Mount Rainier: Paradise and Chinook Pass

Driving

by Plot Along: Cascades

A grand tour of Mount Rainier's south and east sides, from the town of Eatonville up to Paradise and on over Chinook Pass. About 87 miles of state highways and park roads: SR-706 in through the Nisqually Entrance, the climb to Paradise at 5,400 feet, then Stevens Canyon Road east and SR-410 north over the 5,430-foot Chinook Pass. The mountain itself, a 14,410-foot active volcano, is in view for much of the drive.

Paradise is the classic destination, a subalpine meadow basin famous for its summer wildflowers and the historic 1917 Paradise Inn. Longmire, just inside the Nisqually Entrance, is the park's original headquarters, with a small museum and the National Park Inn. Along Stevens Canyon Road the route passes Reflection Lakes, where the peak mirrors in still water on a calm morning, the Box Canyon of the Cowlitz, and the old-growth cedars of the Grove of the Patriarchs. It ends at Chinook Pass, where a log footbridge carries the Pacific Crest Trail over the highway above the alpine bowl of Tipsoo Lake.

The road to Paradise is plowed and open year-round, but Stevens Canyon Road and Chinook Pass on SR-410 close with the snow, typically from late fall until late spring, so the full through-route only connects in the warmer months. Ashford is the last reliable fuel and food before the Nisqually Entrance, and there are no gas stations inside the park. Timed-entry reservations may apply to the Paradise corridor in peak summer.

Learn more: nps.gov

Eatonville
A small logging and farm town southwest of the mountain, the start of the drive. It sits on SR-161 with fuel and food and the Northwest Trek wildlife park nearby, the last town of any size before the foothills.
Elbe
A tiny crossroads town where SR-7 meets SR-706, the Mountain Highway into the park. The roadside visitor information stand here marks the turn toward Rainier. Elbe is known for the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad steam depot and a tiny 1906 Lutheran church, one of the smallest in the country.
Nisqually Entrance
The historic southwest entrance to Mount Rainier National Park, marked by a rustic log arch. The oldest and busiest of the park's gates, and the only one open year-round.
Longmire
The park's original headquarters, developed around the mineral springs James Longmire claimed in the 1880s. Now a small museum, the National Park Inn, and a wilderness information center sit among old-growth trees just inside the entrance.
Paradise
The heart of the drive, a subalpine meadow basin at about 5,400 feet, famous for its summer wildflowers and big-mountain views. Home to the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and the historic 1917 Paradise Inn.
Paradise Valley Road
A one-way scenic road that drops east from Paradise down the Paradise Valley to rejoin Stevens Canyon Road, the natural exit from the Paradise loop. Wildflower meadows and mountain views on the way down.
Reflection Lakes
A pair of small lakes on Stevens Canyon Road that mirror the summit of Rainier on a calm, clear morning. One of the most photographed spots in the park, with a roadside pullout.
Box Canyon
A narrow, deep slot where the Cowlitz River has cut a gorge through solid rock, crossed by the road on a short bridge. A pullout and a quick loop walk look down into the canyon.
Grove of the Patriarchs
A stand of ancient western red cedar, Douglas fir, and hemlock, some over 1,000 years old, on an island in the Ohanapecosh River. The trailhead is at the junction with SR-123 near the Stevens Canyon Entrance.
Tipsoo Lake
A small alpine lake ringed by wildflower meadows just below Chinook Pass, with the summit of Rainier rising behind it. A loop trail and a picnic area sit right off SR-410.
Chinook Pass
The 5,430-foot eastern gateway to the park and the end of the drive. A rustic log footbridge carries the Pacific Crest Trail over the highway here, and the pass closes with SR-410 through the winter.

Eatonville

Elbe

Nisqually Entrance

Longmire

Paradise

Paradise Valley Road

Reflection Lakes

Box Canyon

Grove of the Patriarchs

Tipsoo Lake

Chinook Pass