Hiking the Skyline Loop Trail: Mount Rainier’s Most Beautiful Trail!

Mount Rainier National Park is arguably one of the most beautiful national parks in the United States. And even with hundreds of trails to choose from, the Skyline Loop Trail might just beat them all!

Yes, this trail is popular and can get quite busy.  But if you hike the trail in the early morning, or the evening, you’ll be able to enjoy the beauty without the crowds.

So let’s jump into all the details about hiking the Skyline Loop Trail so you can enjoy all the beauty, without being stuck in the madness.

Important Links

Mount Rainier National Park website

Skyline Loop Trail – AllTrails Link

National Park Entrance Passes – Purchase Ahead of Time Here

Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie – Be Prepared on the Trails

Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Location

First let’s take a look at where the Skyline Loop Trail is located in the park.  The trailhead is located in Paradise, WA.  Yes, the trail is located in an area of Mount Rainier National Park that is literally named Paradise.  

As far as drive times go, the Skyline Loop Trail is located just under 3 hours from Seattle, WA, a little over 3 hours from Portland, OR, and about 5 hours from Spokane, WA.  So if you are flying into any of these airports, you’re looking at a bit of a road trip.

Operation Dates

Before we get into all the details about hiking the Skyline Loop Trail, you’ll want to know the dates that this area of the park is open.  Here are the details of the facilities in this area.

• The Paradise Inn opens in mid-May and usually closes in early October.  
• The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center opens in mid-June and closes in late September.
• The Paradise Wilderness Information Center typically opens in mid-May and closes in mid-September.

Now, the road to access Paradise is open year round.  However, frequent snowfall will shut the road down without a moment’s notice.  And even when the road opens, it can require you to have chains on your tires.  So always be weather aware if you are going to Paradise in the off-season.

Now, considering most people hike the Skyline Loop in the summer, let’s check out all the normal details, like fees, where to park, and trail stats.

Fees

Next up, let’s discuss the fees.  Mount Rainier National Park, like almost all of the national parks, charges an entrance fee.  

Standard Entrance Pass: $30/car or $25/motorcycle – This pass is valid for 7 days and will get you and everyone in your vehicle into the park for no additional fees.

The Standard Entrance Pass can be purchased at one of the entrances of the park, or purchased ahead of time on the nps website.  

Now, if you are planning on visiting multiple national parks, or visiting Mount Rainier National Park more than once in a year, there are few options for you.

Annual Pass Options

Mount Rainier National Park does offer an Annual Pass.  This pass costs $55, is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase, and gets you and a car-full of guests into the park.  Essentially, if you are planning to visit Mount Rainier more than 1 time in a year, this pass is the most cost effective option.

On the other hand, if you are planning to visit 3 or more different national parks within a year, your best option is to purchase the America the Beautiful Pass.  This pass costs $80 and is valid at all national parks, national monuments, national seashores, and so on.  Just bring the pass and your ID, and your entire car can enter any park with no additional fees.  

My husband and I have been purchasing an America the Beautiful Pass since 2021 and each pass has saved us LOADS of money!

Ok, now that we’ve covered all the entrance fee information, let’s get into where to park.

Parking

Parking for the Skyline Loop Trail can be a bit tricky.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s super easy to find.  But if you aren’t intentional about when you enter the park, you probably won’t find a parking spot.  

So the parking lot is located here.  There’s a large parking lot, a visitor center, the Paradise Inn, and even an overflow parking lot.

Unfortunately, even the large number of parking spots is still not enough.  

When we came back from our early morning hike of the Skyline Loop Trail, we returned to cars lining the road.  Guests were unable to find a spot in any of the lots and parking along the Paradise Valley Road.  Below is the overflow lot and road lined with cars on a busy morning.

This parking situation might sound like a nightmare, BUT I have 2 tips that can change your entire hiking experience.  

Best Time to Hike the Trail

Hiking the Skyline Loop Trail is best experienced between late May and September.  This is also when everyone else wants to hike the trail.  So you’ll probably be joined by 1000 of your closest friends.  

And if you hike because you want views and to get away from the world, this might sound pretty terrible.

So here is how you avoid the crowds!

Get up early and be parked before 6am.  Or you can arrive in the evening and be parked around 4:30pm – 5:30pm.  

How do I know these are the best options?  Because I did both on my most recent trip.  One day we arrived right around 5pm and hiked the trail.  And a different day we got parked at 5:15am and hiked the trail.

Both were amazing experiences and nothing like what some people describe as “lines like at Disneyland” on the Skyline Loop Trail.  

The trail and area is most crowded between 7am and 5pm, especially on a weekend.  When we arrived early, we left the area a giant mess of people trying to park.  When we arrived in the evening, the area was a mess, but the trail was pretty empty.  

So if you want your hike on the Skyline Loop Trail to be enjoyable and not standing in line, you’ll definitely want to go EARLY or LATE.  Trust me!

Trail Stats

The Skyline Loop Trail is a moderate-to-difficult trail depending on your fitness level.  Personally, I would classify this as moderate, after all, it does have some steep sections.  

But there are people who would classify this as the hardest hike they’ve ever done.  Below are the stats so you can decide for yourself.  

• Distance: 6 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,800 feet of gain
• Difficulty: Moderate-to-Hard
• Time on Trail: 3 – 5 hours

Clockwise or Counterclockwise?

This trail is a loop, hence the name Skyline Loop Trail.  This means you can hike the trail clockwise or counterclockwise.

I hiked the loop both ways, and both ways are beautiful!  If I had to choose, I would say to hike it clockwise, but after doing both, you really can’t go wrong with either direction.

There are also several off-shoot options that can add to your adventure, like the Paradise Glacier Trail.  And if you have the time/the energy, you definitely need to add some of these extra trails!

Hiking a Shorter Option

If the Skyline Loop Trail is a little too much for you physically, or you are short on time, you could always just hike to Panorama Point.  This trail is less than 4 miles, still pretty steep, but would allow you to still see the highlights of the trail without overdoing it. 

The views at Panorama Point are gorgeous and a must see!  This means that you’ll start hiking the trail clockwise until you reach Panorama Point and then head back the way you came.  

But as you already know, we hiked the loop twice.  So here are the details of our hikes.

Our Evening Hike

My husband and I hiked the Skyline Loop Trail in July of 2026.  The first time we hiked the trail, we parked in the overflow parking lot right around 5pm.  The entire area of the trailhead was very crowded and initially we were wondering if we made the right decision to hike in the evening.

Once we started on the trail, it was a little busy at first and then the people quickly thinned out and we had several sections of the trail to ourselves.  We got some great photos before the sun started to set behind the mountain.  

There were only 5 other people at Panorama Point when we got there, and then we hiked on and were practically alone.  This is when we saw several different groups of Mountain Goats and many Marmots.  

As we looped around the trail, the Tatoosh Range began to glow in the sunset.  It was beautiful!  We were even treated to a stunning sunset. 

Once the sun had set, the trail got dark quickly.  This is when we saw a black bear about 200 yards off the trail.  We then picked up our pace and made it to Myrtle Falls, had the falls to ourselves, before hiking back to our vehicle in the dark.     

Myrtle Falls

On the trail is the incredibly famous Myrtle Falls.  This waterfall is easy to hike to and offers incredible views with Mount Rainier in the background.  

Here is my advice on seeing Myrtle Falls with the least amount of people. 

If you are starting your hike early, do this part of the trail first.  You’ll beat a large chunk of the crowds by doing it first.  Or if you are hiking the trail in the evening, stop at Myrtle Falls last before you head back to the parking lot.  

Otherwise, you’ll be practically fighting through a line of people just to snap a quick photo of the waterfall.

Our Morning Hike 

Our morning hike of the Skyline Loop Trail was just the opposite.  When we parked at 5:15am, the parking lot was only about half full.  We started the trail counterclockwise and stopped at Myrtle Falls first.  

As we continued around, the sunlight was gorgeous and we were able to stop and take photos of some amazing wildflowers.  We did the Paradise Glacier Offshoot and saw 3 Mountain Goats before they headed up the mountain.  

We then went back to the main trail and continued around the loop.  As we were heading back to the visitor center, the trail became overwhelmingly crowded.  I didn’t really mind because we had already done the trail, but there were times where everyone was stopped at skinny parts of the trail.  

When we got back to the trailhead and our truck, the parking situation was a nightmare that we were glad to leave.  

The age-old saying of “the early bird gets the worm” rings truer and truer when it comes to the busyness of National Parks.  Get there early, or you might have a miserable time in Paradise.  

The Elements

When it comes to hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, there are few things you need to be aware of.

First up is the elevation.  The Skyline Loop Trail starts at an elevation of 5,400 feet, and ascends to over 7,000 feet.  This can lead to shortness of breath when hiking.  Make sure you are drinking plenty of water to help stay hydrated.

This higher altitude also means you are closer to the sun.  Bring plenty of sunscreen for this hike if it’s sunny!

And as far as the weather goes, the weather can change in an instant.  Always be prepared with a raincoat while out on this trail.  Mount Rainier actually makes its own weather, so down in the valley can be sunny and beautiful, but on this trail, you might be getting rained on.  

Finally, the temperature is usually much cooler than down in the towns around the mountain.  We were camping in Packwood, WA and had perfect temperatures in the high-60’s in the morning.  But when we got to the trailhead, it was in the low-40’s and we were glad we had layers!

All of this is to say, do your research and be prepared.  The mountain weather is not to be messed with. 

Wildlife

The Skyline Loop Trail is a magical trail, especially in the early or late hours when wildlife is the most active.  This also requires you to be aware of said wildlife, because like the name suggests, they are wild, and not pets!

We saw dozens of Marmots on our hikes, several Mountain Goats, Deer, and even a Black Bear.  It was awesome!

However, you should never find yourself feeding any of these animals.  Not even the cute Chipmunks or Marmots.  Yes, they will beg, but your food can be harmful to them or make them dependent.  

The Deer, Mountain Goats, and Black Bear are mostly peaceful, but if you agitate them or get in between them and their young, you just might find yourself in a dangerous situation.

So keep your distance from all wildlife, and enjoy the view.  As a general rule, if you can’t cover the wildlife with your thumb when your arm is extended, you are too close!

Other Trails

Other amazing trails in Mount Rainier National Park are the Naches Peak Trail and the Tipsoo Lake Trail.  These are both pretty easy and have a high pay off of beauty.  

If you’re looking for a moderate trail, the Mount Fremont Lookout Trail has incredible views and an iconic fire lookout.  The hike to Bench Lake and Snow Lake is another moderate trail with some beautiful alpine lakes.

And if you are up for a challenge, the Burroughs Mountain Trail is an amazing trail.  This trail gets you just about as close as you can get to Rainier without hiking the peak.  

The Area

If you aren’t sure where to stay, the Packwood, WA area is the perfect small town.  In Packwood, there are a couple great restaurants, like Cruiser’s Pizza or Blue Spruce Saloon.  They also have great drinks at Packwood Brewing, tasty coffee at Mountain Goat Coffee, and delicious ice cream at The Ice Cream Airstream.

Not to mention, if you stay in Packwood, you’ll enter the park through the Stevens Canyon Entrance (May – Sept.). This entrance is significantly less busy than the Nisqually Entrance. 

Conclusion

Mount Rainier National Park has hundreds of miles of hiking trails, but the Skyline Loop Trail is the one you just can’t miss!  Yes, you must get there early to avoid the crowds, but this trail is worth the early wake-up call.  

As always, feel free to email me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions about this trail or the area.

-Happy Hiking!