Page 616 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

614  THE P A CIFIC NOR THWEST

e Mount Rainier National Park

Established in 1899, Mount Rainier National Park encompasses
337 sq miles (872 sq km), of which 97 percent is designated wilderness.
Its centerpiece is Mount Rainier, an active volcano towering 14,410 ft
(4,392 m) above sea level. Surrounded by old-growth forest and
wildflower meadows, Mount Rainier was named in 1792 by Captain
George Vancouver (see p600) for fellow British naval officer Peter
Rainier. Designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1997,
the park, which features 1920s and 1930s National
Park Service rustic architecture, attracts two Olympia
million visitors a year. The summer draws hikers, Carbon River Ipsut Creek
mountain climbers, and campers; the winter entrance
lures snowshoers and cross-country skiers.

Mount Rainier
Nisqually Glacier
Close to the Wonderland Trail
Paradise entrance,
the Nisqually Glacier Wonderland Trail
is one of the most
visible on Mount
Rainier. The glacier
continues to
retreat as the
climate warms.

MOUNT RAINIER

Mount Rainier NISQUALLY GLACIER
Narada Falls
One of the more Tahoma Vista
spectacular and easily Narada Falls • Paradise
accessible cascades Cougar Rock
along the Paradise
River, Narada Falls is Westside Road
just a short, steep
hike from Route 706.
The falls plummet Longmire
168 ft (51 m). Nisqually entrance
Sunshine
Point

National Park Inn
0 km 4 This small, cozy inn, located
0 miles 2 in Longmire and open year-
round, is a perfect spot from
which to enjoy stunning
views of Mount Rainier.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp632–3 and pp634–5

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