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Begin your virtual tour of Mount Rainier National Park by clicking on any of the above entry points,
and follow roads or trails through a network of linked images.
Mount Rainier, the tallest mountain in Washington, is a dormant volcano. It stands 14,410 feet tall and it's summit covers a whole square mile, tipped at the rim by three peaks remaining from the volcanic crater. Below this, thirty-five miles of the mountain's steep upper slopes are covered by glaciers and rocky outcroppings. This impressive cone stands some 8,000 feet above the shoulders of the surrounding mountains, which provide the mountain with a backdrop of green forested slopes.
With one hundred or more inches of precipitation falling annually at Mount Rainier, streams and waterfalls dot its lower slopes. Thick mossy forests grow up to about 4,500 feet in elevation and beautiful alpine meadows cover areas just above that. The most famous and popular of these alpine meadow areas was named Paradise on account of it's many brooks, waterfalls and abundant flowering plants.
Hazard Stevens and P. N. Van Trump first climbed to the summit in 1870. It was designated a national park in 1899 and covers 235,625 acres. 1.2 million people visit the park annually. Nearly 5,000 visitors make the climb to the summit each year.
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