The Best Hike in Mount Rainier
That’s it. The final vote is in and we decided our utmost favorite hike in Mount Rainier National Park is the Tolmie Peak Trail. Why you ask? Because the views at the top left us fantastically flabbergasted! Hands down, it’s the best view of Mount Rainier we had all week. Our car took a bit of a hit on the way in, but it was all worth it.
Tolmie Peak Trail at Mowich Lake
The Tolmie Peak Trail is located on the west side of Mount Rainier National Park near Mowich Lake. The 17-mile gravel road to the trailhead is a dusty and rough ride, but we pretended we were off-roading.
The trail is approximately 6-miles roundtrip, out and back, with an 1,100-foot elevation gain. It took us a little over three hours with picture stops and a lunch break at the fire tower. The trail begins relatively flat at Mowich Lake where it wanders through a wooded forest before slowly climbing to the stunning Eunice Lake. It’s here we saw the first glimpse of our final destination, the fire lookout tower. We then meandered through meadows of wildflowers and bear grass ascending to the gentle switchbacks that lead to one of the one of most commanding views of Mount Rainier. We joined a few other hikers and ate our lunch while sitting on the lookout tower in a hypnotized state of wonder.
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.
Miles Driven: 212
Total Road Trip Miles Driven: 7,378
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.
Know Before You Go
- Park entrance fee is required at a fee machine at the beginning of Mowich Lake Road.
- Park either at Mowich Campground or along the road at the trailhead.
- Two bathroom stops are available. Near the fee machine and the campground.
- High clearance vehicle is recommended for the non-paved road leading to the trailhead, but we did see low suspension cars make it safely.
- Pack a lunch or a big snack to eat at the lookout.
- Wear bug spray.
- Plan accordingly, hike takes 2 – 3 hours.
- The trail does not end at the fire tower, you can keep hiking a few hundred yards to the true summit.
- Bring a bathing suit if it is a hot summer day. You may want to jump in Mowich Lake at the end of the hike.
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Do you like to hike? What are your favorite types of hikes to take?
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Claire
I think this would be my favourite too! Your pictures are amazing and the tips for hiking are great. I’ll hopefully get round to this one day!
Dang Travelers
Thanks Claire! Hoping you get to visit one day too!
rik aka tapirtales
Absolutely breathtaking. I really gotta visit that national parks.
rik aka tapirtales
Llamateurs
I love the picture of the car… 😀 It looks it had a good drive! 🙂 Photos are amazing, we would like to go there!
And the type of hike… Anything that includes a little bit adrenaline (scrambling, walking on the edge, , meeting stubborn sheep on the way… :))
Dang Travelers
The car definitely took a bit of a hit, but it was all good in the end!
Chris Travels
Your pictures are sooo incredible. Each time I read a new post, I am amazed that the natural beauty to be seen in our own country is so outstanding! We are blessed indeed to live in the U.S…I think I will be taking Australia off my future bucket list!
Stephanie
I am stunned by the photos you got from this trek. It honestly makes me want to book a flight to Seattle right away!
Travelgretl
The views are stun-ning! And love the tips you’re giving in the end. But your cars looks 😂😂😂
Norbert Micus
It is so nice and breathtaking. Thanks for the pictures! I missed this when I was in Washington. Too bad.
Dang Travelers
Aw, that is too bad! Hopefully you can get back at some point!
Mimi
Amazing pictures…I can only see Mt Rainer from afar. The views are worth the hike!
Dang Travelers
Definitely Mimi!
anneklien meanne
Wow that 6 miles hiking and driving to a muddy road if that beautiful scenery is waiting for me at the peak.
Dang Travelers
Yep, all worth it if there’s a reward at the end!!
Elisa
I wish I could read more “hike-posts” through these FB groups! This is the kind of info that I want to find when I read about hikes. A pity that next time I travel I am heading East instead of West but anyway thanks for sharing
Dang Travelers
Thanks Elisa! I’m sure there are many awesome hikes out east as well.
Travelling Tom
These pictures are amazing! Definitely makes me want to go exploring! Thanks for sharing!
Dang Travelers
Thanks Tom! We’ve seen some beautiful places on this trip and Mt Rainier is right up there!
jasmine@makingrestorations
Somehow I missed this post. We planning a trip to Mt. Rainier (but only have a day). Our accommodations have us set up to enter the Nisqually entrance, but I discovered the Tolmie Peak hike and was thinking we’d love to do that. Then immediately changed our mines when we saw how much driving we would have to do. Your pics and post have us rethinking things. Thank you!
Dang Travelers
Ooh that’s a hard one since you only have a day. Tolmie Peak is my favorite, but it’s away from everything in the park. With limited time, I would suggest going to Sunrise or Paradise so you can see and do a few different things not just one hike. Then maybe put it on your list for next time. 😊
Rob Taylor
Shhhh! Why are you telling people about the best hike in Mt Rainier National Park that only locals are supposed to know about?!?!?!?!?!?!??! Seriously though, the scenery on the way up is amazing and the view of the mountain from the trail is just the best in the Park.
Dang Travelers
Hahaha so true! Not many people were on the trail with us so we figured it was a hidden gem!