🍁 October Trip to Mt. Rainier National Park 🏔

We recently took a fall road trip to Mt. Rainier National Park. 🏔 The scenic vistas were awe-inspiring and far exceeded our expectations! There's nothing that surpasses a hike in the crisp autumn air. 🍂
We arrived on a Saturday afternoon and the traffic at the Ashford entrance was atrocious. We were in line for over two hours and the rangers at the gate said it had been like that all day. Be prepared! We did pass Stevens Canyon Entrance and noticed no traffic so maybe go in on that side if you can. On the second day we did arrive at the park around 8AM and the wait was under 45 minutes even though we stayed just a few miles from the entrance! We would totally recommend this Airbnb in Ashford: www.airbnb.com...
Maybe plan a longer stay so you could use all of the amenities like the fire pit and jacuzzi!
We would also suggest making reservations at the Ukrainian restaurant in Ashford. We enjoyed a lovely meal and their borsch was delicious! 🍲
The next day we hiked the Naches Peak Loop Trail. 🏞 Again, the traffic and parking there was horrible. The trail was a little crowded, but not too bad. Lots of people travel from around the world to enjoy Mt. Rainier National Park. It felt like we were in Europe again hearing so many languages spoken along the way. There were many times when the poeple dispersed and it felt like we had the trail to ourselves, too. Overall, the hike is moderately hard and has an elevation gain of 700 feet. It took us about 3 hours to hike the 3.2 mile loop. Well worth it for the gorgeous green lakes, views of Mt. Rainier and surrounding mountain ridges.
All in all this was an epic quick trip! Washington is so beautiful and we cant wait to explore more!!
Thank you for being here. We'll see you on our next adventure! 🧭
www.thiswanderfullife.net

[@OldFatAndAlone]

I need to make it up there... Maybe next spring. Beautiful shots and great fall colors! Thank you.

[@this_wanderful_life]

It will be cool to see your POV 📷 I bet the wildflowers will be beautiful!