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Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley
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A scenic area attracting more visitors than any other area of the park.
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  • Grover R
    Pensacola, Florida22,266 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Home to Beautiful Mountain Meadows
    For many, the Paradise area of Mount Rainier is the best place to see and access the mountain. However, it is also the best place to experience and see the beautiful mountain valleys that showcase the incredible wildflowers of the Cascades. From its inception as a National Park, Mount Rainier has been as much a preservation of mountain ecosystems as the mountain itself, preserving old growth forest and meadows as well as glaciers and vistas. While there are beautiful meadows along the Skyline Loop, there is also a specific meadow surrounded by a one way road around it. Here you can see the meadows from your car or hike along and enjoy in person. We were here in September with some flowers remaining but not what you might see earlier in the year. Still what was left in the fall was impressive. Take the time to enjoy the valley.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 28 December 2023
  • TennisStar602
    New Jersey712 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This section of the park was certainly my favorite place.
    Who wants to see snow-covered mountains in July? Who wants to walk on snow-covered trails in July? This is a place where such goals can be achieved. It was difficult to get parking, but I persevered, and I found a spot. There was a large parking area. These views were amazing. The hotel had a gift shop, and I saw bathrooms and restaurants. it was difficult to hike, because the trails were slippery due to the cover of snow. It is essential to wear shoes with good traction. The weather was much cooler at this summit.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 3 July 2024
  • Helmut
    Kirkland, Washington5,609 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great hike, but Rainier was shrouded in clouds
    First and foremost: book early for the timed slot and grab a morning slot. When we left in the afternoon, the line to enter the park was ridiculously long. It will also allow you to grab a parking spot closer to the head of the trail. The visitor center has a lot of information, as well as food. I would suggest bringing you own, especially if you have dietary restrictions (all I saw was hot dogs and friends). After a few hundred meters on pavement, the actual hike starts. Initially steep, but then walking along the ridge is pleasurable and the way back relaxing. Ensure you wear solid boots, because some areas are rocky and sneakers might result in a bad ankle. Do not wear heels, crocs, or sandals. One thinks one would not have to highlight that, but I saw some rather adventurous people with the utterly wrong hiking gear. The views are stunning and the whole loop is about 5 miles. In the approximately 2.5h we saw marmots, chipmunks, deer, and even a black bear at the distance. Overall an amazing day and highly recommended.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 26 August 2024
  • Rosi
    Seattle, Washington1,226 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Never ceases to amaze
    With the new reservation system, it's gotten much trickier to visit, but hey, it is so worth it (if you are nimble/lucky enough to score a reserved timed entry). The good news is that this system is only seasonal, from May to September. Reservations are made through the recreation org website. But keep in mind, you also need an entry pass to get into the park. This year at least, that one can be purchased at one of the entrances. Having been a few times over the years, I would say, July and early August are the safest bet for a visit, with the alpine meadows at their peak and the weather more manageable.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 1 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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Rosi
Seattle, WA1,226 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Friends
With the new reservation system, it's gotten much trickier to visit, but hey, it is so worth it (if you are nimble/lucky enough to score a reserved timed entry). The good news is that this system is only seasonal, from May to September. Reservations are made through the recreation org website. But keep in mind, you also need an entry pass to get into the park. This year at least, that one can be purchased at one of the entrances.
Having been a few times over the years, I would say, July and early August are the safest bet for a visit, with the alpine meadows at their peak and the weather more manageable.
Written 1 September 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Meg
Wenatchee, WA9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Stunning flowers in peak season, with the stunning Mt. Rainer, looming above. The parking lot fills up fast, so make sure to go early or late in the day. Look out for Mountain goats, marmots, and birds on and around the trail. One can also see surrounding mountains and valleys from the many viewpoints.
Written 7 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kannan S
Bengaluru, India21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
This is one beautiful area to have a picnic. Most picnic benches have a view of the mountain. In summer the place is crowded and finding parking is a task. There are a lot of squirrels and grey jays in the area. The jay would eat out of your hand. Dont feed them. leave them to be wild.
Written 11 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Helmut
Kirkland, WA5,609 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Friends
First and foremost: book early for the timed slot and grab a morning slot. When we left in the afternoon, the line to enter the park was ridiculously long. It will also allow you to grab a parking spot closer to the head of the trail.

The visitor center has a lot of information, as well as food. I would suggest bringing you own, especially if you have dietary restrictions (all I saw was hot dogs and friends).

After a few hundred meters on pavement, the actual hike starts. Initially steep, but then walking along the ridge is pleasurable and the way back relaxing. Ensure you wear solid boots, because some areas are rocky and sneakers might result in a bad ankle. Do not wear heels, crocs, or sandals. One thinks one would not have to highlight that, but I saw some rather adventurous people with the utterly wrong hiking gear.

The views are stunning and the whole loop is about 5 miles. In the approximately 2.5h we saw marmots, chipmunks, deer, and even a black bear at the distance.

Overall an amazing day and highly recommended.
Written 26 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Grover R
Pensacola, FL22,266 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
For many, the Paradise area of Mount Rainier is the best place to see and access the mountain. However, it is also the best place to experience and see the beautiful mountain valleys that showcase the incredible wildflowers of the Cascades. From its inception as a National Park, Mount Rainier has been as much a preservation of mountain ecosystems as the mountain itself, preserving old growth forest and meadows as well as glaciers and vistas. While there are beautiful meadows along the Skyline Loop, there is also a specific meadow surrounded by a one way road around it. Here you can see the meadows from your car or hike along and enjoy in person. We were here in September with some flowers remaining but not what you might see earlier in the year. Still what was left in the fall was impressive. Take the time to enjoy the valley.
Written 28 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TennisStar602
New Jersey712 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Solo
Who wants to see snow-covered mountains in July? Who wants to walk on snow-covered trails in July? This is a place where such goals can be achieved. It was difficult to get parking, but I persevered, and I found a spot. There was a large parking area. These views were amazing. The hotel had a gift shop, and I saw bathrooms and restaurants. it was difficult to hike, because the trails were slippery due to the cover of snow. It is essential to wear shoes with good traction. The weather was much cooler at this summit.
Written 3 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AnnInBC
Vancouver, Canada512 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2012 • Couples
When visiting Mount Rainier National Park you don't want to miss the Paradise area of the park. Here you'll find several trails to enjoy the stunning views of Mount Rainier and an abundance of wildflowers if you are here in the right time of the year. We visited at the end of July and saw lots of colourful wildflowers.

Once you get to the Paradise area you may want to go in at the Jackson Visitor Centre to get a map of the trails. The Nisqually Vista Trail is an easy 1.2 mile loop trail, gaining only about 200 feet elevation and has a high point of 5,420 feet. Allow 45 minutes to complete and more if you want to stop for photos of the amazing views. The trail head is located west of the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise, you will see the signs. It is a family friendly trail and wheelchair/stroller accessible.

This hike travels through beautiful forest overlooking the Nisqually Glacier. This is a great hike for kids and adults alike. The trail takes you through beautiful forested areas and wonderful meadows to an overlook of the Nisqually Glacier. The Nisqually Vista Trail is a self-guiding trail, but the National Park Service offers a guided tour of this hike in summer and leads snowshoe walks throughout winter. Inquire at the Jackson Visitor Center for more information. It is downhill all the way to the lookout and then uphill back to the parking lot, but both gradients are gradual.
Written 17 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HazelEyesFromTN
Gatlinburg, TN396 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Solo
I wish to point out a few things should someone be looking at a map as I did while planning their trip and end up at the wrong place.

Paradise Loop is the actual drive. If you go to NPS.GOV website and look for Mount Rainier it is clear what is what. When traveling west, this loop exits off Stevens Canyon Road and loops around Paradise. This loop area consists of Nisqually Vista Trail, Skyline Trail, Golden Gate Trail, Myrtle Falls (half of it can be seen from the loop road), Paradise Inn, Henry Jackson Visitor Center and Paradise Park. On the map it looks like the park is encompassed by the Skyline and Golden Gate trails and Paradise Valley appears to be down the hill in back of Paradise Inn. But now I think the Golden Gate Trail divides the park and valley. One thing is for certain, posting of pictures are those seen along the Golden Gate Trail.

Parking is at the Henry Jackson Visitor Center located next to Paradise Inn. If you are staying at the inn, you can park in either lot (visitor or inn) with a parking pass because of staying overnight but no pass is needed to park at the visitor center. Parking is horrendous here so go early or be prepared to drive around a while. It took me 20 minutes to find parking in the afternoon for Paradise Inn where I was staying 2 nights. I ended up parking at the visitor center located next door to the inn as numerous other people did because there is not enough at the inn itself.

The trail to Paradise Park (valley) can be accessed at the end of the parking lot which is next to the entrance of Paradise Inn. This is also the starting point for the Golden Gate Trail and Skyline (if you are going counterclockwise).

The path starts out paved but eventually turns into a pretty nice dirt/gravel path at Myrtle Falls. Waterfall from the glacier goes under the bridge to form the first half of Myrtle Falls but the second half of Myrtle Falls can be seen on Paradise Loop road directly in back of Paradise Inn. They are equally nice views. I want to say there was wheelchair access somewhere down toward the visitor center. If so, you would not be able to go past the bridge at Myrtle Falls nor would they be able see Myrtle Falls as it is another short but STEEP path going down to the falls overlook, and then a small leap is required to finally get to the bottom for picture taking. But, the valley of wildflowers and waterfalls (plural) coming of the mountain can be breathtaking from the bridge.

This is where the Golden Gate Trail starts and goes up 1 mile with a few switchbacks toward the end of the trail. The Skyline splits to the right past Myrtle Falls. Both Golden and Skyline join at the top and from there it is now the Skyline Trail with 3 more miles to go around the top and end up at the visitor center.

If you take the split to Skyline, then you miss the full glory of the valley/park and the staff will tell you the wildflowers are abundant on the Golden Gate in August. However, you do see another waterfall (Sluiskin Falls) on the Skyline that is not seen on the Golden Gate. I keep mentioning the Golden Gate because this is the trail to access the entire valley.

The valley/park is littered with wildflowers in August. I went the first week and Bear Grass, Glacier Lilies along with red and blue hues were everywhere. Several waterfalls come off the mountain and spill into the valley. If you go to the top of the Golden Gate Trail, you can get a great view of the mountain range on a clear day but it is better at panorama point.

Some people might wonder if it is easier starting in this direction – it isn’t. If you intend on doing a portion of Skyline and Golden Gate, I think going clockwise is the best route. Clockwise starts at the granite steps next to the visitor center.

Even if you go a little ways, it is worth the effort.
Written 5 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ImmerWandern
Palos Park, IL12,246 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019 • Couples
This is the jumping off (figuratively-speaking) spot for first-time visitors to Mount Rainier National Park and as well as the tour group day-trippers from nearby Seattle. In other words this place can get packed, especially during the high-season of summer wildflower blooming (July-August). Overheard while waiting in line to dine at the Paradise Inn restaurant: in July the traffic from the Nisqually entry to Paradise was bumper-to-bumper. We were here on the off-season and the road was an easy drive but the main parking lot by the inn and visitors’ center was full before noon and we had to drive back down a bit to the lower parking lot. Not a major inconvenience by any means but it is easy to imagine how crazy it must get in the summer. So here are some suggestions after which I will describe our time at Paradise in more detail.

1. Consider visiting in the off-season, even in the depth of winter; the road to Paradise is ploughed clear throughout winter.
2. Stay in the park or nearby (we were based in Ashford just outside the Nisqually entrance) for early and easy access to the trails
3. If driving in from further away plan to get in early, ideally by 8AM during the high season. Alternatively come in late, go somewhere else in the park (Longmire, Grove of the Patriarchs), and come back to Paradise mid- or late-afternoon. Given the long days of summer this should still give enough time to enjoy the valley
4. If you don’t have a National Park pass have $30 in cash ready or pre-purchase a single-vehicle park pass online from Your Pass .com and PRINT IT. Only a paper ticket is accepted; an e-ticket on the phone cannot be scanned and you will have to fork over another $30 to get in. Either of these will get you through the entrance station quicker than paying with a credit card.
5. Be prepared to park elsewhere in the area. Do some research online about alternatives to the Paradise parking lot. The Narada falls just east of Paradise and Reflection Lakes 3 miles west have decent-sized parking lots.
7. Check in with the rangers at the new visitors’ center. They will recommend hikes based on trail conditions, your preference and abilities
6. Be prepared to hike steep slopes. Even though all the trails starting from the Paradise parking lots are paved for a good distance up the side of the mountain there are nevertheless portions where the gradient may be challenging for some.
7. Be prepared for the higher altitude which may or may not be a problem depending on your experience, degree of fitness/conditioning, and medical health. Paradise Inn is at 5240 feet altitude and you will likely be hiking up from there. This about the altitude of Denver so still well-below the off-cited elevation of 8,000 feet at which one might experience altitude sickness.
8. Be prepared to be one of many visitors; there was rarely a sense of solitude on the lower portions of the trail. To think this was during the “shoulder” season. Crowds thinned out the further up one climbed, however
9. Be prepared for Mount Rainier to not show itself. But the weather is fickle and unpredictable. The mountain was completely invisible from Seattle the morning we set out but once we were past the McChord AFB heading south on Rte 7 the mountain was visible again. The clouds descended over it through the afternoon and by evening the mountain was no longer visible even from Paradise Inn. It rained all day on the second day of our visit.
10. Keep an eye (an ear) out for wildlife. Do not feed them. Do not get off the trail to get up close to take pics with your cellphone.

Enough of the pointers. On to our time at Paradise.

This was our first visit to this national park and we had seen the many gorgeous pictures of Paradise valley and its meadows of colorful lupines, Indian paintbrush, fireweed, asters, bear grass, bluebells, lilies among many others. And all against the backdrop of Mt. Rainier in all its glory. We knew not to expect the flowers and we were rightfully worried that the mountain might not even show itself. As it was we were fortunate to have the better part of a day with relatively clear weather, decent views of the lower 3/4s of the mountain and a surprising number of wildlife sightings. Fall season had started, the huckleberry shrubs had started turning red and were laden with berries. The mountain ash leaves had also started turning red and the plants were laden with bright red berries.

It was due to the abundance of berries that we saw all the wildlife. Of course lots of chipmunks were scurrying across the trails and even the parking lot, but I spotted them on the huckleberries munching on the berries. Up on the Alta Vista trail they approached hikers, obviously (and unfortunately) habituated to humans and accustomed to hand-outs. It turned out these were not chipmunks but a relative, the golden-mantled ground squirrel. The latter is large but the easiest way to distinguish them is by facial stripes; chipmunks have black and white facial stripes. Both have stripes on the back but the chipmunks’ stripes extend the entire back through to the tail. The golden-mantled ground squirrel has stripes only mid-back.

Well-camouflaged but given away by the shaking of the bushes, a pair of female sooty grouse were also busy feeding on huckleberry. They were nor more than 10-15 feet from the trail. One briefly looked up from the and stared at me, head cocked to one side, before resuming feeding.

We had heard intermittent whistling higher up on the mountainside and wondered who was making the sound. We soon discovered that the hoary marmots were particularly busy that day, also feeding and calling out to each other. There were no raptors that we could see soaring overhead so maybe they were warning fellow marmots of crazy mobile-phone toting tourists getting into their faces to take pictures. We saw one couple get off the trail to cross the meadow to a rock where a marmot was calling out. It had to flee. One marmot had decided to munch on lupines right along the trail which made it a natural target for hikers to get really close for pictures. I always lug a big zoom lens for trips like this so I was able to take close-up shots from across the trail. These close cousins of the ground squirrels do truly like to perch on rocks primarily as vantage points to keep an eye out for danger. Marmots live in burrows and one was standing guard at the entry right on the edge of a trail and was again the focus of attention of passing hikers.

The highlight of our wildlife encounter came courtesy of fellow hikers descending Skyline to Alta Vista advising us to look downhill to our left as we climbed and keep an eye out for a black bear. We were able to spot it far below us at the bottom of the slope. It was busy feeding, head down in the shrubs presumably eating all the berries it could find.

There were some flowers still in bloom in the meadows such as Cascade asters, Pearly everlasting, individual flowers of magenta paintbrush, and the fuzzy/hairy seed pods of the pasqueflower. Along the road I spotted clumps of Canadian goldenrod, scarlet paintbrush and even fireweed. In the woods of Nisqually trail there were still some delicate white foamflowers in bloom.

Incidentally those same woods were full of different kinds of mushrooms including boletus, classic toadstool (Amanita muscaria or fly agaric), death cap (A. phalloides).

The multi-hued wildflower meadows may have passed but there was still intense color to be had, in the red-orange spectrum, courtesy of the huckleberry and Sitka mountain ash. It was quite intense in areas, a stark contrast to the lush green foliage elsewhere.

Of course, towering over it all is Mount Rainier with its numerous glaciers. The most visible is Nisqually best viewed - of course - from Nisqually trail which happened to start from the lower parking lot. You can see the river pouring out from the ice cave at the terminus of the glacier. The lower part of the glacier is is completely covered by debris. To the left is the Wilson Glacier; the upper part flows into the Nisqually and the glacier ends at a cliff where it gives rise to a waterfall. To the right is a flat expanse of white, the Muir Snowfield. This is a permanent accumulation of snow and ice but, unlike a glacier, a snowfield is static. It does not have the mass to create the internal pressure to cause plastic flow at the rock surface. Numerous waterfalls poured down a cliff below the snowfield. Above it, when the clouds cleared, one could see the mass of Gibraltar Rock towards the peak, then the spine of Cathedral Rock just below and to the right of Gibraltar. A little further off to the right was the sharp triagle of Anvil Rock.

Lastly, do not forget to look across the valley at the jagged (“toothy”) peaks of the Tatoosh range. The pyramidal peak dominating the view from the parking lot is Pinnacle Peak, to the left is the flat peak of Castle mountain. To the right of Pinnacle is Plummer. If it weren’t for Mount Rainier the Tatoosh would be the star of Paradise valley and they still make a worthy backdrop for pictures of flower-filled meadows.
Written 19 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

thorntree
Royal Palm Beach, FL1,964 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2011
This is by far the most popular area of Mount Rainier and surprisingly has no reviews. Paradise is located at the 5420' level of Mount Rainier and is one of the snowiest places on Earth. Every year they get an average of 700 inches of Snow. This past winter they had much more and when we visied last month there was still 12 feet (not 11) of snow on the ground. This was our third visit to Paradise and the second on a sunny day which is a prerequsite for a beautiful view of Mt Rainier. Anyone visiting Mt Rainier on a sunny day may look around and above and actually believe they are in Paradise.
Written 9 August 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PARADISE VALLEY (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos) - Tripadvisor

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