 MERYL SCHENKER / SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
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Aug. 3, 2004 Favorite Mount Rainier hikes
One of the best ways to savor Mount Rainier is from the trails. You can see the mountain from many different angles and discover its moods and disguises. The peak is like an old-fashioned kaleidoscope. The more you see of it, the more its variety will impress you.Gobblers Knob
The horizon from the lookout cabin is all Mount Rainier on one side, but on others: St. Helens, Adams, Hood and the Olympic Mountains. This is a strenuous hike (3,000-foot elevation gain) with a substantial reward. Tolmie Peak Eunice Lake, at an elevation of 5355-feet, is one of the prettiest lakes in the park. Rising above is Tolmie Peak, where you can take this moderate hike to a lookout cabin. Follow the trail and see Mount Rainier across the foreground of wind rippling, sun-sparkling water. Mount Fremont Lookout Take this moderate hike to a fire lookout, with the white glaciers of Mount Rainier on one side and the greenery of national park and national forest trees on the other. Van Trump Park One of the most beautiful waterfalls in the park with flower-strewn meadows, a view of the Kautz Glacier and a better-than-average chance to see mountain goats, make this moderate trail among Rainier's most popular hikes. Silver Falls Tall virgin forest, a moss-carpeted floor, and a busy waterfall in the Ohanapecosh River await you on this easy loop hike. Follow the trail upstream to a scenic overlook at the top of the falls. |
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