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Mount Rainier National Park

Introduction Nisqually Entrance to Sunbeam Creek Stevens Ridge to Sunrise Related Links

Mount Rainier slide show
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Introduction

I had two and a half problems at Mount Rainier.

The first, was with the resort I had booked. They lost my reservation. Their complete cluster fu... Uh... They didn't use a computerized system, but pencil and paper. Lesson learned. Always bring your reservation confirmation letter.

While I was compensated for the room, I still lost some 4 hours of valuable tourist time straightening this mess out, that could have been spent in the park. You can probably find my angry review on TripAdvisor, lol. (Evidently, I was not the only person they'd done that to.)

To add insult to injury, they gave me the wrong directions to the replacement hotel, which was really a B&B. I had to convince them I didn't want the breakfast.

Mount Rainier National Park Map
Cropped map of Mount Rainier National Park. Click for a larger view.
The second problem I had, started about 1,000 miles before, when I cracked an exhaust pipe when I had to park on a farmfield in Montana. (See Pompeys Pillar for more details, lol.)

So not only was my car making noise, but it was even worse climbing up the switchbacks into the mountains. How embarrasing.

The half problem, was the clouds that covered Mt. Rainier. All the time I was there, I only saw the peak once, and that was on I-90 going into Seattle.

Nisqually Entrance to Sunbeam Creek

Nisqually Entrance
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Christine Falls / Nisqually River
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Narada Falls / Sunbeam Creek
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Stevens Ridge to Sunrise

Stevens Ridge
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Box Canyon of the Cowlitz
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Sunrise Ridge
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Related Links

Olympic National Park
Olympic NP Link

Olympic National Park's centerpiece is Mount Olympus, home of the Thunderbird. Its peak is an honest 8000 feet (well almost), and by honest I mean the base of Mt. Olympus is at sea level. Even better, the Western edge of the park is the Pacific Ocean, so there are true rain forests which gets more than 12 feet of rain per year.

With postcard worthy scenery that can be found anywhere in the park, it belongs in my must visit park list.
Northwest Washington / 85 Images. Visited Jul 2006.
Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument
Mt. St. Helens NVO Link

Mount St. Helens NVM is a US Forestry Site, and proof that the earth is still angry in this part of the world. All you need to see is the trees which still litter the land, all facing away from the volcano.

We got there as the visitors center was closing, having spent some time at the lookouts along the way. Had we known, we could have gone to the visitors center first, then the view points, but no...
Near Castle Rock, Washington / 30 Images. Visited Jul 2006.

Mount Rainier Trip Report: Jul 2006.

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