www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Brian Haber CONTRIBUTOR: Tyson Gillard LAST UPDATED: 06.14.16 © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only. Skyline Trail Hike, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, WA

Adventure Description by Tyson Gillard | 09.11.13 This hike on the Skyline Trail leads to arguably the most well- known and visited subalpine meadow in all of North America, Mount Rainier's Paradise Park, which draws outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world. High altitude, southern exposure, and massive amounts of precipitation (on average 126 inches of annual rainfall and 680* inches of snowfall in the winter) create a landscape that comes alive when the snows melt in late summer to reveal some of Washington's best hiking.

For the few months every year when soil is greeted by sunlight, the volcano's southern slopes erupt with lush meadows of violet and yellow asters, white-topped western bistort, lupine, and various shades of paintbrush. Snowmelt culminates into streams lined with vibrant yellow and magenta monkeyflower. Streams turn to creeks cascading over volcanic rock, and visitors are greeted by the high-pitched chirp of hoary marmots and pikas. Spend enough time here and you'll see the occasional traverse of a black-tailed deer or even the distant sighting of a Roosevelt elk.

Daniel Sherman | 09.11.13 Without doubt, the best way to experience this natural paradise is to head out on the 5.4-mile Skyline Trail. It makes a big loop around the entire Paradise Park and climbs 1,400 feet to the aptly named, 6,800-foot Panorama Point, where Mount Highlights St. Helens, Mount Adams, Goat Rocks and the Tatoosh Range all stand in view. Because of the impressive snow CONGESTION: High accumulation over the winter, many parts of the trail may PETS ALLOWED: No never be completely exposed, so it doesn't hurt to bring hiking NET ELEVATION GAIN: 1,400.00 ft (426.72 m) poles and gaiters for your boots, even in August and September. PARKING PASS: National Park Pass PREFERABLE SEASON(S): Summer Whether you hike the Skyline Trail to Paradise Park in a SUITABLE FOR: Hiking clockwise or counterclockwise direction, other trail highlights include Mount Rainier's massive Nisqually Glacier, a TOTAL DISTANCE: 5.40 mi (8.69 km) worthwhile stop to take in 72-foot Myrtle Falls, and a TRAIL TYPE: Loop recommended detour for a glimpse of 155-foot Sluiskin Falls, TRAILHEAD ELEVATION: 5,400.00 ft (1,645.92 m) which lingers just below the intersection of the 1.1-mile Paradise Glacier spur trail.

*By comparison, Mount Elbert in Colorado receives an average of 143 inches of annual snowfall. In the winter of 1971-72, Paradise set the world record for snowfall in a single season with 1,122 inches, which held until 1998-99, when nearby Mount Baker set the new world record with 1,140 inches. Paradise still holds the record, however, for most snow on the ground at 367 inches, measured in 1956.

Getting there (from Tacoma, WA):

- From Tacoma, head south on I-5 toward Olympia and take exit 127 for WA Hwy 512 E toward Puyallup - After 2 miles, turn right onto WA Hwy 7/Pacific Ave toward www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Brian Haber CONTRIBUTOR: Tyson Gillard LAST UPDATED: 06.14.16 © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only.

Parkland/Spanaway - After roughly 36 miles (just past Alder Lake), turn left onto WA Hwy 706/National Park Hwy - After 13.6 miles, you will come to the NP Nisqually Entrance - Continue on Paradise Rd E for an additional 17 miles to Paradise Park and turn left into the first large parking area - The trailhead is on the north side of the upper parking lot

Getting There (from Portland, OR):

- 154 miles; 3 hours - From Portland, head north on I-5 toward Olympia, WA - After roughly 74 miles, take exit 68 for US Hwy 12 toward Morton/Yakima - After 31 miles (once in Morton), turn left onto 2nd St/WA Hwy 7/Morton Rd toward Alder Lake - After 16.2 miles, turn right onto WA Hwy 706/National Park Hwy - After 13.6 miles, you will come to the NP Nisqually Entrance - Continue on Paradise Rd E for an additional 17 miles to Paradise Park and turn left into the first large parking area - The trailhead is on the north side of the upper parking lot www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Brian Haber CONTRIBUTOR: Tyson Gillard LAST UPDATED: 06.14.16 © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only.

0 0.25 mi. 0.5 mi. Paradise Park–Skyline Trail Mt. Rainier, WA 0 8 min. 15 min. NORTH Trail (major) Paradise to camp muir Trail (minor) Glaciers McClure Rock Alpine Climbing Trail EL 7,385 Paved Rd (major) Paved Rd (minor)

0.4 M Forest Rd (major) Nisqually Forest Rd (minor) Glacier 0.5 M 0.3 M Featured Route Paradise Glacier Trail

0.1 M Wonderland Trail 0.3 M Pebble 0.4Creek M 0.3 M ENLARGETrailhead Panaroma Point Glacier Vista EL 6,800 EL 6,336 0.6 M Parking 1.1 M

Restrooms

MOUNT RAINIER 0.5 M 0.6 M Vault Toilet NATIONAL PARK Picnic Area dith Creek Stevens Van Trump E 1.1 M Historic Monument Golden 1.0Gate M Trail Picnic Shelter Moraine Trail Sluiskin Falls ENLARGE 0.5 M Ranger Station Myrtle Falls Dead Horse Creek Trail 0.4 M 0.5 M Historic Landmark

0.4 M 0.3 M

Nisqually Vista Trail (1.0 M) Vista / Viewpoint 0.2 M 0.2 0.6 M 0.6 Skyline Trail Jackson Visitor Center/ Waterfall 0.4 M Paradise Inn 0.2 M EL 5,400 Information

Nisqually River EL 5,400 Dead Horse Creek Swimming

Lakes Trail Lakes Trail Campground

0.6 M 1.2 M

Backcountry Campsite

Paradise River Mazama Ridge Paradise Rd E E RV Campground to longmire Lost Showers Paradise Rd Lake Paradise Rd E Shelter

Narada Falls 0.6 M Cabin Frog 0.5 M Faraway Rock Heaven High Lakes Trail EL 5,016 Yurt 1.0 M 0.2 M Sunbeam Falls 0.7 M Inspiration 0.7 M Potable Water Point to cougar rock Louise Lake Food/Dining Reflection Lakes EL 4,593 to box canyon Lodging EL 4,854 Wonderland Trail EL 4,820 Paradise River (x4) 1.2 M EL 4,867 Horseback Riding

Wildlife to hwy 123 Stevens Canyon Rd Beach Tatoosh Creek Distance Marker

Peak

Pinnacle Peak Trail One Mile Grid to pinnacle peak

ENLARGE Trail (major) Vista / Trailhead Picnic Area Campground Shelter Food/Dining Amphitheater Trail (minor) Viewpoint Trail (unmaintained) Backcountry Parking Picnic Shelter Waterfall Cabin Lodging Distance Marker Paved Rd (major) Campsite Paved Rd (minor) Horseback Forest Rd (major) Restrooms Ranger Station Boat Ramp RV Campsite RV Waste Dump Peak Riding Forest Rd (minor) Historic Featured Route Vault Toilet Information Group Campsite Potable Water Lookout Tower One Mile Grid Wonderland Trail Landmark

Emmons Glacier Frtingpan Glacier ENLARGE to mowich lake Mt. Rainier to white river EL 14,410 Little Tahoma Peak

Puyallup Glacier in natureandshouldbeusedforreferenceonly. website forup-to-dateinformationorchanges.Mapsareillustrative NOTE: LAST UPDATED: MADE BY: www.outdoorproject.com N. Puyallup (x4) EL 11,138 NF 5995 EL 3,750 MOUNT RAINIER Ingraham Glacier

N. Puyallup Trail Content specifiedisfromtimeofPDFcreation.Pleasecheck NATIONAL PARK Klapatche Park (x4) Ohanapecosh River BrianHaber EL 5,515 Tahoma Camp Muir 2.8 M Glacier EL 10,080 06.14.16 ©TheOutdoorProjectLLC St. Andrews St Andrews Lake Cowlitz Glacier Aurora Lake Nisqually Glacier Creek Trail 3.9 M Paradise Glaciers Indian Bar (x5) CONTRIBUTOR: S. Puyallup River EL 5,120

Kautz Glacier Wonderland Trail 3.7 M South Tahoma Glacier ENLARGE ENLARGE ENLARGE S. Puyallup (x5) Pyramid Glaciers Nickel Creek EL 4,000 suspension bridge TysonGillard

1.9 M Mildred Point PARADISE PARK S. PuyallupTahoma Trail Creek Trail EL 5,935 Skyline Trail Gobblers Knob Rampart 4.7 M EL 5,485 indian henry’s Ridge Trail Comet Falls 1.2 M Myrtle Falls Lake hunting ground W

SS Devils Dream (x8) E George Jackson Visitor Center/Paradise Inn E EL 5,060 Closed to vehicles Pyramid Creek (x2) Cowlitz River R VI RN beyond this point due 2.2 M EL 3,765 E E Narada Falls to flood damage Stevens CanyonWilliwakas Rd Creek Mt. Wow Cougar Rock K

WILD EL 6,030 autz Creek Trail Campground (x186) 1.2 M 1.1 M 2.0 M GLACI 1.1 M Nickel Creek (x4) 2.8 M Paradise River (x4) 3.4 M Stevens Creek EL 3,385 EL 3,805 Box Canyon Pinnacle Peak The Castle Snow Lake (x2) Overlook Trail to I-5/Centralia 3.5 M 1.6 M EL 4,690 Eagle Peak EL 6,466 EL 6,433 3.4 M longmire EL 5,958 Maple Creek (x5) 706 Tatoosh RangeUnicorn Peak EL 2,815 Westside Rd E Tahoma Creek EL 6,971 Stevens Peak Nisqually Entrance National Park Inn (x25) EL 6,510 autz Creek Longmire Museum + Visitor Center K Nisqually River Paradise Rd Skate Creek Rd Twin Firs Trail NF 52 TATOOSH WILDERNESS

PINCHOT GIFFORD to stevens canyon entrance/ ohanapecosh campground NATIONAL FOREST

0 2.0 mi. 4.0 mi. Mount Rainier National Park-South, WA 0 60 min. 2 hrs. NORTH Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Trail (major) Vista / Trailhead Picnic Area Campground Shelter Food/Dining Amphitheater Trail (minor) Viewpoint Trail (unmaintained) Backcountry Parking Picnic Shelter Waterfall Cabin Lodging Distance Marker Paved Rd (major) Campsite Paved Rd (minor) Horseback Forest Rd (major) Restrooms Ranger Station Boat Ramp RV Campsite Yurt Peak Riding Forest Rd (minor) Historic Featured Route Vault Toilet Information Group Campsite Potable Water Skiing/Boarding Four-Mile Grid Wonderland Trail/PCT Landmark

Carbon River ENLARGE SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST TO wilkeson Carbon River Entrance to enumclaw

Chenuis Falls in natureandshouldbeusedforreferenceonly. website forup-to-dateinformationorchanges.Mapsareillustrative NOTE: LAST UPDATED: MADE BY: www.outdoorproject.com Carbon River Rd Sand Flats Ipsut Campground (x31) NF 7190 Horse Camp (x7) TO wilkeson Content specifiedisfromtimeofPDFcreation.Pleasecheck White River

NORSE PEAK BrianHaber

Isput Falls W. Fork White River WILDERNESS 06.14.16 ©TheOutdoorProjectLLC 165 Tolmie Peak EL 5,939 410 Crystal Mountain Ski Resort CONTRIBUTOR: Mowich Lake Entrance Mowich Lake Sunrise Mowich Lake Campground (x21) TO yakima ENLARGE ENLARGE Sunrise ENLARGE Point Spray Falls

410 TysonGillard Mowich River White River Campground (x112) Observation Rock White River EL 8,364 Entrance

Carbon Glacier Carbon Mather Memorial Pwy N. Puyallup River

Wonderland Trail MOUNT RAINIER Tipsoo Lake NATIONAL PARK Naches Pk WILLIAM O. DOUGLAS Winthrop Glacier EL 6,452 WILDERNESS NF 5995 Emmons Glacier Dewey Lake Mt. Rainier Little Tahoma Peak EL 14,410 Cowlitz Chimneys EL 11,138 EL 7,605 Bumping Ohanapecosh River Lake Tahoma Wonderland Trail Pacific Crest Trail Swamp Lake West Side Rd Glacier

Cougar Lake GLACIER VIEW Shriner Peak Comet Falls WILDERNESS Jackson Visitor Center/ EL 5,834 Paradise Inn

NF 59 Cougar Rock 123 Campground (x186) TO adler lake/tacoma Stevens Canyon Rd 706 National Park Inn (x25) Pinnacle Peak The Castle Longmire Museum + Visitor Center EL 6,466 EL 6,433 Stevens Canyon Entrance Unicorn Peak Ohanapecosh Campground (x95) Nisqually Entrance EL 6,971 Twin Sisters Lakes Paradise Rd E

Nisqually River PINCHOT GIFFORD TATOOSH TO LA Wis wis/packwood NATIONAL FOREST WILDERNESS

0 4.0 mi. 8.0 mi. Mount Rainier National Park, WA 0 2 hrs. 4 hrs. NORTH