Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paradise Inn and newly-renovated Jackson visitor center, which contains an intriguing ar-
ray of mountain-related exhibits.
7.
Stevens Canyon Road
Beginning at Inspiration Point, an overlook that affords an impressive view of Mt. Rainier,
this beautiful road scales canyon walls, skirts lakes and waterfalls, winds south and then
north again along Backbone Ridge, and ends in the park's southeastern corner. Along the
way are the glacier-gouged Reflection Lakes, so named because their still surfaces provide
clear mirror images of Rainier's gleaming summit. Where Stevens Canyon Road crosses
the Cowlitz River, churning water has etched a deep chasm in the volcanic rock. A bridge
spans the narrow gorge, which is known as Box Canyon. From the top of the bridge, visit-
ors can gaze at the roiling river some 180 feet below.
8.
Ohanapecosh
Near the Stevens Canyon entrance to the park, two trails invite visitors to stroll through
the stately old-growth forest of the Ohanapecosh River valley. The Grove of the Patriarchs
TrailwindsforamileandahalfthroughstandsofenormousDouglasfir,westernhemlock,
and western red cedar that are believed to be some 1,000 years old. Another rewarding
trail is the three-mile loop to Silver Falls, where the waters of the Ohanapecosh River gush
through a slot in ancient volcanic rock and then plunge into a deep, turbulent pool.
9.
Sunrise
Beyond the park's White River entrance, an especially scenic spur zigzags upward and
emerges on subalpine meadows at Sunrise, the highest point in the park accessible by car.
Although more remote than Paradise, its sister attraction on the other side of the mountain,
Sunrise is less crowded and has more spectacular views of Mt. Rainier and the neighbor-
ing Cascades. Its most prominent vista takes in nearly four-mile-long Emmons Glacier, the
largest glacier in the lower 48 states. Botanical exhibits and a scale model of Mt. Rainier
are featured at the Sunrise visitor center.
10.
Mather Memorial Parkway
After twisting and turning downhill from Sunrise, the drive reconnects with Rte. 410,
known as Mather Memorial Parkway. Following this route south and turning east at lofty
Cayuse Pass, the drive eases along hairpin turns to Tipsoo Lake, a gemlike, glacier-carved
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