Everywhere we venture is a jaw-dropping view of Mount Rainier. Exploring this candy land of greens and blues, feels like we’ve died and gone to heaven.

July 13–15, 2023

This trip holds special significance since it coincides with our participation in the Mount Rainier Half Marathon. Arriving into Seattle late at night, we rent a car and drive an hour and a half south to our rental house in the small town of Ashford on the outskirts of the park. It is always difficult to pull into a park at night when everything is cloaked in darkness. You can only imagine what beauty surrounds you wrapped in the black night. It heaps so much anticipation on the next day.

So needless to say, we are up as early as possible the next morning to witness sunrise on the infamous Mount Rainier. The drive from Ashford to Paradise, an excellent staging ground for park activities, is a good drive—roughly 30–40 minutes—so we leave before dawn. Parking at the quiet Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center we jump out ready for Rainier in all her glory.

The sun creeps up over the horizon and there she stands—the matriarch of Washington. Still snow-capped, her glaciers shine bright against the heavy greenery at her base, the sky a brilliant blue. Situated right at treeline, Skyline Trail offers stunning 360-degree views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The jagged peaks of the Tatoosh Range particularly catch our eye in the morning light. We step across the rustic bridge of Myrtle Falls as deer rummage in the foliage and marmots dart across the grass from rock to rock. Everywhere we venture is a jaw-dropping view of Mount Rainier. Exploring this candy land of greens and blues, feels like we’ve died and gone to heaven.

Heading back down the mountain to Ashford, we scope out Ricksecker Point, a must-see viewpoint for sunset. Back in Ashford, we prepare for a day on the road. Saving energy for our race the next morning, we decide a drive around the park is wiser than a taxing trek along the trails, especially with all day tomorrow to explore after the race. So in the afternoon, we return to the park and continue past Paradise to Reflection Lakes, Narada Falls, and several other roadside attractions. It seems the park is an endless wonderland of lush forest.

That night, we eat dinner in Ashford and prepare for our half-marathon less than 12 hours away. The morning comes early as the race begins at sunrise. Though it never enters the park, the course offers a palette of equally lush scenery through the surrounding forests and rivers of Ashford. With the race ending around 9 a.m., we have the rest of the day to further exhaust ourselves exploring the park. Ready for a day of hiking, we start at Comet Falls Trailhead. Crossing Christine Falls, we climb up a mile and a half into the Van Trump Park section of Mount Rainier and pop out at Comet Falls, one of the highest falls in the park at 380 feet. Walking right up to the base we cool off in the windblown mist before returning downtrail to the car.

Maximizing our time in the park we putter around Paradise in the afternoon and stop by Ricksecker Point for sunset, though clouds threaten the delicious sunset we’ve been anticipating. But sometimes a little patience goes a long way. As we linger at Ricksecker Point, the sun begins to set and as if on cue the clouds start to dissipate. In fact, they beautifully catch the sunset crowning Rainier in pinks and purples, making our efforts worthwhile.

The next day is our last as we must make our way upland to Olympic National Park. So we rise well before dawn for one last foray into the park, this time to the eastern side to catch morning alpenglow. After a nearly two hour drive along Stevens Canyon Road, we arrive at Tipsoo Lake near the Sunrise district. The sky grows light as we frame ourselves in view of Mount Rainier reflecting across the water. A couple other early-risers join the spectacle as the peak glows purple, red, orange and gold. It leaves us speechless, marveling at the scene before our eyes, just soaking it up not wanting a single moment to escape us.

The drive back to Ashford affords us a quick stop at Grove of the Patriarchs, an old-growth redwood sanctuary. However, due to flooding in 2021 the suspension bridge across Ohanapecosh River washed away forcing us to continue on Eastside Trail for a time. But this is no disappointment as the forest path is just as beautiful winding near the river and around large redwoods.

With a kick in our step, we return to Ashford grateful for our experiences in Mount Rainier National Park. A mountain often shrouded in cloud and fog provided some of the most photogenic mountain views we’ve ever seen. What a way to start our trip through Washington. Now, the only question in our mind is Can Olympic National Park live up to such a standard?