The Skyline Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington is found on the Paradise side of the park. This hike is the best trail you can find in the Paradise area of Mt. Rainier. It will bring you to close views of the glaciers, Mt. Rainier’s peak, and a breathtaking views of the mountainous valley of Washington State. Here you will find all you need to know for the Skyline Trail, distance, time, difficulty, maps, what to bring and more.

Stats

Distance: 5.3 mile loop (this trail has a few small optional add-ons, we ended up hiking 6.8 miles along this trail)

Time: 4- 5 hours

Elevation: 1,758 feet

Difficulty: Moderate

How To Get There

There are two ways to get to the Paradise area of Mt. Rainier National Park from the Seattle area.

Route #1: Take Highway WA- 7, this route will take you about 2 hours and 30 minutes from downtown Seattle. The drive will bring you to the west side of the park and then south to the Paradise entrance.

Route #2: May take a little longer from downtown Seattle, checking at 2 hours a 40 mintues but may be a little bit more scenic. This route will take you down Highway 410 bring you past another popular part of Mt. Rainier National park, the Sunrise park entrance.

Parking

The parking lot at Paradise is quiet small for how poplar this park can be. I would suggest getting there early to snag a parking spot in the lot. We got there around 8:00 am, there was plenty of parking when we arrived. But by the time we ended the hike there were cars pulled of the main road, being in a campervan it would of not been ideal to try to park the van on the side of the road. Arriving early let us pick a nice size parking spot.

To park for this hike and area of the National Park you are required to have a park pass or pay a fee at the gate. The United States National Park (America The Beautiful Pass) pass covers this area and hike as well. If you don’t own a American The Beautiful pass you can pay $30 a car at the gate, this will cover you for 7 consecutive days. We bought the annual pass as we were going to three National Parks during this trip.

A restroom is located at the trailhead and in the visitor center (if open) for use before setting off on the hike. There will be no restrooms along this trail.

When To Go

July is wildflower season for this area of Washington. Wildflower season makes the hikes just that much more beautiful and peaceful. By July the snow has mostly cleared off the trails as well. It is recommended to go on this hike between the months of July and October.

As for time of day, I always suggest getting to trail-heads of hikes as early as possible. Not only will this help you find a parking spot for this specific hike, it also allows you to beat the crowds, and lets you hike before the heat of the day starts. This hike was definitely more crowded by the time we got finished, we started it around 8:30 am.

The Hike

The Start

You can technically hike this trail from the right or left, as it is a loop. I recommend hiking the Skyline Trail from the left first, clockwise. This will take you to Glacier Vista Viewpoint first. The reason why I suggest this is because you will then be hiking up with the best Mt. Rainier peak views in front of you, and then the loop back you will see the various mountain peaks. I truly feel like this is the best way to go if looking for the most scenic route.

This hike is on a pretty well maintained path, especially the beginning. The first 1-1.5 miles are on a paved black top path. The path is actually wide as well, so its it great for crowds.

To Glacier Vista

The first major stop will be the Glacier Vista, although you will find yourself stopping to take in the scenery way before that. Such a beautiful site as we walked the path. We found most people just went to the first viewpoint and turned around. Once we got past the Glacier Vista this became a much more secluded hike.

To Panorama Point

After the Glacier Vista the next official stop will be the Panorama Point. This is not to be missed if you can make it. It was my husband’s and I favorite spot in the park. There are two ways to reach this point.

Via Skyline Trail

The first way to to get to Panorama Point is continuing on the Skyline trail, this will give you a more direct route to the Point. I will take about another mile past the Glacier Vista to reach Panorama Point.

Via Pebble Creek Trail

The other way to get to Panorama Point is by taking the Pebble Creek Trail, as long as it is clear of snow. This will add on an additional about 0.5 mile. The reason to take this trail is because it will take to a little closer to the glacier area and mountain peak. From this trail you can even see some people hiking on the summit and climbing on the ice.

As you walk to the official Panorama Point overlook there will be a few less crowded views of the mountain range as well.

Back On Skyline Trail

After spending some time taking in breath taking view of the Panorama Point hop back on the trail. From here you have two options to continue on the trail. You can hike the Regular Skyline Trail or choose to add a little time on the Upper Skyline Trail.

Via Upper Skyline Trail

This trail occasionally has some snow on it. Be careful and have the proper gear if there it. This should take about 0.29 miles until you are back on to the Skyline Trail. It doesn’t really add on more time or length but it will give you a little bite closer view of the mountain top and glaciers. We also found that this section seemed less crowded.

To Paradise River

Eventually the trail will changed from and rocky landscape around to lush meadows and you find yourself hearing the calming sounds of the Paradise River. They even provided a bridge and some rocks to help cross over. This area was one of my favorites along the trail. The wildflowers were in full bloom, colorful and the mountain backdrop behind them made it look like a painting.

To Myrtle Falls

This trail will also connect you to the popular visitor area of Myrtle Falls. This area is where you see the famous view of Mt. Rainier with the small river in the foreground. This area was much more packed since coming from the other direction it is only a half mile paved walk from the visitor center.

It was so crowded here we stopped for a quick look but headed back quickly to the visitors center.

Back to Paradise Visitor Center

It is all paved from here. So enjoy your walk down and take a break or get lunch as the Visitor Center. Being a long hike and quickly becoming a hot day we ended our time at Mt. Rainier after this hike.

What To Bring

Since this is a rather short hike it is not necessary to bring too much. But these items are some things I always have on me no matter what type of hike.

Ahnu Hiking Shoes: These go every where with me. They are my favorite hiking shoes ever!

Hiking Socks: They really do make a difference. I like the shorter type for summer, and longer ones for winter hikes. I wore long ones on this trip to wear under my ankle brace.

Travel Hiking Poles: I never thought I would want these but they are a game changer when it comes to saving my knees on these downhills. And this set is super affordable for a collapsible pair.

Day Pack: This Osprey brand and size is slowly becoming my favorite, perfect size for summer day hiking.

Water: Always make sure you have enough water on you, in case you decided to stay out longer on any trail. Usually for longer hikes I use a hydration bladder inside my daypack. But for short or city walks I love these Vapur Bottles and these Hydrapak Collapsible travel bottles.

Snacks: You never know when you need a pick me up or how long you might stay out. I definitely took a few snacks breaks along this hike as we stayed stopped and enjoyed the views, making us take a little longer on the trail. Pack and sandwich in enjoy by the lake, but make sure you pack your trash back out.

I always have a camera on me, check out my Camera Packing List for more information.

Where to Stay

We were traveling the state of Washington by a Campervan North America campervan. This was a great way to travel the National Parks as we got to stay in the National Park. We set up our campervan at the Ohanapecosh Camperground. This made our drive to be about 40 minutes, which seems long but much closer than most hotels and lodging in the area.

If not wanting to camp or use a campervan you can find Airbnb’s (use this link for $40 off) or checking out booking.com for other hotels and lodging options as well. Book ahead as many places for fill up, even the campground. **Check out this article on the Cutest Cabins for Rent in Mt. Rainier National Park.***

There is also Paradise Inn located with in the Paradise area of Mt. Rainier National Park by the Visitors Center.

You can also check booking.com for some places outside of the park area.

The Skyline Trail at Mt. Rainier National Park