The rustic Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park, a national historic landmark built in 1916, will reopen Friday after a two-year, $22.5 million spruce-up.
By Greg Johnston | May 15, 2008
Historic Paradise Inn in Mount Rainier National Park reopens after two years of rehabilitation work.
By Nicole Tsong | May 15, 2008
Hike of the Week
The Wonderland Trail is about 92 miles long with an accumulated elevation gain of 22,786 feet. Many hikers do a stretch at a time, and this hiker had unfinished business with Summerland.
Earlier this year, snow stopped me and I had to call it quits at Fryingpan Creek, a mile short of Summerland. We returned in August, determined to get to Summerland via the Wonderland Trail. The route is justifiably one of the most beautiful hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, and a sunny day in August guaranteed success.
By Karen Sykes | September 7, 2006
Before you make any assumptions about cold and ice, about white-out storms and shivering sleepless nights, remember this key point about snow camping: no mosquitoes.
For those of us who attract them like happy hour beckons drunks, this alone is incentive enough to camp in the dead of winter. But the truth is that snow camping can be immense fun and in some ways even better than its more popular summer sibling.
By Phuong Cat Le | December 29, 2005
Hike of the Week
MYSTIC LAKE -- the name alone is enough to pique a hiker's interest with visions of emerald meadows, desolate moraines and shimmering mists. This enigmatic lake in Mount Rainier National Park is reached via the world-class Wonderland Trail and was given its name by two visiting professors because of a mysterious whirlpool they observed near the outlet of the lake.
By Karen Sykes | September 15, 2005
Hike of the Week
Cold, wet weather is no laughing matter, but such gloomy days are ideal for a long, meditative hike along Laughingwater Creek in Mount Rainier National Park. Even on a clear day there are no views of Mount Rainier, so you aren't missing out by hiking this forested trail. After all, this hike is all about trees, big trees.
By Karen Sykes | June 23, 2005
Whether it's thousands of shorebirds rising and twisting in perfect sync above the Grays Harbor mudflats or a lone Eurasian thrush lost in an Olympia subdivision, the same chorus of hushed human voices fills the air.
It's a universal reaction — a long, communal inward gasp of awe at the unexpected beauty of the natural world.
"I don't know what the deep magic is," said Bill Tweit, a leading regional birder. "It's something about flight, but it's also something about color. Just the magic of life and creation."
By Diane Brooks | April 28, 2005
A popular saying goes, "If you can hike, you can snowshoe." Some local parks or resorts offer groomed trails and guidance. Ranger Lee Taylor leads snowshoe walks during the winter up at Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park.
"It's a fun, easy, quick way to get out into the winter landscape," she said. "For most people on the tours, it's their first time snowshoeing."
By Cathy McDonald | November 18, 2004
Spray Park is just one pretty trinket in Mount Rainier National Park's jewel box. Get an early start, because the scenery is too splendid to hurry through.
By Karen Sykes | October 7, 2004
Hike of the Week
Winter weather isn't far off, but it's not too late to hike the Glacier Basin Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. If dropping snow levels foil your plans for a last-minute visit to Sunrise, the Glacier Basin Trail is a good alternative.
The 3.1-mile route begins from the White River Campground at a lower elevation than Sunrise, but the views are no less spectacular.
A day may not be long enough to experience everything this trail has to offer, so get an early start so you don't have to hurry.
By Karen Sykes | September 23, 2004
