Longmire and Waterfalls
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After a down day, we traded the ridgeline views of Sunrise for the lush meadows and waterfalls of the Paradise side of Mount Rainier National Park. We scored a first-come, first-served site at La Wis Wis Campground, just a short drive from the Paradise entrance.
Nisqually River
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With Rainier completely wrapped in clouds, we set aside our plans for the Skyline Trail. Driving through the Paradise Visitor Center area around noon, we saw the overflow parking overflowing. Cars lined the road in every direction. It felt more like a theme park than a national park. We kept rolling and chased waterfalls instead.
We started at Longmire, the park’s historic headquarters, named after James Longmire who discovered mineral springs here in the 1880s and built a rustic resort. We paused at a fascinating relic: a cross section slice of a massive, centuries old tree. This ancient Douglas fir, cut in 1963 but dating back to around 1290, has rings marked with historical milestones. We then walked the short Trail of the Shadows, looping through meadows and forest to see the springs that started it all.
Next, we hiked to Carter Falls, about 2.5 miles round trip. The trail began with a crossing over the Nisqually River on a narrow log footbridge before winding through old growth forest to a 50-foot cascade.
On the drive back, we made a quick stop at Christine Falls, perfectly framed by a graceful stone bridge, and then Narada Falls, a short walk to a 188-foot two-tiered cascade
It might not have been the Skyline day we had planned, but it was still a beautiful way to explore the Paradise side of Rainier.
We started at Longmire, the park’s historic headquarters, named after James Longmire who discovered mineral springs here in the 1880s and built a rustic resort. We paused at a fascinating relic: a cross section slice of a massive, centuries old tree. This ancient Douglas fir, cut in 1963 but dating back to around 1290, has rings marked with historical milestones. We then walked the short Trail of the Shadows, looping through meadows and forest to see the springs that started it all.
Next, we hiked to Carter Falls, about 2.5 miles round trip. The trail began with a crossing over the Nisqually River on a narrow log footbridge before winding through old growth forest to a 50-foot cascade.
On the drive back, we made a quick stop at Christine Falls, perfectly framed by a graceful stone bridge, and then Narada Falls, a short walk to a 188-foot two-tiered cascade
It might not have been the Skyline day we had planned, but it was still a beautiful way to explore the Paradise side of Rainier.