[elkendo]

Anybody out there have any favorite hikes in and around Mount Rainier they would like to talk about.

[MCaver]

Mount Rainier is one of my favorite places on earth. It's hard for me to pinpoint one particular place that i like more than another, because it's all one big entity in my mind. There are some amazing spots along the Stevens Canyon Road itself that are amazing -- Inspiration Point, Reflection Lakes, Christine Falls. As far as hikes go, I really like the Green Lake hike up to Ranger Falls. I've done this several times and never have gone beyond the falls to the lake. The Carbon River rain forest is just so amazing. The hikes in the Mowich Lake area -- Spray Park, Tolmie Peak -- are very nice, but I still prefer the Carbon River area, even though Spray Falls is in my top 5 waterfalls. Grove of the Patriarchs is touristy, I know, but the trees there are just dumbfoundingly huge. That last cedar with the boardwalk aroind it is as big as my car! And there are so many little places overlooked there. The week before the Stevens Canyon Road closed for the season, I drove along on a cloudy day looking for rivers to photograph. I stopped off at end of the bridge over Nickel Creek and scrambled down to the riverside. The fall colors were still out and the moss was brilliant green, the creek tumbling over the small boulders. It was absolutely breathtaking, and that's just one of many many beautiful little scenes that I've witnessed there. The 20 trips or so I made there last year weren't even close to enough.

[Sore Feet]

Well now... Comet Falls is obviously a must, though I don't know how much of the trail and the surrounding area was impacted bu last year's debris flow (it's on my list for this summer though). The East Side trail between 123 and the Ohanapecoah River crossing is very nice. Lots of creek views, beautiful waterfalls, pretty forest foliage, and best of all, you'll most likely be alone. Then there are the obligatory trails at Paradise, all of which are great (minus the crowds of course). But I think my absolute favorite place in the park would be a stretch of the Paradise River between SR 706 and Narada Falls known as the Washington Cascades. The river skips down about 7-9 small waterfalls totalling about 120 feet, there are wildflowers literally covering the riverbanks in most places, the sub-alpine trees framing the falls add more to the scene. It's a photographers dreamworld. Pics here - http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/falls/wacascades.htm Michael - You might want to poke more around Nickel Creek next time you're there, this is lying just a skip downstream of where you were... http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/falls/cougar.htm

[elkendo]

Looks like there are some excellent hikes listed here. I am just looking to use my hiking time to take adavantage of the best trails in the park. Mt Rainier is very accessible and I like the hikes I have done there so far. Keep the suggestions coming. Thank you all very much for your comments

[susan]

One of my favorite hikes on the Mountain is Comet Falls to Mildred Point. The view of the Kautz Glacier from there is breathtaking. Don't get close to the edge if heights bother you as it is straight down, a very long way! I also like Tolmie Peak via Ipsut Creek. It's long but the forest is gorgeous and the views from the lookout are some of the best of the Mountain in the whole park. If you go in the Fall, there are a gazillion mushrooms.

[polarbear]

Some of these have been mentioned so I'm seconding the vote on a few--Comet Falls/Van Trump Park, Spray Falls/Park, Eunice Lake, Panorama Point, Summerland, Freemont Lookout, Huckleberry Creek-Forest Lake (the lake isn't spectacular, but it's a nice hike), Naches loop trail--do it clockwise IMHO for best views). As already mentioned, it's hard to have a bad hike on Rainer and doing the same hike in the Fall gives you a whole new set of colors.

[Malachai Constant]

I love Elysian fields, Seattle Park, Skyscraper Pass or anything on north side. In winter it is hard to beat Cowliz rocks in a full moon or an early descent from muir. Few bummers except for dog route in August.