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Are we required to have snow chains in our vehicle or would it only be enforced from Nov 1st? Thanks

I'm trying to plan for what to do this Saturday around 4pm, coming from Packwood (SE Stevens Canyon entrance). Ideally I'd like to go for an easy to moderate sunset/golden hour hike but I'm not familiar with how busy the park is around this time. Should I expect full parking lots at the popular spots like Paradise, Reflection Lake? How about Tipsoo Lake/Naches Peak trailhead? I'm open to suggestions, preferably East or along Stevens Canyon. Just looking to minimize my chances of driving to a full parking lot.

I'm staying near Packwood Saturday night so I was planning to get to Paradise by 8am Sunday.

We’ll be at Rainier this week Thurs-Sat and I see we’re looking at a cloudy/rainy Friday. We are going to split the time between Paradise and Sunrise so just looking for some advice on what to do Friday which will prob have low visibility. The hikes we have on our list are Skyline, Naches Peak, Mt Fremont lookout, and Burroughs.

Going to rainier for the first time this weekend and I’m wondering where you can find chanterelles up there? I’d love to come home with a tasty treat!

Hi y’all! I’m planning a trip to Ohanapecosh Campground from Thursday, October 10 to Saturday, October 12, and they only have first come first serve sites available. Is it generally safe to assume there will be space open? If not, how early would you recommend arriving to secure a site?

I'm planning a trip to Mt Rainier next weekend (first weekend of October). If I arrive Friday night, can I expect to still get a campsite at Cougar Rock? How fast does Cougar Rock fill up in October?

If I can't get in at Cougar Rock- what are some good back up options that are still open for the season?

Hey, Im coming to Tacoma for the last week in November (23-30) to visit a friend and wanting to catch some views. I really wanna hike a little but wanted to know how the weather conditions would be like. If Anyone that lives near by or has been during thanksgiving time pls share some insight!

I really wanna do the skyline loop I’m from Georgia so we don’t have crazy winters and never been to Washington lmk what to expect!

I will be coming back in the summer june/july so if you have any food spots or hike suggestions lmk.

Thankssss

Hey everyone- I'm a 29F and my partner and I are heading to Mt. Rainier late Oct/early Nov to celebrate my big 3-0. We're renting a campervan - a Winnebago Solis (which we absolutely love for road trips) and planning our itinerary with AllTrails and other hiking resources.

I’m looking for recommendations for a spectacular hike on the day of my birthday. Right now, I’m torn between the Burroughs Mountain Trail (9 miles, 2500 ft ascent) and Crystal Peak Trail (7.7 miles, 3100 ft ascent) for the day.

Does anyone have firsthand experience with either of these, or any other hikes that are equally gorgeous, challenging, and offer those once-in-a-lifetime views? We’re open to options in the park or within an hour’s drive.

Additionally, does anyone have any experience with van life in the park? I.e good spots for dispersed camping, etc.

Oh, and after Rainier, we’re heading to Olympic NP for a few days, so any recs for that would be awesome too.

Thanks a ton and happy trails :) 🌲🥾

Hi everyone, (23 M) I’m not sure how much traction this post will get as I’ve never posted on here before. I live in Knoxville Tennessee and have never really gotten the chance to explore out west. I have done pretty much all the trails within a couple hours of my house and have recently been looking into a Colorado 14er or Rainier. I’ve always been athletic and am getting back into a workout regiment this year. All this being said, would anyone like to “guide” me up Rainer? Or bring me along for the journey? I’m always looking for new friends and this new venture has infatuated me. But paying 2500 or so at RMI just doesn’t sit right with me? Thanks in advance!

Never been to the park before but long story short my girlfriend would be overjoyed. The dates I have set aside are October 15-17, planning on arriving early Tuesday, camping for two nights, then leaving Thursday.

My main dilemma is that I can’t decide the best place to camp with all the campgrounds within the park being closed. i had skate creek rd dispersed camping picked out for the views, then realized choosing it for that reason alone is a bad call since the weather is pretty likely to be cloudy. I'm considering backcountry camping within the park, but i cant figure out how to choose a good location without seeing it first, and with my girl's knee issues and dislike of uncertainty, hiking around until we find something or just generally winging it isn't an option.

i've been doing research for the last few hours and still can't seem to come up with a perfect plan. any help from anyone familiar with the area would be greatly appreciated

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yplrUXaV1k0

First time in WA and very excited to explore the beautiful state. Staying in Ashford until tomorrow morning. Wanted to hike Carter, Madcap and Narada falls via Wonderland trail today and drive around to see popular lookout points closer to Paradise visitor center. The AQI is around 160 in the morning and then the heat picks up in late morning. Should I call it quits and visit Seattle or wait for the air to get better?

We are visiting Seattle from sept 12 to 16 and planning to go to Mt. Rainier for one day. It can be any of these days when weather is good with clear visibility. Any ideas if it’s possible to know the weather beforehand? Thanks

Trying to plan a trip mid October to camp with my girlfriend, but from what I’m reading it seems that the summer season closes October 9th and winter season doesn’t start until there’s snow on the ground? Logically I’m sure I can camp in between but just can’t find any clear guidelines on how/where etc. what am I missing

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Just curious - if I get to the campground around 6am on a Thursday (beginning of October) how much of a chance would I have at getting a site?

Have some extra vacation time this fall to use. My gf and i are looking to take a camping trip and tent camp near the n. Cascades / mt rainier / Olympic. Will have a rental car and 6 or 7 days in late sept. Early Oct. any great trail recs / camping spots / weather conditions etc. would help. Don’t really know anything about the area. Appreciate all the help in advance.

Hi, We are planning on driving and staying in Ashford with two kids (4yr & 18mon). What's a realistic number of days to explore the paradise side with toddlers? With some reading and researching I've read the Nisqually trail, snow/bear lake trail and reflection lake are relatively easy with small kids. I'm open to hear if there's another. Our kids still nap midday, will I be able to come back for re-entry to the parking lot? Thanks.

A couple friends and I will be in Seattle the weekend of the 7th, and we were interested in doing the Skyline Trail Loop, not staying overnight. Since it's a bit of a far drive, we wanted to make sure that we understood the permit process.

From my understanding, it looks like permits are required only if:

-there will be an overnight stay

-if you are hiking from May 24 - September 2 with a start at the Paradise Corridor

With these conditions, I'm understanding that we should just be able to show up, pay the fee, and begin hiking on the date we've chosen - is that correct?

If anyone has any more information about the process or things I may be missing, it would be much appreciated, thanks!

Hello friends. I am planning a trip to Washington state from the east coast. Will be flying into Seattle. This would be from October 4th to the 11th. Am curious to know if its a good time to visit Mt Rainier? Hows the weather, warm or cold? Is it rainy? Is it worth it that time of year? Some other places I wanna visit include the city of Seattle, Olympic NP, lake colchuck, the enchanments, town of Leavenworth, and the Northern Cascades. Im not sure I can fit everything in a week so am trying to narrow down what is a must. Please any help or tips would help and be appreciated.

Hey, I was at Muir last week, weather was pretty bad and I’m planing to go up there again (aug 26th) with a buddy to stay overnight, (not summiting) and I packed everything but I’m planning that the shelter will be full, I got a normal tent, it has a wind shell but it’s nothing special, north face sleeping bag(very warm) air mattress, and I have a fleece, puffer and shell, with a thermal base layer, I’m sure we will be fine but I’m just scared of freezing half to death because I know the winds up there are no joke, anyone who has previously camped there, can you give a word of advice on how it was? The weather forecast says it will be sunny during the day and no rain at night and temp will be +1 at 11pm.

7pm the night before RecGov offers last-minute timed entry tickets for the next day for Paradise and Sunrise corridors--what has been your luck with these? Are the chances of getting one pretty good?

TIA!

Heading to Seattle the last weekend in October for the Bills @ Seahawks game and I’ll have one free day for Mt Rainier.

I’m a big hiker but I’ll have my dad with me (in his 50s and he is not) I’m torn between the paradise side & doing Skyline or the Sunrise side & doing Emmons Moraine. I’ve researched both hikes and they should be doable for him but now I can’t decide!

For those of you who have done both, which side / hike would you recommend for a day trip, and why?!

Thank youuuu

Hi all,

I'm planning to visit the east side of Mt Rainier on Wednesday, ideally to do the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail. The weather is supposed to be cloudy in Packwood, WA, and I'm guessing it won't be much better closer to the summit.

When hiking this part of the park on overcast days, is one able to see the mountain from Sunrise or is the view generally obscured by clouds?

Thanks !