Around Seattle: Mt. Rainier

Mockup of a WA license plate with the blue Mt. Rainier graphic and the custom license plate text WRLDCON.After a long weekend hobnobbing with fellow fans and famous professionals, you might be craving a little bit of gafiation. What better place to go than to the iconic Mt. Rainier, a mountain so famous it appears on Washington’s license plate?

One of Mount Rainier’s original Indigenous names in the local Lushootseed language is təqʷubəʔ, which has been anglicized as both “Tahoma” and “Tacoma.” The latter lends itself to the nearby city of Tacoma, while the local Puyallup Tribe of the Coast Salish People, whose reservation includes a few square miles of land within Tacoma’s city limits, will refer to the stratovolcano as Tahoma when speaking in a colonizer’s language. Many residents of Tacoma choose to refer to Mount Rainier as Tahoma out of respect for their neighbors who are the traditional and ancestral keepers of the land upon which they reside.

Just a two-hour drive from downtown Seattle, Rainier shows its majesty from the moment you get within a hundred miles of it. Mount Rainier towers over the south end of Seattle like a majestic sentinel, beckoning you to come closer and walk its ridges. When you traverse your way up to the mountain, you’ll discover Rainier is everything you imagined. You’ve dreamed of fields full of beautiful wildflowers, hiking trails for all levels of skill, wildlife of all shapes and sizes, and close-up views of some of the most majestic natural wonders this region has to offer. Lo and behold, Rainier offers all of that and more.

Under a bright blue sky, Mt Rainier, covered in snow, rises above a treeline and field of pink and purple wildflowers.
Mt Rainier, cloud layer, Grand Park wildflowers” by Peter Stevens is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The most popular area of the park is the Paradise area. This well-named section offers the Paradise Inn, named one of the Great Lodges of the West, as well as views of glaciers and flowers, as well as the incredible Skyline Trail. Other entrances are more rugged but offer different access to the park, its trails and vistas. No matter what you choose, you will find something that sparks your interests. History-lovers will want to see the Longmore Museum, while others might enjoy a stay in Ohanapecosh Campground.

Most areas around the park have weak or nonexistent cell service, so this is the perfect opportunity to truly unplug from the hectic real world.

Make sure to stop at the Wildberry Inn for classic Himalayan food served by a real Nepalese guide, or hit nearby Crystal Mountain for a breathtaking gondola ride. You can also ride the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, a vintage steam locomotive which offers great food and stunning views.

No matter what you choose, Mt. Rainier will offer a perfect opportunity to wind down after the overwhelming event.