Mt St Helens, Mt Rainier June 2021
 

I am at the beginning stages of planning a long round trip road trip to Washington from the Nashville area. Our first stop in the state will be a few days in the Palouse to photograph Steptoe Butte and surrounding area then heading west toward the coast before heading south into Oregon for Columbia River Gorge and Crater Lake.

We would like to include Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier. We do short hikes and would like to keep them 3-4 miles round trip or under. With this in mind, what would you suggest for these two locations to get the most scenic views.

Should we plan on an overnight in or near these parks or would a day visit be enough to see the highlights?

While currently climate conditions are anything but predictable, in MOST years there's still quite a lot of snow on the ground at elevation on Mt. Rainier throughout June; often there's 3-6 feet on the ground (not the parking areas and roads) on the first of July. The famous wildflowers generally don't show up until August, and some/most of the trails can be covered or muddy well into July. Like I say, however, with climate change there's no telling how a given spring will go. Equally important to know is that June can still be very cloudy and damp in the mountains, again, some years different than others, so the odds of not seeing much can be high.

Anyway, you'd probably want to focus on the Paradise area on Mt. Rainier; access to the Sunrise area (the other main destination) is often unavailable until late June. I'd look at the Park Service's website and see what hikes or views you'd like, and see how they fare historically. Mt. Rainier is too beautiful to miss if changing your plans by a day or two is possible. As for Mt. St. Helens, the road to the Johnston Ridge observatory is also closed by snow throughout the winter, but generally is open before Memorial Day, so shouldn't be a problem with a June visit. However, the same caveat goes for clouds obstructing the views; in general, the later in the summer the better. By the way, the same goes for Crater Lake; parts of the rim road don't even open until July some years.

Depending on how much time you have, if you want to see the Palouse in its green phase (which is certainly worthwhile) give a thought to spending a day or two in the Wallowa Mountains in northeastern Oregon, perhaps as a second stop after the Palouse. In the spring there are few more beautiful places in the USA. Here's a conceptual route map that includes the various spots in what I would say is the proper order. https://goo.gl/maps/ajdNJyevq8aQRi4B8

Joseph, Oregon -

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...160e74835f.jpg


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e262a96b0d.png

Mt St Helens is easily done as a day trip, including hiking. There really isn't anywhere to stay except at a motel along I-5 which is 50 miles from Johnston Ridge Observatory. So do that on your way into Oregon.


Mt Rainier definitely deserves more time and there is some great lodging on the mountain. Most visitors head to the Paradise side vs the Sunrise side of the mountain, but both are great. If you can get a room at Paradise Inn, or down the mountain a bit at Longmire at the National Park Inn, that will put you right on the mountain. A tad further down in the town of Ashford there are loads of options such as the Nisqually Lodge as well as numerous cabins. There are also campgrounds if that interests you. As for hikes, I won't make any suggestions until you decide which side of the mountain looks best to you. There are so many. I will say that if you check out www.wta.org that is our go to site for any hikes here in WA. There are all sorts of filters you can use, so you should be able to narrow it down a bit and then be able to ask more questions. We do a lot of hiking in this area, so feel free to ask.

I just noticed the date. Sunrise will not work as the road will not be open. Paradise will still have snow, but you can still get to the easy trails in June.

We had planned the trip in June so as to photograph the Palouse while it still had some green. If we can do this by shifting to the last week in June, then on to Joseph and the Wallowa Mts for a couple of nights, a couple of nights in the Columbia Gorge area so this should push us to early July.

We were also considering a couple of nights at Olympic National Park. What is the weather like there the first of July? If we hit that prior to Mt St Helens and Rainier it would push it even further into July/

Is there a chance that Sunrise would be open by then?

Gardyloo, your map is pretty close to the one I have been toying around with except we want to incorporate John Day Fossil Beds and Sawtooth Mts on the way back to Nashville.

Thanks for all the help so far. Any comments on the proposed changes would be greatly appreciated.

That would work. Sunrise usually opens the end of June or early July. The weather at ONP is typically very good in early July. Great hiking there too! The John Day Fossil beds are great, but don't take much time themselves unless you want to hike. If you do, do it early in the morning as it gets scorching hot there. We were there again in August and even just about 30 minutes in one area we could see how much sun our skin got. The Wallowa's are great, more so since you want to hike. We have only done overnight/multi day backpacking trips there so I can't help with short hikes but take a look at www.oregonhikers.org for that area. Also, Joseph is fine, but it is tiny and one day is more than ample to see the little town. For Oregon hiking and places to visit, take a look at William Sullivan's book Trips n Trails Oregon. I was born and raised in OR and have lived there for many years off and on and find that to be the best book.

We have revised our itinerary and will now be arriving Mt Rainer first week in July. We would like to do Sunrise entrance if possible. Can you suggest easy hikes there that would be 3 miles round trip or under. I think the altitude will also be a factor for us considering we are flatlanders.

Where and how many nights to best see Mt Rainier from the Sunrise entrance?

Altitude will definitely be a factor then. For some easy hikes at Sunrise, I would first start with a ranger led hike. That will give you information on the mountain itself as well. Also take a look at Silver Forest/Emmons Vista, Naches Peak, Silver Falls, Grove of the Patriarchs, Sourdough Ridge, and just go Burroughs until you decide you want to turn around. Not all of these are right at Sunrise, but there are on that side of the mountain and are along the main road you would be driving anyway.

Any feedback on which side of Mt Rainier offers the best views and easiest hikes 3 mi or under round trip? We are open to either Paradise or Sunrise.

IMO the Sunrise side is more impressive of views of the actual mountain. I have found the easier hikes are on the Paradise side.

I think we will try to position ourselves for the two nights somewhere we can reach both Paradise and Sunrise. Thanks for the help.

For Mount St Helens, the eastern overlook is probably the best bet.

https://flic.kr/p/7saJoF
And on the way or leaving the area, you'll get views of Mt. Rainier

https://flic.kr/p/7seFe5
And Mt Adams from the visitor's center overlooking Mt Saint Helens:

https://flic.kr/p/7saGKV

Thanks for the information. The photos are beautiful.

Just some random semi-local chiming to applaud your effort/interest re: the Sawtooth Mountains... (it's funny to see them, and 'get it' immediately)

The pleasant town of Stanley, Idaho is quite often mentioned in the paper as the coldest spot in the contiguous 48 states on various (random) days throughout a typical year. Plenty of nearby scenery.

And I've been to a couple of the John Day Fossil Beds sites in recent years... (though I shudder to imagine my mid-August walking tour of the Painted Hills straddling high noon had the solar eclipse not first stalled the evolution of the mid-day heat there, which was still considerable) For the Painted Hills you definitely need to do some walking... the other one I went to, not so much walking, as things were in the sides of nearby cliffs/mountains.

For ONP... the weather should be fine in every regard in the first week of July.

St. Helens is still awesome to visit after all of these decades.

Just went there this Covid year and even with Covid impacting everything (visitor's center was closed, etc.)... it was still every bit the spectacle that it has been for 40 years now.

(something odd-seeming... as a NON-photographer (me) speaking writing to a photographer (you): )

Near to St. Helens, in areas where trees were energetically re-planted very soon after the blast... today's 30-40-year-old trees are in some spots SO DENSELY PLANTED that your photos might appear to be BLURRY when capturing just green forest perhaps with the mountain (partial) dome peeking up from the background.

I never knew/thought of it until I got there and kept re-taking cell phone photos because they seemed blurry.

BUT I think my pictures were as sharp as can typically be expected, and yet the thick forest looked blurry.

I agree the views from the eastern side of Mt St Helens are great, for first time visitors I always recommend the west side, at Johnston Ridge Observatory. The information you get there and at the other visitors centers on that side is priceless, and the views are not bad either;)

We have decided we want to see both Paradise and Sunrise and will have 2 nights devoted to this. Our arrival will be July 13th, so weather should not prohibit this. Would it be best to stay in one location and drive to the other point, or should try to get someplace in each area? We will be coming from Mt Hood and traveling to a friends house in Sammamish when leaving Mt Rainier.

Are you going to stop at Mt St Helens on your way? That would make a difference in recommendations. The problem with Sunrise is there are fewer options for lodging, and places like Alta Crystal Resort which is the main one on that said, often require 2 night minimums in the summer. You can stay in one place, but the problem with that is that both Paradise and Sunrise get packed in the summer, so you need to enter the park early, often by 7am, to even get a parking spot. Otherwise you need to wait until late in the day. It is very common for cars to be lined up for miles waiting to get in as they only let cars in as cars leave. Even with staying in one place for 2 nights it doesn't leave much time to see much, especially if you are trying to do both sides. You really need another night or scale back, IME.

We won't be stopping at Mt St Helens. We have saved that for when we go back down the Oregon coast. I think 2 nights is all we can allot for Mt Rainier this trip, so we will just have to see as much as possible in that time frame. With that in mind, what would you recommend for accomodations?

There are National Forest Roads including NF 30 and NF 25 from Carson WA (WA 14) to Randle WA (US12) that go on the east side of Mt. St. Helens. Total driving time from Carson through Northwoods to Randle is nearly 4 hours in July. The snow should be gone by July 1. If you want a night between Mt St. Helens and the south end of Mt. Rainier, look for lodging in Packwood.

Thanks for all the replies.
I am figuring the drive time from Hood River to Paradise Inn is nearing 4 hours. We are early risers, so we should be at Mt Rainier shortly after noon on day 1. If we use Paradise Inn for the base for the 2 nights, we would have half the day left on the 12th, then spend the 13th on the Paradise side and make an early drive up to Sunrise on the trip to Sammamish. According to google maps, it is only a little over 2 hours to Sammamish from Sunrise visitor center.

Does this sound insane, or doable?

That sounds fine, but you will want to get a very early start on your Sunrise day. You are lucky that midweek is a bit better, but I would still aim to be at Sunrise by 7am. From Sunrise to Sammammish, it is an easy drive.

One more quick question. Are there actual roads inside the park, or just all walking/hiking trails? It's hard looking at the maps to tell which are trails and which are roads.

Yes, there are roads within the park. I don't know what you are looking at, so can't comment to help. But yes, there are roads as well as numerous trails. Have you taken a look at www.visit rainier.com ? That is a good source for first time visitors. Then for more trail information, www.wta.org is the go to for all trails within Washington state.

Thanks so much for the help. I have booked 2 nights at Paradise Inn and can't wait to explore.

You will be very happy there! If you come through the Nisqually entrance by Ashford either coming or going, be sue to stop at Copper Creek Inn for their blackberry pie. They even sell pies to go, or even slices to go. That is always a must for us, and I brought a pie home last month after we spent a weekend hiking there. If you need a good meal, they are great, as is the Basecamp Bar and Grill at Whittakers in Ashford. Just thought I would throw those out to you just in case:)

Thank you, I am always up for a good slice or whole pie. I surely appreciate all the help from this community on these plans.
Now on to plans for the Oregon coast and Crater Lake/Bend.

Those are great places too! I look forward to reading about your plans:)

Here is the map that the Park gives out for day-hiking around Paradise: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvis...Trails_508.pdf

At Paradise, we like to walk out to Glacier Vista and Panorama Point. They got those names for a reason!

And, here is the day-hike map for Sunrise: https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvis...ils_access.pdf

At Sunrise, we like to take the short climb up to Sourdough Ridge, then walk along the ridge before looping back after passing Frozen Lake.

I also recommend a quick stop at Box Canyon, between Paradise and the Stevens Canyon entrance. Most visitors skip this site, but we have always loved it. A slot canyon hundreds of feet deep, and maybe 20' wide, with a raging river in the bottom.

Those are good maps, and will be found at the visitors centers right there by the parking lots. They are really good at being super cautious, for instance Panorama point and Pinnacle Peak are listed as strenuous, where we think of them much differently. Pinnacle I would say is easy, and Panorama, if you are doing the entire loop up along high skyline, would be easy to moderate. But we are hikers, so it all depends on what one is used to. So I am just saying that the map is very cautious as they know many visitors want to see the area, but may have no experience with hiking, or none at elevation.

One thing to keep in mind too is that many of the trails will still be under snow at this time. Panorama, definitely, and you may need micro spikes. IMO the best place to get real world conditions and to read trip reports from those that have been there, is www.wta.org as I have mentioned before. You can read the trip reports for other years in June and July, for instance, and that will give you an idea of what to expect on the trail.

Thanks so much. This information is a great help.

Traveling Hood River to Paradise Inn at Mt Rainier, which is the better route?
1. 141 to Randle, 12 to Packwood then North through Ashford to the Nisqually Entrance.
2. I-84 to I-5 to 12 to 7 through Ashford.
We will have toured the Columbia Gorge during our 3 night stay at Hood River, so that is not a factor. I might also add that Mt St Helens will be a stop on our way back from Seattle to the Oregon coast part of the trip so no need to stop there on the way.

Hood River to Paradise Inn at Mt Rainier
 

Traveling Hood River to Paradise Inn at Mt Rainier, which is the better route?
1. 141 to Randle, 12 to Packwood then North through Ashford to the Nisqually Entrance.
2. I-84 to I-5 to 12 to 7 through Ashford.
We will have toured the Columbia Gorge during our 3 night stay at Hood River, so that is not a factor. I might also add that Mt St Helens will be a stop on our way back from Seattle to the Oregon coast part of the trip so no need to stop there on the way.

Two threads have been merged.

Moderator 4

Actually my preference would be a third alternative, as shown on this map - east to Maryhill, with a possible stop at the marvelous Maryhill Museum, and the nearby weird Stonehenge replica that overlooks the Columbia, then north on US 97 over Satus Pass and through terrific "old west" country on the Yakama Reservation to US 12, then west to the drop-dead gorgeous Stevens Canyon Road, with a possible stop at the Grove of the Patriarchs, before ending at Paradise. It's almost like a mini-tour of the region, highly recommended.

On the Stevens Canyon Road you'll pass the Reflection Lakes just before arriving at Paradise - some of the best roadside views in the national park IMO.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79da29e1ac.jpg

By the way, a little north of Goldendale you'll pass a Greek Orthodox monastery, St. John's, who run a bakery and small gift shop. Stop if it's open. You'll thank me later.

Thanks Gardyloo. I had looked at that route before, but it is 40 mins longer than #1 and about 1hr 30 mins longer that #2. Since we only have 2 nights at the park I'm not sure we want to take that much extra time.

Is the route #1 a decent road to travel?

The Maryhill Museum and the Stonehenge Memorial are worth the detour and extra time IMO. I was typing a response when the Mod merged the threads. I was also hoping that you would go east to US 97 and see some of the high desert on the way to Yakima. I do remember seeing elk crossing US 12 in downtown Packwood.

Unfortunately Maryhill appears to be closed on Tuesday, the day we will be driving through. Another thing is that on our last morning, leaving Paradise lodge, we will be driving Stevens Canyon road up to Sunrise Visitor center to check out that area before heading to Sammammish Wa.

Do you still advise the route through Yakima with these things in mind?

There will probably still be lots of snow on trails
 

Here are photos I took yesterday in the Cascades, at Snoqualmie Pass, at an elevation of almost 4,000 ft. It has been a snowy Winter, and we got a foot of snow in the mountains last week. So, you should expect snow on the trails at places like Paradise and Sunrise.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eaadae6a7.jpeg
Summit Central ski area, at Snoqualmie Pass
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab3702bfe.jpeg
Snoqualmie Pass
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...93ae6f327.jpeg
Snoqualmie Pass

Road trip finished. A big thanks for the help.
 

We have just returned from our trip and had a fantastic time. Our 2 nights at Paradise lodge were so delightful and the weather was great.

One comment about getting from Hood River to Paradise lodge though. We took google maps route on 141 to Randle and it was in places a horrible road, bringing us to a crawl for an extended period of time. We had no cell service most of the time and felt very uneasy. We passed on 2 cars the entire time on 141. If we had car trouble we would have been stranded for no telling how long. I would never travel that road.

Thanks to everyone for the help.

p s. While we didn’t see a lot of green in The Palouse, we did have beautiful yellows and don’t regret our timing so as to enjoy Mt Rainier and Mt St Helens.