Mount Rainier National Park (Paradise)

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Mount Rainier National Park (Paradise)

Photo: Mount Rainier National Park from Ashford, WA, United States · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

🥾 Hike · Ashford

5 hours · $$ · Check website for reservations

age fit
0–1 yr
★ 1.0
1–3 yrs
★ 3.0
3–5 yrs
★ 4.0
5–10 yrs
★ 5.0
  • 🚗
    About 135 min drive
    From Bellevue · Parking: Park entry $30/car (valid 7 days); the Paradise lot fills before 10am on weekends
  • 🎒
    Carrier recommended
    Terrain isn't stroller-friendly; a carrier is easier
  • 🌳
    Little shade
    Great on sunny days · Good on cool days
  • ⏱️
    Typical visit: 5 hours
    Best seasons: Summer

From late July through August, Paradise is a sea of wildflowers: the 1.2-mile Nisqually Vista loop from the visitor center is mostly paved, winding through flower meadows with Rainier's glaciers overhead, and you'll often run into marmots.

💡 Tips
Peak summer entry may require a timed reservation, so check the website before you go. Leave early (before 7am) to get a parking spot; it's 15-plus degrees cooler on the mountain, so bring jackets. The paved path has hills — a stroller is doable but a carrier is steadier.

What this place offers

✓snowy mountain
✓wildflowers
✓paved trail
✓visitor center
✓marmots
✓restrooms
✓full day

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This weekend's weather in Ashford

Forecast at the destination itself (coast and hills often differ from home)

🌦️
Sat 10/17
Drizzle · 31–49°F · 64% rain
☁️
Sun 10/18
Overcast · 31–49°F · 0% rain

Location

Ashford, Washington

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