Mount Rainier National Park: Sunrise

SUMMER ROAD TRIP, DAY 48

Our escapades took us to the east side of Mount Rainier National Park today. We strolled through a magical forest, hiked up to a peak with incredible views and ended the day at one of the most photographed places of the park.

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

Mt Rainier Sunrise

Grove of the Patriarchs Trail

Although Grove of the Patriarchs Trail is one of the easiest hikes in Mount Rainier at 1.5 miles round trip, it is probably one of the most memorable as well. Walking through the canopied old-growth forest, you can’t help but be in awe of its greatness. Glowing green moss clings to the ancient trees that soar into the sky. It is nature at its finest; exuding strength, endurance and survival. After walking the trail, we continued up north to the Sunrise area.

And so our epic 80 day summer road trip continues – 12 U.S. states, 1 Canadian province and 11 national parks. For the upcoming months, I will be sharing with you our highlights, lowlights, adventures, favorite spots, best tips and our thoughts on three months of road tripping and living in a pop up.  I’ll try to answer any and all of your questions too!  You can also follow our journey via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Miles Driven: 107

Total Road Trip Miles Driven: 7,166

Average Gas Price per Gallon: $2.69

State: Washington

All States Visited: Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia & Alberta Provinces

If you would like to see our full itinerary, start at the beginning here. And Start at Day One here.

 

Sunrise Area – East to Dege Peak Trail

With my legs a bit tired from yesterday, we were looking for a moderate hike at the Sunrise area. We settled on Dege Peak (pronounced Day-Gay) a 4.2 mile hike with an 800 foot elevation gain. The trail is parallel to the road, but we didn’t mind since it provides outstanding mountain views along the way and even more impressive views from the summit.

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

Tipsoo Lake

On the way back to our campground, we stopped at Tipsoo Lake, one of the most photographed areas in the park. We took a short walk through vibrant colors of yellow, pink and purple around the shore of the lake. We are loving all the wonderful wildflowers!

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park

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Next: Best Hike in Mt. Rainier

Do you have any questions for Dang Travelers about our visit to Mount Rainier? As us in the comments below!

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Angela E. is a travel writer from the Chicagoland area who has visited all 50 states in the US and has traveled extensively around the world. She is passionate about exploring the great outdoors and hiking in particular. Her love for nature has taken her to some of the most beautiful locations on the planet. She has written extensively about her travels on her own website, Dang Travelers, and has been published in collaboration with other travel websites and multiple visitor bureaus around the country.

12 Responses

  1. Chris Travels

    I have no questions. All I can say is that your descriptive narrative and incredible pictures make me want to “kick myself” for passing up the opportunity I had many years ago to visit this spectacular park!

  2. Arni

    Wow! What an excellent way to spend the summer. Being under a canopy of epically tall trees makes it magical indeed. Love wildflowers. I so miss these kind of nature treks. The change in landscape throughout the trail makes the hike even more interesting.

  3. Darlene

    Oh wow! Places like these will really make you feel how small you are in the world. That is one great adventure! Would love to go here too and be amazed by those giant trees!

  4. JM

    There are many astounding views right here and i specially love the ice capped mountains. I would definitely want to try this kind of adventure.

    • Dang Travelers

      You should, make it happen! We are always a little more intrigued with the option of heading out of North America, but I’m glad we made the decision to do this trip instead. It’s my first time to all of these parks.

  5. Vyjay

    What lovely landscapes, it really feels that you are somewhere near heaven. I particularly liked the Tipsoo lake, looks so surreal.

  6. Chirstina

    Mount Rainier is definitely on our list of national park’s to visit. I like the sound of the Groves of Patriah’s Trail. It sounds like such a family friend that provides amazing views at the same time.

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