The next time you’re considering a hike or just a drive to Mount Rainier National Park, skip Paradise, go to the northeast corner and drive to Sunrise, which opened last weekend.
At 6,400 feet, Sunrise is the highest point accessible by car and offers a reach-out-and-touch view of the 14,441-foot mountain. But that’s only the beginning of the why-to-go list:
Road time: The roller-coaster drive from Highway 410, starting at the White River entrance, offers better views of the peak than the Nisqually or Carbon entrances. Stop first at Sunrise Point turnout for a more-or-less 180-degree view of Rainier and the Cascades.
People: There’s usually elbow room at Sunrise, unlike Paradise, where the parking lot looks like it’s the day after Thanksgiving at the mall. Sunrise is certainly busy in the summer but with the bulk of Rainier between it and the urban population centers of Western Washington, visitors more often opt for Paradise.
Weather: Frequent weather changes are the norm but the weather fronts move in from the west and much is blocked by Rainier. The result is a drier environment and more cloud-free days than Paradise. At Paradise, Rainier’s peak may disappear in fog and clouds while the view from Sunrise is unimpeded.
Wildflowers: Sunrise’s alpine meadows are spectacular in late July, although it’s hard to argue with the sheer number of wildflowers within easy walking distance of the Paradise Visitor Center.
Visitor Center: To me, Paradise’s visitor center always felt like a misplaced prop from “Star Trek.” Sunrise’s 1930s rustic approach fits better into its environment, and the main picture window shows of all of Mount Rainier, unlike Paradise.
Several good day hikes start out of Sunrise’s parking area. Pick up a trail guide at the visitor center.
Shadow Lake Trail: Descend a short distance to the rim overlooking the White River Valley and up to Mount Rainier. Follow the rim to Shadow Lake and have lunch. It’s a 3-mile round-trip.
Sourdough Ridge Trail: The 1-mile loop trail goes through fragile subalpine meadows. The reward after a gentle climb is a view of Mount Rainier and looks at Mount Baker, Glacier Peak and Mount Adams.
Mount Fremont Lookout Trail: The trail follows Sourdough Ridge to Frozen Lake, then climbs to the fire lookout site for great views of Rainier and the Cascades to the north and east. You’ll gain about 1,200 feet; the round-trip hike is 51/2 miles long.
Although not out of Sunrise, one of my favorites on this side of the mountain is the Emmons Moraine Trail out of the upper end of the White River Campground.
Start on the Glacier Basin Trail, once a road to a mining camp (Starbo) along a valley carved out by the Emmons Glacier. You will soon be walking on one of the world’s largest mudflows, the Osceola, which oozed through the valley about 5,600 years ago – all the way to Puget Sound.
In an easy mile, take the Emmons Moraine Trail for a half-mile, across a branch of the White River, into the valley and across the moraine, a jumble of loose sand and rocks left behind when the glacier retreated. At the overlook, stare into the toe of the Emmons Glacier and up at Mount Rainier’s summit.
If you go, it’s a 21/2 to 3-hour drive from Everett. From I-405, go south on Highway 167 to Highway 410 and east to the White River Entrance and the Sunrise turnoff. Open now through September. Information: Mount Rainier National Park, 360-569-2211; White River Wilderness Information Center, 360-663-2273.
Columnist Sharon Wootton can be reached at 360-468-3964 or www.songandword.com.
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