


Learn about glaciers. Discover life in a rainforest. Hike the Wonderland Trail. Explore subalpine ecology. Watch clouds shroud the mountain and disappear. Visit a rustic historic building. Dream about climbing to the summit. Study geology. Experience a mountain meadow. Listen to a glacier crack. Observe the wildlife...and wonder!
Mount Rainier is an active Cascade volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and glacial ice. The 14,410’ mountain is surrounded by lush old growth forests, spectacular subalpine meadows and a National Historic Landmark District that showcases the "NPS Rustic" style architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.
A Pacific maritime climate characterized by rainy, mild winters and cool, dry summers controls northwest weather patterns. Mountain weather is very changeable. Wet, cold weather can occur anytime of the year. While late-July and August can be the driest, warmest time of the year, summer can also be wet and cool.