yk - you have the best trip reports! Your observations along with cost etc. are so beneficial to anyone considering a similar trip. I was in Seattle and some of the areas you are writing about not too long ago and it's fun to revisit!
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kalo I'm not surprised because I think the tours are mostly geared towards guests staying at the Lodge, so not sure if they even advertise it? It's offered on the Aramark's ONP website but you still have to dig around to find it. The boat tours are seasonal (Memorial Day thru Labor Day) while the RF bus tour is year-round. The "bus" is actually just a van and seats at most 16? On our tour there were 9 of us, a very manageable number. Originally Posted by kalo
Thanks for taking the time to report on your trip. We live about two hours south of Forks, WA, so have been in the area you traveled numerous times. In all our times being at or near the Lake Quinault Lodge area, we never heard about the lake tours. The morning tour sounds great to us and we will try to get reservations sometime in September, when there might be fewer people. Your trip reports are very helpful - even to people like us who live nearby! (Can't believe we've never heard about these lake tours!) Thanks again!
Our guide also said that a couple of years ago, the Quinault tribe caught some non-tribal people fishing on the lake, which is not permitted. Only tribe members can fish in Lake Quinault. As a penalty/warning, the tribe shut down the lake for 2 years to all outsiders, which meant no boat tours, no canoe/kayak rentals, to show that they are serious about no fishing on their lake.
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mare0520 Thanks for your kind words! This also serves as a record for myself too. I consider myself an "average" Fodors traveler - not too frugal but also not too extravagant! I don't penny-pinch but I am also aware of how much things cost without going overboard. While I don't set a specific budget for each trip, it's fascinating to me that at the end of each trip, the average costs tend to come out fairly consistent, whether it's an overseas trip (high airfare but lower lodging/food costs) or domestic trip (low airfare but higher lodging/food costs + rental car)Originally Posted by mare0520
yk - you have the best trip reports! Your observations along with cost etc. are so beneficial to anyone considering a similar trip. I was in Seattle and some of the areas you are writing about not too long ago and it's fun to revisit!
Everything is wonderful, yk, but your day 4 shots are especially amazing.
Hubs and I found hotel laundry usually too expensive. We never found a laundry mat as fast as yours but did meet some folks. Local wash n fold services worked best for us.
I don't want this TR to end.
Hubs and I found hotel laundry usually too expensive. We never found a laundry mat as fast as yours but did meet some folks. Local wash n fold services worked best for us.
I don't want this TR to end.
yk - We had read that Hurricane Ridge was closed but it sounds like you got in! Do you have to get a metered ticket in advance. We will investigate more, we are camping for 7 nights in Sol Duc and plan on visiting Hurricane Ridge
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Tdiddy12 Yes we were lucky with our trip. Hurricane Ridge was closed a week after our visit due to the mountain lion attack, which is really surprising and obviously horrific, given that it occurred in middle of the afternoon at a very heavily trafficked area! Also around that same time was the petroleum spill in Port Angeles requiring the whole city to "do not use tap water" for 24 hours.Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
yk - We had read that Hurricane Ridge was closed but it sounds like you got in! Do you have to get a metered ticket in advance. We will investigate more, we are camping for 7 nights in Sol Duc and plan on visiting Hurricane Ridge
The metered admission basically means the rangers at the entrance station set a timer for each entry. When we were at Hurricane Ridge, when it was our turn at the entry, the ranger told us we had to wait 40 seconds until the timer goes off before we could proceed. Obviously how long they set the timer for depends on how crowded it is in the parking area. I recommend you either go early (before 9am if possible), or go late (after 3 or 4pm?), and avoid weekends! Otherwise, just be prepared for a wait at the entrance station.
If you aren't planning on hiking the Hurricane hill trail, but rather doing hiking near the Visitors Center, you can consider taking the shuttle bus from Port Angeles. The shuttle bus skips the line. https://www.clallamtransit.com/HurricaneRidge
As you can see from this map https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvis...a-brochure.htm the shuttle bus only goes to the first Parking area where the visitors center is. The Hurricane Hill trailhead starts at the second P (the loop on the left), which is 1.5 miles from the shuttle bus stop. If you are fine with sightseeing and hiking from the VC (ie, Big Meadow Loop, High Ridge Trail etc), the bus will be more convenient. Hope this helps
July 16, Day 6, from Quinault to Mount Rainier
It's our Final morning in Quinault area of the Olympic NP. I woke up early, and since our room patio door opens directly to the Lawn of the Lodge, I was able to sneak out without waking up my son and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the lake and the grounds. There were a few other folks up at that hour, drinking coffee and reading book on the Adirondack chairs. But besides that, it was just me and silence. When my son finally got up, we had our unhealthy trans fat breakfast of danish and room coffee out on the lawn. Our patio actually has chairs but our room (documented on my TA review) is the only "lakeview" room that doesn't have a view due to a tree and tall hedges blocking the view. You can see the lake if you stand up, but not if you're sitting on the outdoor chairs.
Our morning is fairly leisurely because the Rain Forest tour doesn't start until 9:30am, which gives us plenty of time to have breakfast, pack, load the car, and check out. The tour guide is the same guy as the boat tour, something he did inform us about the day before, so some (maybe 25%?) of the things he talked about was the same we had heard. The "bus" is actually a van and seats I believe 16? There were 9 of us that morning, with 4 of us on the boat tour the day before. Although the tour website says it is 3 hours long, it is quite flexible , depending on how fast or slow the group wants to move. Because of the closure of the South Shore Road, we had to backtrack, adding probably an extra 20 minutes. There are 4 stops on the tour: Merriman Falls, World's Largest Sitka Spruce, July Creek Loop, and Kestner Homestead & Maple Glade Trail. Besides the history we learned the day before, on this tour we learned a lot more about the flora of the area. He also pointed out and picked a bunch of berries for us to try: salmonberry, huckleberry, thimbleberry, and wild raspberries. At the Homestead, there is a sheltered picnic area, and the tour includes boxed sandwiches so we ate lunch there, before walking the maple glade trail. Because none of us were in a hurry, our tour lasted 4 hours.
One thing I hadn't realize until the tours is that the Lodge technically is located outside of the NP. Only the north shore of the lake belongs to the NP, the South shore belongs to various entities, depending on where. At the Lodge area, I get ZERO cell signal; TBH I don't think I was aware of it before we arrived, and at the Lodge you are allowed 90 minutes of free wifi per device, per day. Once you start the 90 minutes, it is continuous, then you get cut off. It really is a place for people to disengage from their devices and enjoy the nature. We see plenty of families with children and the kids would be swimming, playing board games, playing lawn games, basically anything but staring at a screen. Also when we checked in, we were given a map of surrounding trails (all of which are outside of the national park). Because of the way I scheduled our visit with the guided tours, we had no time to explore on our own. I think i wouldn't mind spending an extra night here (except for the $$$$$) so that we can do some hiking nearby, perhaps rent a kayak or swim in the lake. There is also a fisheries nearby that one can visit.
I really love the Lodge, despite no a/c, no wifi, and very expensive. FDR visited this area and dined at the restaurant (now named Roosevelt Dining Room). There is a framed menu from the lunch he was served in October 1937. The following year he designated the Olympic area a National Park.
We finally left Quinault around 2:30pm and began the drive to Packwood, WA, which is just south of Mt Rainier NP. I fueled up our car half-way for cheaper gas. The drive is not interesting but traffic was smooth. It took about 3.5 hrs with us arriving around 6pm at Packwood Lodge. Despite its proximity to Mt Rainier, Packwood sits at 1000' elevation. It was the last day of heat wave and temps was still 90F at 6pm. Luckily our hotel has a/c but the restaurant we picked did not! There are only a handful of eateries in Packwood and most look crowded, except for a Mexican restaurant called Nacho's Mexican which my son chose. It was very hot and stuffy inside and I feel bad for the staff. My son got 2 tacos while I got their tripe soup and a green salad. I was sweating the entire time. Dinner was $40
There is a grocer in Packwood and we stopped by to get more to-go sandwiches for the following day. Happy to return to our hotel room with excellent a/c.
~ End of Day 6 ~
It's our Final morning in Quinault area of the Olympic NP. I woke up early, and since our room patio door opens directly to the Lawn of the Lodge, I was able to sneak out without waking up my son and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the lake and the grounds. There were a few other folks up at that hour, drinking coffee and reading book on the Adirondack chairs. But besides that, it was just me and silence. When my son finally got up, we had our unhealthy trans fat breakfast of danish and room coffee out on the lawn. Our patio actually has chairs but our room (documented on my TA review) is the only "lakeview" room that doesn't have a view due to a tree and tall hedges blocking the view. You can see the lake if you stand up, but not if you're sitting on the outdoor chairs.
Our morning is fairly leisurely because the Rain Forest tour doesn't start until 9:30am, which gives us plenty of time to have breakfast, pack, load the car, and check out. The tour guide is the same guy as the boat tour, something he did inform us about the day before, so some (maybe 25%?) of the things he talked about was the same we had heard. The "bus" is actually a van and seats I believe 16? There were 9 of us that morning, with 4 of us on the boat tour the day before. Although the tour website says it is 3 hours long, it is quite flexible , depending on how fast or slow the group wants to move. Because of the closure of the South Shore Road, we had to backtrack, adding probably an extra 20 minutes. There are 4 stops on the tour: Merriman Falls, World's Largest Sitka Spruce, July Creek Loop, and Kestner Homestead & Maple Glade Trail. Besides the history we learned the day before, on this tour we learned a lot more about the flora of the area. He also pointed out and picked a bunch of berries for us to try: salmonberry, huckleberry, thimbleberry, and wild raspberries. At the Homestead, there is a sheltered picnic area, and the tour includes boxed sandwiches so we ate lunch there, before walking the maple glade trail. Because none of us were in a hurry, our tour lasted 4 hours.
One thing I hadn't realize until the tours is that the Lodge technically is located outside of the NP. Only the north shore of the lake belongs to the NP, the South shore belongs to various entities, depending on where. At the Lodge area, I get ZERO cell signal; TBH I don't think I was aware of it before we arrived, and at the Lodge you are allowed 90 minutes of free wifi per device, per day. Once you start the 90 minutes, it is continuous, then you get cut off. It really is a place for people to disengage from their devices and enjoy the nature. We see plenty of families with children and the kids would be swimming, playing board games, playing lawn games, basically anything but staring at a screen. Also when we checked in, we were given a map of surrounding trails (all of which are outside of the national park). Because of the way I scheduled our visit with the guided tours, we had no time to explore on our own. I think i wouldn't mind spending an extra night here (except for the $$$$$) so that we can do some hiking nearby, perhaps rent a kayak or swim in the lake. There is also a fisheries nearby that one can visit.
I really love the Lodge, despite no a/c, no wifi, and very expensive. FDR visited this area and dined at the restaurant (now named Roosevelt Dining Room). There is a framed menu from the lunch he was served in October 1937. The following year he designated the Olympic area a National Park.
We finally left Quinault around 2:30pm and began the drive to Packwood, WA, which is just south of Mt Rainier NP. I fueled up our car half-way for cheaper gas. The drive is not interesting but traffic was smooth. It took about 3.5 hrs with us arriving around 6pm at Packwood Lodge. Despite its proximity to Mt Rainier, Packwood sits at 1000' elevation. It was the last day of heat wave and temps was still 90F at 6pm. Luckily our hotel has a/c but the restaurant we picked did not! There are only a handful of eateries in Packwood and most look crowded, except for a Mexican restaurant called Nacho's Mexican which my son chose. It was very hot and stuffy inside and I feel bad for the staff. My son got 2 tacos while I got their tripe soup and a green salad. I was sweating the entire time. Dinner was $40
There is a grocer in Packwood and we stopped by to get more to-go sandwiches for the following day. Happy to return to our hotel room with excellent a/c.
~ End of Day 6 ~
Peace and tranquility at Lake Quinault in the morning
Looking back at the Lodge from the beach front
Inside the lodge lobby
Salmonberry
World's largest Sitka spruce tree (my son for size comparison). The circumference of the tree is almost 59 feet
On the Maple Glade Trail - lots of mosses, not unlike Hoh but with 1% of the crowd
yk - Thank you for the great information. We will be traveling North from Los Angeles, crossing over at Salem, Oregon to visit family at Manzanita Beach on the Oregon Coast. Our next stop is camping at Willaby Campground, which is just down the road from the Lake Quinault Lodge. After reading your TR, the Lodge that may be a dinner stop! We are actually heading clockwise, some of the same stops you did but in reverse order. I haven't finished your TR yet, but if no one has mentioned it, you get a giant Kudoos for taking your son on this trip. I think Nature is the best gift you can give a young person and I have no doubt he will remember this trip forever.
Sounds like another wonderful experience to share with your son. Enjoy every minute you both will remember.
thanks for bringing us along for the ride
thanks for bringing us along for the ride
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Tdiddy12 That sounds like a great trip! Have a wonderful time. Apart from the Lodge, there is the Salmon house Restaurant at Rain Forest Resort Village right next to the Lodge. I heard their food is good too. Also on the grounds at the Resort Village is the world's largest sitka spruce tree.Originally Posted by Tdiddy12
yk - Thank you for the great information. We will be traveling North from Los Angeles, crossing over at Salem, Oregon to visit family at Manzanita Beach on the Oregon Coast. Our next stop is camping at Willaby Campground, which is just down the road from the Lake Quinault Lodge. After reading your TR, the Lodge that may be a dinner stop! We are actually heading clockwise, some of the same stops you did but in reverse order. I haven't finished your TR yet, but if no one has mentioned it, you get a giant Kudoos for taking your son on this trip. I think Nature is the best gift you can give a young person and I have no doubt he will remember this trip forever.
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thanks for bringing us along for the ride
Thank you for your kind words as always, oldemalloy ! I am lucky to have him as my travel companion!Originally Posted by oldemalloy
Sounds like another wonderful experience to share with your son. Enjoy every minute you both will remember.thanks for bringing us along for the ride
July 17, Day 7, Sunrise in Mount Rainier
We have 1.5 days to spend in Mount Rainier before flying home. The 2 most visited areas of Mt Rainier NP is Sunrise (NE of the mountain) and Paradise (south). I wanted to visit both, so I have us visit Sunrise on our first day, and Paradise on the second day before driving back to SeaTac for our red eye flight home.
Packwood is an easy base for visiting Sunrise area; a 1-hr drive if no construction. But of course there is construction currently, and this year Mt Rainier requires timed entry reservation to visit Sunrise. (Last year they required timed entry for both Sunrise and Paradise). Because I was dithering on my itinerary, I didn't request our timed entry until June 1, for July 17. By June 1, all the morning entries were gone, so I got the 1p-3p entry window ($2), which means we have the morning free.
Thanks to WTA app/website, I searched for hikes nearby and found Naches Peak Loop trail (3.2 miles; 600 ft elev gain) which is near the White River Junction entrance station to Sunrise. We ate our instant oatmeal breakfast (our room has a microwave), packed and loaded up the car once again, and set off. There is road construction on Rt 123 and the NP website has warned visitors about a delay of up to 30 minutes. We didn't actually have this long of a delay, but I lost my cell signal & GPS so we got lost a bit trying to find the trailhead.
We started the Naches Peak Loop hike around 9:30am and were immediately swarmed by mosquitos. We covered ourselves head to toe with DEET and still got bitten through fabric. The trail is very pretty but the mosquitoes were just super annoying, swarming us every time we paused to take photos. I was pretty excited to see the wildflowers blooming, and the second half of the trail has a great view of Mt Rainier (if you hike clockwise direction). It took us about 2 hours to complete the loop, and we ended up eating our sandwich lunch inside the car with the car running and a/c on, otherwise we would be eaten alive by mosquitoes if we attempted to sit and eat outside. I felt really guilty about this but I had already gotten at least a dozen bites.
It was around 12noon when we finished lunch, and yet we still have another hour to go before our 1pm Sunrise entry time. Meanwhile, i was fretting the entire morning because while I'm usually a good planner and very detail-oriented, I had completely forgotten to download the Entry Pass QR code from the confirmation email. Of course there is zero cell service inside the park and I was not able get any connection at all. UGH!!! I didn't want to drive all the way back to civilization just to get cell service (esp when there is construction delay), so I just hoped for the best, praying that the park ranger will let us in.
Then a miracle happened! Literally 50 yards from the Entrance Station, there is one spot that I got 3 bars on my phone, and voila, able to download the QR code. I apologized to the ranger that we were early for our entry; he was good-natured and let us in, telling us "just this time!" Well, it's not like we will be back anytime soon
Because of the controlled entry, finding parking at Sunrise was not a problem at all. We went to the visitors center to get a junior ranger booklet for my son, and asked the ranger for hike suggestions. Originally I planned for us to hike the Sourdough Ridge to Frozen Lake (3 miles; 500 ft elev gain), but TBH we were a bit tired from our morning hike and didn't feel like tackling another 3-mile hike. The ranger recommended Silver Forest Trail instead (1.8 miles out-and-back) which gives a nice view of the Emmons glacier. We took upon her advice as I needed to save my energy for more hiking the next day. Since Sunrise is at a higher elevation, the mosquitoes were much less of an issue. A family of 4 and us were passing each other back and forth on the trail, and when we got to the end, I struck up a conversation with them. They were visiting from israel and spending several weeks In PNW and British Columbia. While we were chatting their teenage daughter spotted an animal 20 yards away... a marmot! That was pretty cool. The trail also has plenty of wildflowers, and yes, a good view of the Emmons glacier.
We got back to our car around 3:30pm and began our drive to Paradise, where we are staying for our final night. The ranger said it is a 2-hr drive but with light traffic, we made it in 90 minutes. As I said earlier, there is timed entry reservation for Sunrise this year but not for Paradise. And I'm not sure if that was wise decision, cuz at 5pm, Paradise is still packed to the gills with people fighting for parking spots! I suppose the visitors who weren't able to get timed entry for Sunrise all ended up at Paradise. Worse still, there is no dedicated parking for Paradise Inn guests, so you have to fight for a parking spot like everyone else.
I left our car right in front of the Inn (the loading zone) to check in, then dropped off my son and luggage with him at a luggage cart, while I drove off in search for a parking spot. Luckily I found one not far as someone was leaving (this was now 5:30pm). Got up to our room, dropped off our luggage, and we quickly returned to the on-site restaurant for dinner. They do not take reservations at all, only first-come-first serve. We were given a beeper and were seated 20 minutes later. In the meantime we checked out the big airy lobby of Paradise Inn. The lampshades for the hanging lights in the lobby are all different — each one has a drawing of a native flowering plant. I believe the gift shop has a book on the lampshades.
If I thought the Roosevelt Dining Room at Lake Quinault Lodge was expensive, Paradise Inn restaurant was even pricier. My son had the burger (this must have been his 6th burger on this trip), while I opted for the PNW foraged mushroom pasta. These were the 2 cheapest entree on the menu. our server tried to upsell me a protein for my pasta - either King Prawns or Salmon. I inquired about the salmon and he assured me that it is sourced from a local tribe, so I agreed to get the add-on for $15. The salmon was really good and I was surprised both of us cleaned our plates. I guess all that hiking worked up an appetite. Our bill, 2 entrees + extra salmon, no drinks, no dessert was $93.
There is a coffee shop inside the Inn that sells pastries, coffee, to-go sandwiches, as well as ice cream. So we went there after dinner to check out ice cream options. Turns out they only have soft serve for $6.50. I managed to convince my son that it's not worth $6.50 for mediocre soft serve.
So a little about lodging within Mt Rainier. There are 2 lodges: National Inn in Longmire, and Paradise Inn in Paradise. When I first planned this trip in late March, the first lodging I looked for is at Mt Rainier. In late March, the only room available was a single Queen w/private bath at National inn, which i booked. Over the course of the next 2 months, I periodically checked for cancellations, and finally 2 months later in late May, a room at Paradise opened up, and I switched, even though the room at Paradise is 2 twins w/ shared bathroom. I was willing to give up a ensuite room in National Inn for a shared bathroom room in Paradise because of the location. I know we wanted to hike the Skyline Loop on our last day, whose trailhead is right at Paradise. I don't want to stay in national Inn and then have to drive 30 minutes to Paradise, hunt for a parking spot etc before setting off to hike. Especially because we are in a time crunch on our last day - we needed to leave Paradise by 3pm and I was expecting a 5-hr hike. Anyway, after I secured the 2-twin room with shared bath at Paradise, I continued to check the website periodically for cancellations, up until the day before, but nothing else ever became available.
So here we were, in our hot & stuffy little twin-bedded room at Paradise Inn. There is no a/c, only a fan, and a small window with an unsecured screen. We placed the fan on the desk directly in front of the window to draw in some cooler air. That night we ended up sleeping with windows and curtains wide open to keep the room cool - the in-room temperature dropped from 77F when we went to bed to 75F in the morning, even though the outdoor temp in the morning was in the 50sF. Good thing I packed eye mask and ear plugs for the trip!
Meanwhile after dinner we went to shower in the shower stalls. Okay when I booked this I convinced myself that the shared bathrooms and showers probably look like the ones at Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone. We toured the Old Faithful Inn last summer (our room has private bath) and got to see the shared facilities and they were grand and beautiful. Well, at Paradise Inn, it was nothing of that sort. There are only 2 showers for an entire hallway of rooms (maybe 20 rooms?), and 1 bathroom (2 stalls) for TWO hallways. I'd say they were barely passable and I was glad we were only staying for 1 night. Our guest room provided toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, so that was a nice gesture, but the shared facilities are just meh at best. Our room comes with a tiny sink but not even a single shelf, so I have to put my toiletries bag on the bed. I have a much more detailed review posted on Tripadvisor. Bottom line is, we survived 1 night and I was glad we were only staying for 1 night.
~ End of Day 7 ~
We have 1.5 days to spend in Mount Rainier before flying home. The 2 most visited areas of Mt Rainier NP is Sunrise (NE of the mountain) and Paradise (south). I wanted to visit both, so I have us visit Sunrise on our first day, and Paradise on the second day before driving back to SeaTac for our red eye flight home.
Packwood is an easy base for visiting Sunrise area; a 1-hr drive if no construction. But of course there is construction currently, and this year Mt Rainier requires timed entry reservation to visit Sunrise. (Last year they required timed entry for both Sunrise and Paradise). Because I was dithering on my itinerary, I didn't request our timed entry until June 1, for July 17. By June 1, all the morning entries were gone, so I got the 1p-3p entry window ($2), which means we have the morning free.
Thanks to WTA app/website, I searched for hikes nearby and found Naches Peak Loop trail (3.2 miles; 600 ft elev gain) which is near the White River Junction entrance station to Sunrise. We ate our instant oatmeal breakfast (our room has a microwave), packed and loaded up the car once again, and set off. There is road construction on Rt 123 and the NP website has warned visitors about a delay of up to 30 minutes. We didn't actually have this long of a delay, but I lost my cell signal & GPS so we got lost a bit trying to find the trailhead.
We started the Naches Peak Loop hike around 9:30am and were immediately swarmed by mosquitos. We covered ourselves head to toe with DEET and still got bitten through fabric. The trail is very pretty but the mosquitoes were just super annoying, swarming us every time we paused to take photos. I was pretty excited to see the wildflowers blooming, and the second half of the trail has a great view of Mt Rainier (if you hike clockwise direction). It took us about 2 hours to complete the loop, and we ended up eating our sandwich lunch inside the car with the car running and a/c on, otherwise we would be eaten alive by mosquitoes if we attempted to sit and eat outside. I felt really guilty about this but I had already gotten at least a dozen bites.
It was around 12noon when we finished lunch, and yet we still have another hour to go before our 1pm Sunrise entry time. Meanwhile, i was fretting the entire morning because while I'm usually a good planner and very detail-oriented, I had completely forgotten to download the Entry Pass QR code from the confirmation email. Of course there is zero cell service inside the park and I was not able get any connection at all. UGH!!! I didn't want to drive all the way back to civilization just to get cell service (esp when there is construction delay), so I just hoped for the best, praying that the park ranger will let us in.
Then a miracle happened! Literally 50 yards from the Entrance Station, there is one spot that I got 3 bars on my phone, and voila, able to download the QR code. I apologized to the ranger that we were early for our entry; he was good-natured and let us in, telling us "just this time!" Well, it's not like we will be back anytime soon
Because of the controlled entry, finding parking at Sunrise was not a problem at all. We went to the visitors center to get a junior ranger booklet for my son, and asked the ranger for hike suggestions. Originally I planned for us to hike the Sourdough Ridge to Frozen Lake (3 miles; 500 ft elev gain), but TBH we were a bit tired from our morning hike and didn't feel like tackling another 3-mile hike. The ranger recommended Silver Forest Trail instead (1.8 miles out-and-back) which gives a nice view of the Emmons glacier. We took upon her advice as I needed to save my energy for more hiking the next day. Since Sunrise is at a higher elevation, the mosquitoes were much less of an issue. A family of 4 and us were passing each other back and forth on the trail, and when we got to the end, I struck up a conversation with them. They were visiting from israel and spending several weeks In PNW and British Columbia. While we were chatting their teenage daughter spotted an animal 20 yards away... a marmot! That was pretty cool. The trail also has plenty of wildflowers, and yes, a good view of the Emmons glacier.
We got back to our car around 3:30pm and began our drive to Paradise, where we are staying for our final night. The ranger said it is a 2-hr drive but with light traffic, we made it in 90 minutes. As I said earlier, there is timed entry reservation for Sunrise this year but not for Paradise. And I'm not sure if that was wise decision, cuz at 5pm, Paradise is still packed to the gills with people fighting for parking spots! I suppose the visitors who weren't able to get timed entry for Sunrise all ended up at Paradise. Worse still, there is no dedicated parking for Paradise Inn guests, so you have to fight for a parking spot like everyone else.
I left our car right in front of the Inn (the loading zone) to check in, then dropped off my son and luggage with him at a luggage cart, while I drove off in search for a parking spot. Luckily I found one not far as someone was leaving (this was now 5:30pm). Got up to our room, dropped off our luggage, and we quickly returned to the on-site restaurant for dinner. They do not take reservations at all, only first-come-first serve. We were given a beeper and were seated 20 minutes later. In the meantime we checked out the big airy lobby of Paradise Inn. The lampshades for the hanging lights in the lobby are all different — each one has a drawing of a native flowering plant. I believe the gift shop has a book on the lampshades.
If I thought the Roosevelt Dining Room at Lake Quinault Lodge was expensive, Paradise Inn restaurant was even pricier. My son had the burger (this must have been his 6th burger on this trip), while I opted for the PNW foraged mushroom pasta. These were the 2 cheapest entree on the menu. our server tried to upsell me a protein for my pasta - either King Prawns or Salmon. I inquired about the salmon and he assured me that it is sourced from a local tribe, so I agreed to get the add-on for $15. The salmon was really good and I was surprised both of us cleaned our plates. I guess all that hiking worked up an appetite. Our bill, 2 entrees + extra salmon, no drinks, no dessert was $93.
There is a coffee shop inside the Inn that sells pastries, coffee, to-go sandwiches, as well as ice cream. So we went there after dinner to check out ice cream options. Turns out they only have soft serve for $6.50. I managed to convince my son that it's not worth $6.50 for mediocre soft serve.
So a little about lodging within Mt Rainier. There are 2 lodges: National Inn in Longmire, and Paradise Inn in Paradise. When I first planned this trip in late March, the first lodging I looked for is at Mt Rainier. In late March, the only room available was a single Queen w/private bath at National inn, which i booked. Over the course of the next 2 months, I periodically checked for cancellations, and finally 2 months later in late May, a room at Paradise opened up, and I switched, even though the room at Paradise is 2 twins w/ shared bathroom. I was willing to give up a ensuite room in National Inn for a shared bathroom room in Paradise because of the location. I know we wanted to hike the Skyline Loop on our last day, whose trailhead is right at Paradise. I don't want to stay in national Inn and then have to drive 30 minutes to Paradise, hunt for a parking spot etc before setting off to hike. Especially because we are in a time crunch on our last day - we needed to leave Paradise by 3pm and I was expecting a 5-hr hike. Anyway, after I secured the 2-twin room with shared bath at Paradise, I continued to check the website periodically for cancellations, up until the day before, but nothing else ever became available.
So here we were, in our hot & stuffy little twin-bedded room at Paradise Inn. There is no a/c, only a fan, and a small window with an unsecured screen. We placed the fan on the desk directly in front of the window to draw in some cooler air. That night we ended up sleeping with windows and curtains wide open to keep the room cool - the in-room temperature dropped from 77F when we went to bed to 75F in the morning, even though the outdoor temp in the morning was in the 50sF. Good thing I packed eye mask and ear plugs for the trip!
Meanwhile after dinner we went to shower in the shower stalls. Okay when I booked this I convinced myself that the shared bathrooms and showers probably look like the ones at Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone. We toured the Old Faithful Inn last summer (our room has private bath) and got to see the shared facilities and they were grand and beautiful. Well, at Paradise Inn, it was nothing of that sort. There are only 2 showers for an entire hallway of rooms (maybe 20 rooms?), and 1 bathroom (2 stalls) for TWO hallways. I'd say they were barely passable and I was glad we were only staying for 1 night. Our guest room provided toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, so that was a nice gesture, but the shared facilities are just meh at best. Our room comes with a tiny sink but not even a single shelf, so I have to put my toiletries bag on the bed. I have a much more detailed review posted on Tripadvisor. Bottom line is, we survived 1 night and I was glad we were only staying for 1 night.
~ End of Day 7 ~
View seen on Naches Loop trail (not pictured, 10 gazillion mosquitoes)
View of Mt Rainier from second half of Naches Peak Loop (if you go clockwise)
Emmons glacier vista from Silver Forest Trail
Wildflowers blooming everywhere
Red one is called paintbrush
My foraged mushroom pasta with extra salmon
Paradise Inn Lobby with the wildflower lampshades
Our small twin room (rivals the small hotel rooms in Japan). Bathrobes and slippers provided for rooms with shared baths.
July 18, Day 8, Paradise Mt Rainier - hiking the Skyline Trail, then home
Our final day on the trip and it's THE big day, hiking the Skyline Loop Trail. But first, breakfast! When i booked the Paradise Inn, I went ahead to get the "breakfast in Paradise" package which includes buffet breakfast (my son qualifies for the child price). I know food options is limited in the area and also the rooms at the Inn don't have coffee maker or mini-fridge. Breakfast opens at 7am and is buffet-style. We were there right at 7am and were the only diners. The buffet breakfast is okay, your usual hot food options such as oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon. they also have blinis and french toast in the hot food section. And then there's yogurt, fresh fruit, breads. We tried to load up as much as possible ahead of our big hike.
Despite eating breakfast at 7am, we only managed to get to the Skyline Loop Trailhead at 8:20am. This is after packing up, checking out, going to the coffee shop to buy a lunch sandwich, filling our water bottles & camelbak reservoir, and loading our luggage into the car. At the 8am hour, the Paradise parking lot is pretty full, and lots of people at the trailhead. Basically we were hiking up with a continuous group, no matter what pace we went at. It's probably the most popular hike at Mt Rainier. The loop is 5.5 miles with 1700 feet elev gain. The NPS website estimates a hiking time of 4.5 hrs; knowing myself, I gave us 5 hours.
From the very start, the hike is extremely scenic. If you follow the loop clockwise, the first half is steep uphill (2 miles to the highest point) but you are facing Mt Rainier the entire time and it makes you forget how steep the trail is! The wildflowers are also in bloom, and marmots are out. And when you stop to take a break and turn around, the view behind is just as stunning. You may remember we went hiking in Berner Oberland in Switzerland and in Mont Blanc in Chamonix last summer; I would say the scenery here rivals that of last year. Again, just like yesterday at Sunrise, we are at a higher elevation and the mosquitos were not bad.
Given the elevation, parts of the trail is still snow-covered and can get slippery, so the later you can go in the summer, the better. When I read the trip reports on WTA website, even the week prior to our arrival, people were still recommending traction device on their shoes. We didn't find that necessary today, but I was definitely glad I had my trekking poles which helped immensely with balance (and later on the downhill). It took us 2 hours to get to the highest point (~ 2 miles in). The view is spectacular! Not only we could see Mt Adams and Mt St Helens, we even could see Mt Hood in Oregon in the far distance.
Since it was only 10:30am we thought that was too early to eat lunch, so we kept hiking. Coming down on the loop, around the 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock segment of the loop (high Skyline Trail), is the snowiest and required a bit of scrambling. After that, it's just nonstop downhill, and this part is less scenic, the landscape more rocky than alpine meadows on the uphill segment. Before we know it, we were back down at the Paradise Inn in exactly 4 hours. I must say I was super surprised we completed the hike so quickly, even less than the NPS estimate. I hardly think I was above average based on how young and fit the other hikers were.
We carried our lunch on the trek for no good reason; we found an outdoor table on the porch at the Inn and ate our sandwich ($15 for a small but delicious italian cured meat sandwich that we shared). Since we didn't need to leave for another 2 hours, we wandered over to the Visitors center for my son to collect his junior ranger badge, browsed the shop (bought our obligatory travel souvenir: an xmas ornament), and watched the park film. I decided that I could use a power nap before driving the 2+ hours back to SeaTac, so we wandered back to the Paradise Inn and I napped on one of the very comfy sofas in the lobby.
We could have stopped at Longmire (there is a museum, and the National Park Inn) but I think we were just ready to head home. The drive to SeaTac was not very interesting; at some point we pulled over to a roadside stall and bought more rainier cherries. The drive took around 3 hours (some traffic close the city, and with stopping to fill up gas before returning the car). The airport shuttle taking us from the rental car facility back to the terminal was swift, unlike the nightmare that is called Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport. Unsurprisingly, our JetBlue flight is delayed which gave us plenty of time to find the airport lounge. SeaTac can be confusing with its N & S terminal and gates; as they are interconnected with several different shuttle trains. Luckily there are volunteers on the platforms who are experts in spotting confused travelers and offered their help with directions.
Once air bound, our JetBlue flight home was fast; only 4.5 hrs flying east back to Boston.
~ End of Day 8; end of trip ~
Our final day on the trip and it's THE big day, hiking the Skyline Loop Trail. But first, breakfast! When i booked the Paradise Inn, I went ahead to get the "breakfast in Paradise" package which includes buffet breakfast (my son qualifies for the child price). I know food options is limited in the area and also the rooms at the Inn don't have coffee maker or mini-fridge. Breakfast opens at 7am and is buffet-style. We were there right at 7am and were the only diners. The buffet breakfast is okay, your usual hot food options such as oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon. they also have blinis and french toast in the hot food section. And then there's yogurt, fresh fruit, breads. We tried to load up as much as possible ahead of our big hike.
Despite eating breakfast at 7am, we only managed to get to the Skyline Loop Trailhead at 8:20am. This is after packing up, checking out, going to the coffee shop to buy a lunch sandwich, filling our water bottles & camelbak reservoir, and loading our luggage into the car. At the 8am hour, the Paradise parking lot is pretty full, and lots of people at the trailhead. Basically we were hiking up with a continuous group, no matter what pace we went at. It's probably the most popular hike at Mt Rainier. The loop is 5.5 miles with 1700 feet elev gain. The NPS website estimates a hiking time of 4.5 hrs; knowing myself, I gave us 5 hours.
From the very start, the hike is extremely scenic. If you follow the loop clockwise, the first half is steep uphill (2 miles to the highest point) but you are facing Mt Rainier the entire time and it makes you forget how steep the trail is! The wildflowers are also in bloom, and marmots are out. And when you stop to take a break and turn around, the view behind is just as stunning. You may remember we went hiking in Berner Oberland in Switzerland and in Mont Blanc in Chamonix last summer; I would say the scenery here rivals that of last year. Again, just like yesterday at Sunrise, we are at a higher elevation and the mosquitos were not bad.
Given the elevation, parts of the trail is still snow-covered and can get slippery, so the later you can go in the summer, the better. When I read the trip reports on WTA website, even the week prior to our arrival, people were still recommending traction device on their shoes. We didn't find that necessary today, but I was definitely glad I had my trekking poles which helped immensely with balance (and later on the downhill). It took us 2 hours to get to the highest point (~ 2 miles in). The view is spectacular! Not only we could see Mt Adams and Mt St Helens, we even could see Mt Hood in Oregon in the far distance.
Since it was only 10:30am we thought that was too early to eat lunch, so we kept hiking. Coming down on the loop, around the 1 o'clock to 2 o'clock segment of the loop (high Skyline Trail), is the snowiest and required a bit of scrambling. After that, it's just nonstop downhill, and this part is less scenic, the landscape more rocky than alpine meadows on the uphill segment. Before we know it, we were back down at the Paradise Inn in exactly 4 hours. I must say I was super surprised we completed the hike so quickly, even less than the NPS estimate. I hardly think I was above average based on how young and fit the other hikers were.
We carried our lunch on the trek for no good reason; we found an outdoor table on the porch at the Inn and ate our sandwich ($15 for a small but delicious italian cured meat sandwich that we shared). Since we didn't need to leave for another 2 hours, we wandered over to the Visitors center for my son to collect his junior ranger badge, browsed the shop (bought our obligatory travel souvenir: an xmas ornament), and watched the park film. I decided that I could use a power nap before driving the 2+ hours back to SeaTac, so we wandered back to the Paradise Inn and I napped on one of the very comfy sofas in the lobby.
We could have stopped at Longmire (there is a museum, and the National Park Inn) but I think we were just ready to head home. The drive to SeaTac was not very interesting; at some point we pulled over to a roadside stall and bought more rainier cherries. The drive took around 3 hours (some traffic close the city, and with stopping to fill up gas before returning the car). The airport shuttle taking us from the rental car facility back to the terminal was swift, unlike the nightmare that is called Las Vegas Harry Reid Airport. Unsurprisingly, our JetBlue flight is delayed which gave us plenty of time to find the airport lounge. SeaTac can be confusing with its N & S terminal and gates; as they are interconnected with several different shuttle trains. Luckily there are volunteers on the platforms who are experts in spotting confused travelers and offered their help with directions.
Once air bound, our JetBlue flight home was fast; only 4.5 hrs flying east back to Boston.
~ End of Day 8; end of trip ~
30 minutes into the hike. This view makes you forget the steep climb
Looking back is just as gorgeous
Lots of wildflowers, but I was told it's nowhere near peak
30 minutes into the hike. This view makes you forget how steep the climb is
Turn around and the view is just as gorgeous
Wildflowers everywhere but I was told this is nowhere near peak blooming
One of the several marmots we saw. They are completely unbothered by people
The steady stream of hikers heading up to panorama point
More wild flowers
View from Panorama point - easy to see Mt Adams (left) and Mt St Helens (right). Faintly in the distance just to the right of Mt Adams is Mt Hood
Our souvenirs from this trip
I thought this trip went as well and as smoothly as it could, given my short planning period. Because of my son's summer camp schedule, our dates were pretty much fixed.
Seattle
Beautiful city - of course we visited on a gorgeous summer day so we might be biased. We seriously short-changed the city and would love to return and dedicate more time for the city and surrounding areas. It is pretty expensive for what we did, but I'm sure there are ways to save if we were more flexible.
Olympic NP
I have mixed feelings about the NP. Yes, you all did warn me about all the driving and the crowds, and I had anticipated that, given that we visited during the peak of peak tourist season! We were in the park for 3 full days + 2 half days (4 overnights) which allowed us to see the *major* sights. The major sights are all quite crowded, with the exception of Second Beach and Quinault RF. Eg, destinations like Hurricane Hill, Sol Duc Falls, Hoh RF all require you to drive 30-45 minutes into the parking area, and the popular trails are 1-2 miles, so they get very very crowded. These places do have longer hikes, but with all that driving, we just didn't have the time to do any of the long hikes before we have to drive to the next destination. Maybe that's the reason why my most favorite memories of Olympic NP are the ones on Second Beach (esp with the negative low tide/ tide pooling) and at Lake Quinault (tranquil and peaceful). Perhaps May or September will be a better time to visit, fewer crowds but still outside of the rainy season? ONP gets A LOT of rain during the rainy season and I don't think I want to visit then either!
Mount Rainier NP
It is truly stunning! As I said, I thought the views rival that of Swiss/French Alps. I believe later July / early August has even more wildflower blooms. Once again, we had limited time and could only hit the most popular trails. I think I wouldn't mind staying for at least 1 more night so we can explore the less popular trails, though I would prefer to stay in a room with private bathroom.
Overall, I am glad we made this trip, esp since I hadn't planned visiting this area until earlier this Spring. But if your schedule is flexible and not restricted by school holidays, I most definitely recommend visiting outside of the peak summer months.
Seattle
Beautiful city - of course we visited on a gorgeous summer day so we might be biased. We seriously short-changed the city and would love to return and dedicate more time for the city and surrounding areas. It is pretty expensive for what we did, but I'm sure there are ways to save if we were more flexible.
Olympic NP
I have mixed feelings about the NP. Yes, you all did warn me about all the driving and the crowds, and I had anticipated that, given that we visited during the peak of peak tourist season! We were in the park for 3 full days + 2 half days (4 overnights) which allowed us to see the *major* sights. The major sights are all quite crowded, with the exception of Second Beach and Quinault RF. Eg, destinations like Hurricane Hill, Sol Duc Falls, Hoh RF all require you to drive 30-45 minutes into the parking area, and the popular trails are 1-2 miles, so they get very very crowded. These places do have longer hikes, but with all that driving, we just didn't have the time to do any of the long hikes before we have to drive to the next destination. Maybe that's the reason why my most favorite memories of Olympic NP are the ones on Second Beach (esp with the negative low tide/ tide pooling) and at Lake Quinault (tranquil and peaceful). Perhaps May or September will be a better time to visit, fewer crowds but still outside of the rainy season? ONP gets A LOT of rain during the rainy season and I don't think I want to visit then either!
Mount Rainier NP
It is truly stunning! As I said, I thought the views rival that of Swiss/French Alps. I believe later July / early August has even more wildflower blooms. Once again, we had limited time and could only hit the most popular trails. I think I wouldn't mind staying for at least 1 more night so we can explore the less popular trails, though I would prefer to stay in a room with private bathroom.
Overall, I am glad we made this trip, esp since I hadn't planned visiting this area until earlier this Spring. But if your schedule is flexible and not restricted by school holidays, I most definitely recommend visiting outside of the peak summer months.
