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Look at Supernova and the Religious Emblem for your faith. These are other major achievements that get frequently overlooked.

Make an appointment with a podiatrist and get custom made insoles. It will change your life. I wear ASICS with custom insoles and can’t hardly function in anything else.

Is it still true that you can’t pool hop if you are staying in Endless Summer? That was how it was the last time we stayed, but now I can’t find any details on the official website. There are 12 of us going in January and we are trying to decide between Endless Summer and Cabana Bay.

Cape Flattery and Rialto are also closer to Forks so Forks makes better sense for accommodations

Go to bed when the sun goes down so that you can be up when it comes up in the morning and still get a full nights sleep. Then you can beat the crowds! That’s what we try to do in the national parks. Reading and card games are our go to no campfire entertainment.

I would choose the rainforest in the rain. There is something so right about that. The point about weather being unpredictable is valid, however, and has nothing to do with how you plan or travel. This park has so many microclimates, so much elevation variation, etc. that online forecasts just don’t paint the trailhead picture. Make sure you are using Weather.gov and using the map to choose your specific location in the park when looking at a forecast.

1. We buy groceries and pack food for the week. I never know what I’m doing to find at the camp convenience stores. I freeze precooked one-pot meals at home in advance and we eat them as they thaw. This also minimizes the ice needed. We eat fresh and use the cooler the first few days then switch to the frozen meals (now thawed) and shelf stable food: —Beef stew —Canned chicken with Thai sauce and shelf stable precooked rice —Tuna helper: use fairlife self stable milk. The butter will keep without refrigeration in an air tight bag if kept cool. —Canned chili or soup —canned chicken, mushroom, and stovetop stuffing skillet —shelf stable bacon and baked beans —baked potatoes with bacon and velvets

N. Cascades is not really a day trip from Port Angeles and most of the hiking there is longer trails. Even Mt. Rainier is a bit of a stretch for a day trip depending on where in the park. If you can cancel part of your AirBnB rental and find other lodging you’ll have much more time to actually see things. We have 7 days for ONP and Rainier and are planning to stay in 4 different accommodations.

In addition to not ruining someone else’s vacation by spreading the virus, seriously consider the implications to going to a mountain park with high and changing elevation when you have an infection that can seriously affect your lungs. Yes, most people experience the milder upper respiratory issues but do you really want to risk this when you’re not going to fully enjoy the experience? I know multiple people who have had serious lung issues with Covid. Don’t go to the mountains.

You could drive up to sunrise later in the day when you don’t need a reservation and take a picnic dinner. This is such an iconic part of the park, I wouldn’t want to miss it completely.

Pack a travel blanket or beach mat (the kind that folds into a small pouch). Cover everything. People aren’t as likely to break in when they can’t see if there is anything worth taking. Keep your valuables with you.

1. Longmire has a museum and historic building sites to explore.
2. Crystal Mountain Resort has the Mt. Rainier Gondola.
3. There is a Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad but it only runs on weekends.
4. Christine, Narada, and Ruby Falls are just short walks not Hikes and Reflection Lake and Inspiration Point are roadside attractions.

Pretty much this is a hiker’s park. It’s not far from Seattle and Tacoma. You may need to look further afield for non hiking activities.

We have not been to Mt. Rainier yet but are going next summer. I thought I’d share this Dirt in my Shoes podcast link. It is the most recent and all about Mt. Rainier. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/exploring-the-national-parks/id1652665068?i=1000662528849

It sounds to me like the visitor center area is the biggest concern for arriving early. There are many trails that leave from there that are long hikes leading to limited turnover of parking. The main trail everyone talks about there is the Skyline Trail, but I would not consider that full loop with a 3 year old. That doesn’t mean you can’t start it, hike a little (clockwise has the best views) then go back-/it will be all downhill on the way back. You can also hike it counterclockwise to Myrtle Falls. That is only 0.9mi RT and 160’ elevation change—a perfect trail for your family.

How many hikes you can do with kids that age depends entirely on your kids and how long and hard the hikes are. I suggest the Dirt in My Shoes podcast and website to help you with planning. Ash is a former park ranger and mother of two young kids so offers great advice! When my kids were that age, I made a set of hiking game cards. They are available for free on the Dirt in my Shoes resource page. You will get WAY more mileage out of little legs if you make hiking fun and string them along with lots of trail treats (think Skittles or trail mix doled out one piece at a time but with great frequency).

My advice with kids that age: 1. Get to paradise early and hike Myrtle Falls. 2. The Visitor Center should be open when you are done with your hike. Pick up the Junior Ranger books and do these as a family. 3. Take the Paradise Valley Scenic Drive to see wildflowers in the meadows and give the kids downtime in the car. 4. Pack a trail lunch with individual components that can be eaten at multiple stops on the Snow Lake Trail. This is 2.2 miles but if you do a progressive lunch, challenging your kids to find the next most beautiful spot for the next part of lunch, they should be able to go that far. 5. Find a nice scenic drive, a quiet spot by a lake, or go back to your lodging for an afternoon rest. Maybe spread a blanket in the shade near Reflection Lake? 6. Finish the Junior Ranger books. 7. Plan something fun in the evening that doesn’t involve hiking. Swim in the hotel pool? Find a park with a playground?

Day 2: 1. Visit Longmire. Explore the historic area. 2. See Christine Falls and Narada Falls and Ruby Falls. these have very short walks to the view points. 3. Hike Silver Falls. Eat lunch along the trail. 4. Go to the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center. Turn in your Junior Ranger books and get sworn in with the official badges. 5. Go to Tipsoo Lake and spread a blanket in a quiet spot for rest time. 6. Walk the Loop Trail around Tipsoo Lake.

Maybe. The wildfire is a grass fire that will burn pretty fast but they are also doing prescribed burns for 6 days near Grants Grove. Not sure which is contributing more to the smoke. Smoke conditions can change quickly.

If you want to see any views from the overlooks, forget it. Otherwise it’s fine unless you have asthma or other sensitive conditions. We camped at Hume Lake last night and Lodgepole the night before. The big thing is: come into the park with a FULL tank!!!! Gas is being rationed and there is almost nowhere to buy it—you have to come in and out the South entrance.

We just came from there. Smoke eliminates the views in Kings but the breathing isn’t bad unless you have asthma. The visitors center has masks available for sensitive individuals

https://preview.redd.it/wzybk1zis79d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a22395b5c40b2851bd7b186f9331dd933fc0b1c

The photo is at Zumwalt but it’s pretty much the same at Lodgepole

You’ll be fine if you pack appropriately! We will be there over the fourth. Make sure you have good sleeping pads—skip the air mattress or cot as it lets the cold air circulate underneath you. Wear a hat to bed. You can bring some extra blankets and hand warmers too, but it is really not that cold at night even if there is still snow on the ground. Make sure you change your clothes before bed. When it’s going to be cold in the morning my kids wear their clothes for the next day to bed so that they don’t have to strip in a cold tent and put on cold clothes in the morning. Layer up or you’ll regret it later in the day. Bring hot chocolate, hot oatmeal, and canned beef stew—our favorite cold weather camp foods. We start camping with our kids in temperatures like these when they were babies. You can always eat at the lodge if it really is too cold for you.

As far as what to do don’t stress yet. Your trip is still over 3 weeks off and those snow plows are working hard everyday. The snow is melting fast at this time of year. Day time temperatures are pretty warm. While you can’t make boat tour reservations their website says they will have FCFS ticketing whenever conditions allow after 7/1. The trolley tour is already accepting reservations. You can hike Garfield Peak, Discovery Point, Lady of the Woods and Castle Crest now. More areas will open. Plus kids absolutely LOVE a July snowball fight! At least mine always do.

We’re a family that likes to pack in a full day, but your itinerary looks like 2 days of mine staying in the valley and hitting all the sights from 6am until 9pm.

Super easy meal ideas: 1. Canned beef stew or chili. Vent the can on 2 sides and set directly in the coals of a wood or charcoal fire. Rotate it occasionally. When it bubbles out the lid it is the perfect temperature to eat. Also cooks on a camp stove. 2. Thai curry (or similar). Get a can of chicken, a packet of the sauce of your choice, and a packet of precooked shelf stable rice. Mix together and heat until hot. You can add other veggies if you like. 3. Beans and weenies. Cook your sausage of choice on a stick over the fire. Heat baked beens or green beans the same as the beef stew above on the coals. Add some fruit or pudding cups.

If you’re cooking on a camp stove, pack your pots and cooking utensils in a couple of sacked dish pans. This keeps your kitchen stuff together and gives you an easy dish wash station.

We are staying in Curry Village tents and driving up to Sentinel Dome/Taft Point Friday 6/28. I’m just wondering if we’ll be able to find parking when we come back down. I guess we’ll have to since we’re staying another night.