Pick a short Mount Rainier National Park hike for old-growth forest, open meadows, or a waterfall. Start with Trail of the Shadows when the mountain is in the clouds, or save Nisqually Vista and Myrtle Falls for a day…
Items 16 The creator’s order
1 Nisqually Vista Trail Paradise’s paved 1.2-mile walk gains about 200 feet and leads to views across the Nisqually River valley and glacier. Take the loop clockwise if you want to reach the outlooks sooner. The lower parking lot start has stairs. 0 2 Myrtle Falls from Paradise Start near the Paradise visitor center for a paved walk through the meadow to Edith Creek. The falls are about a mile round trip, with the mountain behind them on a clear day. The descent to the lower view is steeper than the main walk. 0 3 Trail of the Shadows This 0.7-mile Longmire loop skirts a meadow near historic mineral springs. Choose it when the mountain is hidden in clouds or you want to break up the drive to Paradise with a lower-elevation walk. 0 4 Twin Firs Trail A 0.4-mile loop west of Longmire gives you a quick look at big Douglas firs, western hemlocks, and western red cedars. Choose this one for the forest itself. There is no need to wait for a clear mountain view. 0 5 Tipsoo Lake Loop A half-mile lakeside loop follows mostly hard-packed dirt near Chinook Pass. Look for seasonal wildflowers and a mountain reflection when the water and sky cooperate. This is the shorter choice at the pass if you are saving your legs. 0 6 Kautz Creek Boardwalk The short boardwalk near the Nisqually entrance leads to a viewpoint for a creek and the debris landscape it cuts through. Pick it for a brief low-elevation stop where the scenery makes the mountain’s effect on the valleys easy to see. 0 7 Box Canyon Loop The half-mile loop crosses a narrow slot canyon where the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz runs far below the bridges. It is a short change of scene after the high meadows. Enjoy the view from the bridge railings. 0 8 Silver Falls via the Eastside Trail For the short out-and-back, park at the Grove of the Patriarchs trailhead when the road is open. Cross Stevens Canyon Road to the Eastside Trail and walk about a mile round trip to see the Ohanapecosh River drop into its gorge. This route reaches the falls without using the closed trail across the… 0 9 Narada Falls Viewpoint Walk A short path drops below the roadside parking area for a view back at the waterfall. The grade is steeper than the distance suggests, and spray can make footing slippery. Choose it if you want a waterfall close to the car and can manage the climb back. 0 10 Bench Lake from Stevens Canyon Road Use the Bench and Snow Lakes trailhead east of Reflection Lakes when Stevens Canyon Road is open. Turn around at Bench Lake for about 1.5 miles total, with short climbs over low ridges. It makes a good step up from a roadside viewpoint without committing to the longer walk to Snow Lake. 0 
Nisqually Vista TrailParadise’s paved 1.2-mile walk gains about 200 feet and leads to views across the Nisqually River valley and glacier. Take the loop clockwise if you want to reach the outlooks sooner. The lower parking lot start has stairs.0
Myrtle Falls from ParadiseStart near the Paradise visitor center for a paved walk through the meadow to Edith Creek. The falls are about a mile round trip, with the mountain behind them on a clear day. The descent to the lower view is steeper than the main walk.0
Trail of the ShadowsThis 0.7-mile Longmire loop skirts a meadow near historic mineral springs. Choose it when the mountain is hidden in clouds or you want to break up the drive to Paradise with a lower-elevation walk.0
Twin Firs TrailA 0.4-mile loop west of Longmire gives you a quick look at big Douglas firs, western hemlocks, and western red cedars. Choose this one for the forest itself. There is no need to wait for a clear mountain view.0
Tipsoo Lake LoopA half-mile lakeside loop follows mostly hard-packed dirt near Chinook Pass. Look for seasonal wildflowers and a mountain reflection when the water and sky cooperate. This is the shorter choice at the pass if you are saving your legs.0
Kautz Creek BoardwalkThe short boardwalk near the Nisqually entrance leads to a viewpoint for a creek and the debris landscape it cuts through. Pick it for a brief low-elevation stop where the scenery makes the mountain’s effect on the valleys easy to see.0
Box Canyon LoopThe half-mile loop crosses a narrow slot canyon where the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz runs far below the bridges. It is a short change of scene after the high meadows. Enjoy the view from the bridge railings.0
Silver Falls via the Eastside TrailFor the short out-and-back, park at the Grove of the Patriarchs trailhead when the road is open. Cross Stevens Canyon Road to the Eastside Trail and walk about a mile round trip to see the Ohanapecosh River drop into its gorge. This route reaches the falls without using the closed trail across the…0
Narada Falls Viewpoint WalkA short path drops below the roadside parking area for a view back at the waterfall. The grade is steeper than the distance suggests, and spray can make footing slippery. Choose it if you want a waterfall close to the car and can manage the climb back.0
Bench Lake from Stevens Canyon RoadUse the Bench and Snow Lakes trailhead east of Reflection Lakes when Stevens Canyon Road is open. Turn around at Bench Lake for about 1.5 miles total, with short climbs over low ridges. It makes a good step up from a roadside viewpoint without committing to the longer walk to Snow Lake.0