ExploringEyes

Washington state has three national parks and undoubtly some best hikes with amazing views. I have explored two of them and absolutely loved exploring the nature and wild life in the these national parks. First one is Mount Rainier National park, famous for the Mount Rainier peak, and the second one is Olympic National park, famous for its lush rainforests and view of the cascade mountains.

Mount Rainier National Park

It is about 100 miles southeast of Seattle and takes ~2 hrs drive to reach from Seattle. Mount Rainier stands more than 14,000 feet tall and is covered with more than two dozen glaciers. It is the tallest peak in the Cascade Range.

You must book the time entry before going to Mount rainier.

May 24 through September 2  timed entry reservations are required to enter the Paradise Corridor on the south side of the park from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

July 4 through September 2  timed entry reservations are required to enter the Sunrise Corridor on the northeast side of the park from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm.

The park is open 24/7 and visitors may enter timed entry reservation areas before 7:00 am or after 3:00 pm without a reservation.

Skyline Trail Loop

We decided to take the skyline trail loop.It is the main route for hiking out of Paradise, Mount Rainier’s south side hub and most popular destination, providing visitors a unique opportunity to experience the breathtaking beauty of Washington’s grandest mountain.

Depart from the Paradise parking lot and locate the trailhead behind the Jackson Visitor Center. The crosshatched system of trails heading out of Paradise is intricate, so make sure to stop by the visitor center to pick up a map, Proceed north, following signage for the Skyline Trail

It was all covered in snow during the last week of May (during Memorial Day weekend), be prepared to come with Crampons to walk on the snowy terrain , we have seen few people wearing snow shoes as well. We were unable to complete the full loop because of not carrying any shoe tractions 😦 Will come back again between July to September to do the entire Skyline trail loop.

I have heard In peak season (July and August) the hike along the Skyline Trail will be filled with views of cascading waterfalls, mighty glaciers and subalpine meadows brimming with colorful splashes of lupines, mountain heather, scarlet paintbrush, cascade asters and bistort.

Longmire Area Trails

In the visitor center we were told that if we are looking for a hike with a view of Mt. Rainier but without any snow on the ground we can head down to the Longmire area and take the Rampart Ridge trail , or can take a scenic hike to Carter and Madcap falls.

We have decided to park the car at the Longmire museum , and through the Trail of shadows , we took the Rampart ridge trail and came back following the Wonderland trail to the Longmire museum. The hike is bit steep, so take your time 🙂 , you will get an absolutely gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier in this hike

After this we drove back to Seattle. On the way we stopped at the “Banaras” Indian restaurant in Bellevue. They serve all vegetarian food , but it’s was Lipsmackingly delicious. Perfect way to refuel after a long day of hiking.

https://www.banarasbellevue.com

I absolutely loved the Jackfruit biriyani and Soya chap.

Olympic National park

It is ~100 miles and takes uptight ~2.5 hours driving from Seattle. Named for Mount Olympus, it deemed fit to be the home of gods, Olympic National Park seems a likely spot for deities to settle. It has luminous peaks, lush rain forests, and a stretch of wild beaches, all contained on a peninsula across the water from Seattle.

The visitor center is at Port Angeles , so if you are looking for accommodation , you will find good options in Port Angeles. Our first stop was Hurricane Ridge , located about 17 miles south from Port Angeles (in the northern part of the park). Best way to get there is to park your car at Port Angeles parking lot and take the park shuttle to Hurricane ridge . If you like to drive to hurricane ridge, try to get there around 8 am, or else you can get stuck for 3-4 hours in the entrance .

Hurricane Hill Hike

Hurricane Hill trail is one of the most rewarding hikes in the park. We started the hike from the Hurricane Hill parking lot, if you are driving your own car try to arrive early in the morning to guarantee your spot . This trail is 3.2 miles round trip and includes an elevation gain of about 650 feet. When you reach a junction, take the path to the right to the jaw-dropping Hurricane Hill viewpoint. You’ll be admiring and snapping photos of the gorgeous views during the entire hike! The hike is steep but the view is very rewarding . We have seen few wild animals Deer and Beaver on the way.

There are other hikes in this area as well. If you have time you can do “Sunrise point” trail, 0.2-mile round trip hike that branches off from High Ridge Trail. You can also do Obstruction Point trail via Deer Park trailhead , it’s a ~14 mile hike, but you turn around anytime, such as when you reach Elk Mountain. In addition to the sweeping mountain views, you will probably see deer, wildflowers and patches of snow all year round.

Hoh Rainforest

Next day we went to explore the Hoh rainforest. The Hoh lies on the west side of Olympic National Park, about a two-hour drive from Port Angeles.

The Hoh Rain Forest, pronounced “Hoe”, earns its name from the ever-flowing Hoh River that carves its way from Mount Olympus towards the Pacific Coast. 

if you are visiting it during long weekend, be ready to wait in the entrance for an hour , as it can get really crowded.

There are multiple trails to take , here are couple of them.

The Hall of Mosses Trail (.8 miles/ 1.2 km) is an iconic loop that takes you through old growth forest and features a grove of maple trees draped with abundant club moss.

The Hoh River Trail is the area’s main hiking trail. This out-and-back trail can be taken as far as one desires. Taken all the way, it leads past multiple camping areas, the last being Glacier Meadows at 17.3 miles (27.8 km), and ultimately ends 18.5 miles/ 30 km out at the Blue Glacier moraine looking up at Mt. Olympus.For those wanting to explore this area as a day hike, there are additional popular turn-around points along the trail.

5 mile Island (5.0 miles/ 8.0 km one way)

First River access (0.9 miles/ 2.9 km one way)

Mineral Creek Falls (2.7 miles/ 4.3 one way)

Cedar Grove (4.0 miles/ 6.4 km one way)

We hiked until the Mineral creek falls and turned back. The hiking was through lush green rainforest with trees draped with different formation of mosses. You will feel you are transported into an enchanted forest.