[Lindt&Ash]

Hello! My partner and I will be visiting Seattle April 28-30. We want to take a day trip to Mt. Rainer either Saturday or Sunday. If anyone wants to plan to go out there we would like to share a ride and can pitch in for gas! If anyone has any recommendations for closer national parks to Seattle or any good hiking closer to the city with scenic views I would really appreciate that! Thanks in advance!

[Randito]

FWIW: The current snow depth at Paradise is 148 inches (12 feet, 4 inches , 3.75 meters) Peak snow depth at Paradise is typically at the end of April, so expect it to be slightly deeper on your travel dates. So you might want to bring snowshoes if you plan to travel beyond the confines of the parking lot. Visitor center webcam: https://www.nps.gov/media/webcam/view.htm?id=81B463F4-1DD8-B71B-0B9A136C52BCC56D

[kiliki]

Washington Trails Association has a lot of good resources for spring hiking, and for hiking near the city. You can also use the Hike Finder Map on their website. Expect to be hiking in the lowlands this time of year. https://www.wta.org/go-outside/seasonal-hikes/spring-destinations/local-hiking-loops-seattle Probably my favorite big view lowland hike in April would be Ebey's Landing on Whidbey Island, or maybe Goose Rock at Deception Pass. You'd want to rent a car for those. If you don't want to rent a car, know that some Seattle parks, like Discovery Park, have wonderful views, and you can easily walk 3-5 miles on trails there. Lincoln Park and Seward Park are other good choices. All are accessible by bus or cab.

[zimmertr]

I second Discovery Park. There's also a really great framed view of Rainier on a clear day from South Beach near the lighthouse. You can also catch views of Mount Baker from North Beach as well.

[Anne Elk]

FWIW, a "day trip" to Mt. Rainier IMO is a waste of time depending on what you want out of it. When I first moved here I did a day trip to Paradise in September or early October and it felt like I spent more time driving than walking. You would be further impeded by snow, but perhaps helped by more hours of sunlight. If you want to get out of the city, take a nice ferry ride out of Edmonds, then over the Hood Canal Bridge and south to Quilcene. I don't know if Mt. Walker would be clear of snow. You can drive to the top if they plow it, and if not, you could snowshoe hike up it, if a trail path is tramped or you're good at finding your own way. The view from there is quite nice of the Olympics and back across Puget Sound. Assuming a relative bluebird day. Good restaurant options on the way. The ones in Quilcene have been flipping a lot in recent years, so not sure of right there. Be sure to check the Hood Canal Bridge repair schedule (in another thread here) and make a ferry reservation. The earlier boat you can get, the better.

[Now I Fly]

With all due respect to my fellow 'nwhikers", and keeping their suggestions in mind, I would absolutely not give up on a trip to Paradise during your trip! Don't waste your time if isn't a pretty darn 'blue' day, but if the forecast is for clear skies, and you're in "mountain/climbing/good' shape, well, don't miss! Snowshoes or skies required. This was April 19th, 2021

Cheers B

[peter707]

MRNP is superb year-round destination, but there's a lot of logistical factors to make it a less reliable destination from November to June. About 80% of the parking lots are closed, leaving only Longmire and Paradise (unless there's weird carbon approach that's open?). Paradise is open 9am-4pm, probably ~60% of the time. This is my TR from going to Camp Muir, with probably P90% best winter weather (best day of 10 days) https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8036795. If bad weather is expected, better to go to an XC track at a ski resort like Snoqualmie, it's a lot easier to drive to in poor weather. Or climb some of the i-90 fare that's popular & well marked, like Mt. Si / Rattlesnake ledge, if you want something that has a bit fewer sharp edges than shoulder-season Rainier. In good weather it's unbeatable.

[gb]