Mount Rainier National Park northeast area trails · Northeast Area Trails in Mount Rainier National Park
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Northeast Area Trails in Mount Rainier National Park
Northeast Area Trails in Mount Rainier National Park
Burroughs Mountain Trail (7 miles). Starting from the Sunrise parking area, this trail ascends 900 feet past Shadow Lake and up to an overlook of the White River and Emmons Glacier before reaching a plateau at near Burroughs Mountain.
Crystal Lakes Trail (6 miles). The trail to the Crystal Lakes starts along SR 410, four miles north of Cayuse Pass. The trail ascends 2300 feet through a forest, with excellent views of Mount Rainier before nearing Crystal mountain. Lower Crystal Lake is the smaller of the two lakes, with Upper Crystal Lake lying in a basin 0.5 miles further along the trail.
Glacier Basin Trail (7 miles). From the White River Campground this trail climbs 1280 feet along an old mining road. Glacier Basin is a good place to look for mountain goats on the slopes.
Mt. Fremont Lookout Trail (5.5 miles). This trail starts at Sunrise, passes Frozen Lake, and extends through meadows and rocky crags for a total elevation gain of 1200 feet.
Naches Peak Loop Trail (3.5 miles). An easy loop that gains 500 feet and is one of the most popular hikes in the park. The trailhead is at Tipsoo Lake, 0.5 miles west of Chinook Pass on SR 410. The trail offers amazing views of the mountain and passes through beautiful subalpine meadows.
Owyhigh Lakes Trail (7 miles). The trailhead for this trail lies two miles from the White River entrance. The trail climbs 1350 feet through forests and meadows before reaching a series of secluded lakes. Be aware that this is one of the park's few trails that does not offer any views of Mount Rainier.
Pacific Crest Trail (10.5 miles). The Pacific Crest Trail stretches from Mexico to Canada, but the portion within the park lies along the eastern boundary and offers beautiful views as the trail rises and falls over 1000 feet of elevation change. The trail can be accessed at Chinook Pass where it crosses SR 410 or from the Tipsoo Lake Loop Trail.
Palisades Lakes Trail (7 miles). From the trailhead at Sunrise this trail ascends 1200 feet past several lakes and meadows. Although the trail has no views of the mountain, hikers often see elk, marmots and pikas along the way. The spur trail to Hidden Lake is worth taking for the beautiful scenery around the secluded lake.
Shadow Lake Trail (3 miles). One of the many easy trails in the Sunrise area, this trail descends to Shadow lake and intersects with numerous other trails, making for interesting day-hike possibilities.
Sourdough Ridge Trail (1 mile). An easy trail with guided markers along the way, this short trail in the Sunrise area is a good option for families.
Summerland Trail (8.5 miles). From the trailhead three miles from the White River entrance this trail ascends 1500 feet. Starting in forest, it rises to the open but brushy upper valley of Fryingpan Creek where hikers find good views of Mount Rainier. Shortly after crossing the creek at a small cascade, the trail climbs steeply for another 0.5 mile before reaching the open subalpine meadows of Summerland. This is one of Mount Rainier's most crowded trails, hosting several hundred hikers per day on a nice summer weekend, so be aware that parking can be a problem. Mountain goats and elk are frequently sighted along this trail.
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Mount Rainier National Park Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.