Mount Rainier National Park, Ashford

It is a beautiful park but it can quickly be ruined by a speeding ticket by the park rangers or officers. The speed limit is 25 in some parts and up to 45 inn others. The officers are ZEALOUS on writing tickets & have to go to federal court to fight it. They cut no slack.

This place is magical! A simple peak jetting out 14,000 feet above sea level. We stayed at the cozy Paradise Inn (as high as you can drive) with an old time feeling and some serious charm. Seeing fresh snow on the ground was quite a thrill as well as a trek to glacier viewpoint. This place is not to be missed!

I loved the waterfalls at Mount Rainier. Many of them are easily accessible as they are right off the highway, but many of the best are a short hike. My favorite was Myrtle Falls. I got a photo of the falls with the green meadows behind it and a full view of Mount Rainier looming in the background. It's a short hike from the Paradise Visitor Center and only accessible in the summer because of snow. I also loved Christine Falls and Narada Falls. In addition to the waterfalls, I also enjoyed the Ohanapecosh area. It's not as crowded so was a lot more peaceful. We hiked the 1 mile Grove of the Patriarchs where my kids got to cross a rickety suspension bridge, skip stones by a small creek and marvel at the towering 1000 year old Fir and Western Cedar trees. Just a great shady hike during a hot day. The only part that wasn't fun was walking in the snow without good boots in the higher elevations. There's snow at the Paradise Visitor Center even in June and as early as October. We saw many tourists with twisted ankles trying to walk in their dress shoes and we had to step very carefully. Next time -- I'll make sure I bring good hiking shoes for tramping around in snow.

Was not crowded - will go to again when back in town.

Amazing experience! Offers many types of recreation. You can drive through and enjoy all of the beauty the park has, but I highly suggest hiking the park so you can fully experience the beauty this park offers! Like most parks, this one can get pretty populated around the main areas but by getting out on foot the crowds decrease as the park opens up to you.