Paradise Meadows & Skyline Trailhead

hiked on 10/10, still some fall colors and hailed at the summit. great views even though none of rainier. october is always a toss up so don’t plan your visit too far ahead of time! also the trail i will say was harder than i assumed it would be, and the trail was slightly difficult to follow in some rocky patches. but overall very well maintained and a great hike!

There was a lot of people I recommended to wear hiking boots everyone I saw a lot wearing sneaker while hiking. We were lucky and saw a goat, we went the last few days of summer the sun was beaming hot but the closer you are to the mountains the cooler and parking was difficult to find a spot.

Though challenging for someone who doesn’t hike often from Florida I would do this trail a million times for these crazy views! We saw a few mountain goat and a couple marmot! It was a clear day and we could see Mt St Helen and Mt Cook from the trail!! Perfect day! Take your time on the incline. Decline hurt my toes cuz my feet kept sliding forward. I need better boots.

This is one of the most beautiful trail I have hiked on. It was very tiring since almost all the entire trail was a climb uphill but it was worth it. I hiked up to panorama point and went back. There was a lot of snow. I also saw many marmots, especially in the meadow area along with many squirrels and chipmunks. Very wonderful hike!

The Skyline Loop is unforgettable, it's so gorgeous!!! I started on the Western side and made my way up to Panorama Point for some awesome views, but the Eastern half of the loop was so out-of-this-world. Switchbacks coming down from the snowy, rocky peak through alpine meadows busy with butterflies, multiple waterfalls... It's unreal. Best to get there early in the day (8am or earlier) because parking is super crowded, but it's absolutely worthwhile even if you're there at peak times. And if you don't want to do the full 5.6 mile loop, Myrtle Falls is a nice little section of it!!

The trail for us was pretty foggy and cloudy, so we weren't able to see much off in the distance. No epic views. But the fog did add its own kind of beauty to the landscape. We got up to a high point and the clouds were coming and going and we were able to see Rainier right there in front of us. So that was pretty cool. The way down though the fog was a lot thicker, so there was even less views, so I'm glad we did the whole loop. We went counterclockwise on the trail and it was fairly easy for a couple miles until you hit the rocky inclines!! That's when my legs started to really feel it! The last 1/2 mile or so of the trail downhill was rough. Our legs were already pretty tired so walking down a steep, paved decline made our feet and shins hurt! We did Naches trail the day before, which is a pretty easy hike, so do the easy hikes first!!! Cause if you're not in super shape you will be sore after Skyline! We came during peak season, so getting there early was a must! Even at 6am parking spots were filling in. The wildflowers were such a beautiful touch to the landscape! The wildlife in the park are very people friendly. It was almost like they were purposely making the perfect poses for photos! Lol. The chipmunks are super friendly, probably because people feed them, but be careful cause they will bite your finger! Lol

Difficult trail but worth it if you can handle it. At the top you will see a beautiful view of Mt St Helens. Wildflowers were spectacular! I found going down difficult at times, as there was a lot of loose gravel. Waterfalls, wildlife, and views are one of a kind. If you have the capability, you should go the entire way up! But you can still go part way up and see some great scenery!

Skyline Trail is pretty easy to walk. You can reach the waterfall in just 30 minutes, and the slope isn’t too steep. For Paradise Meadows, I only did about a quarter of the trail since the second half still had snow, and you need better gear to keep going. The full trail takes around six hours, and many experienced hikers carry overnight equipment. Even without finishing it, the views were amazing. Mount Rainier is super beautiful and definitely worth the climb to enjoy the scenery and build a snowman. At the visitor center, you can buy some ski gear and ask the staff for trail recommendations, which are really helpful. You can also refill your water bottle there.