Why you need ‘Luck’ to be able to see Mount Rainier

It was in 2014 that we first visited Mount Rainier National Park. It was late May. Spring had arrived in most parts of the state. Mt. Rainier (and some other spots in the Evergreen State), however, seemed to be holding on to the wet winter. We encountered some showers on our way to the Paradise area of the park. The air was fresh and there was some fog in the atmosphere too. I must say — it was a very heavenly drive. We made photo stops at Alder Lake and several waterfalls along the way. And when we got to Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center, we found that it wasn’t one of the park’s best days. There was still a lot of snow left, and the trails were closed. The worst part of it was that the fog was so thick up there that not even a bit of the largest volcano of the Cascade Range was visible. 

Fast forward to 2019, and we were back there. This time in the summer – towards the very end of July, to be precise. This time around, we hit the road to the highest accessible point by car to get to Sunrise (an area in the park).  

Sunrise

On the way to Sunrise Visitor Center, we made a stop at Sunrise Point Lookout on Sunrise Park Road. There I spotted a green and ethereal looking Sunrise Lake and I remember putting up a picture on social media and saying — I cannot get over the beauty of this lake. 🙂 (You should see it for yourself.👇🏽)

This stop was supposed to give us a view of the volcano but we could see only a part of the mountain as there were some thick clouds at the summit, that day. 

My guide book had told me that Mount Rainier, being one of those places in the lower 48 states that has glaciers on its mountain slopes, had the capability of making its own clouds. As such, the volcano can be covered for days or weeks.

You might as well come mentally prepared for that. And if that be the case, dear tripper, try to enjoy the waterfalls and other attractions in the park. 

Sunrise at Mt. Rainier National Park

At Sunrise, we hit the trail and did a short hike on Sunrise Rim Trail and Emmons Nature Vista Trail just to buy some more time, hoping to see the top of the volcanic mountain. We even checked in at a couple of vista points. Alas! there seemed to be no luck there. I was reminded of the time we were at Mt. St. Helens (another volcano on the same mountain range), waiting for a cloud to move and show us the very top of the collapsed volcano. We had loitered around there hoping for the best and finally gave up, and decided to head home. On the way back down the mountains, lady luck took pity on us and moved that cloud a little bit so that we could see the top of the damaged crater. The drive away from Mt. Rainier was quite unlike that drive back from Helens. There was no chance we’d see the mountain that day. It was too cloudy at the summit.

The Third Time’s the Charm?

The next morning while we were leaving our inn at Crystal Mountain, the NPS website suggested that it was all clear near Mt. Rainier for some time that morning. So I managed to coax the hubby into making a detour to the Paradise area on our way south.

We had come a long way to see the Cascade’s Largest Volcano and we got our first glimpse of it at a clearing on the road to Steven’s Canyon! In the two minutes that we were there, I actually watched a delicate cloud take form and spread around. And I thought the sight was over. We drove on a little further and almost half an hour later, we stopped at Reflection Lake to take in a clear and clean view of the mountain. The cloud had moved away from the summit. Fearing new clouds would block the view before we could get to Paradise, I took some pictures of Mt. Rainier and squeezed in a couple of selfies too. 

Thankfully, things were pretty much the same when we got to Paradise. This time at Paradise I saw that iconic combination of wildflowers in the foreground and Mount Rainier in the background. Ah! What a dreamy sight! The one I’d come to see in 2014 and left — utterly disappointed!

Mount Rainier at last!

What you need to know before you go to see Mount Rainier

• I repeat — Mt. Rainier makes its own clouds. They can move in around the summit of the mountain and can hamper your view of the largest volcano of the Cascade Range.
• If you miss the sight of the volcanic mountain, see if you can stay a little longer (a few hours / or another day, maybe) to catch sight of it.
• If you are staying outside the park, you could keep an eye on the situation by checking on what the park cameras show. You’ll find them on the official site of the National Park.
• In case luck is not on your side and you feel you don’t have the time to stay back, there are a lot of other attractions — waterfalls, lakes, hiking trails and wildflowers in summer — you might want to go check out. (Not being able to see Mount Rainier can be quite a bummer, I know. 😐)

The scenic route to Mt. Rainier
Mt. St. Helen’s: Following the Lava Path back up to the Volcano
Volcanoes of the Cascade Range
Volcanic Sites

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