife and the harm it causes to animals when you do. Just by putting your hand up above you will cause a panic in the group and they will swarm you.

Our trip ended up being a large figure eight as there were few to no hazards but please be aware of the potential avalanche area in the Stevens Canyon Rd area. We navigated using Gaia and a previous Garmin track I had made from a trip earlier this season.

HAZARDS Avalanche report from NWAC was low moderate today so we chose the preferred safer route as we checked out the trail for any signs of instability. Tree wells were quite big but obviously avoidable. Some of the trees also were quite loaded with snow on overhead branches so be alert for large heavy snow bombs as conditions warm. Also we noticed some folks walking on the edge of the lake and on the lake. We did make a safer loop around the lake well away from the water features again using Gaia.

5.8 miles- 900' elevation gain and a lot of solitude.