Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State was the third national park to be established in the United States. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Mountains, and it is covered by 26 named glaciers including Carbon Glacier and Emmons Glacier, the largest in the continental United States. (more…)

Washington State has three national parks:

 

 

 

 

 

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National ParkMount Rainier National ParkMount Rainier National Park has an active volcano climbing to 14,410 feet. Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers. Hike with the wildflowers and wildlife, gaze upon powerful waterfalls and discover vistas that are beyond spectacular! Choose from over 30 lodging options. Go on a train ride, visit a wildlife park, follow a drive tour, take the gondola, climb the mountain, go fishing. 

A portion of the Pacific Crest Trail weaves in and out of Mount Rainier National Park along the park’s eastern boundary, from Chinook Pass in the north down to Laughingwater Creek in the south, or hike one of the other 37 trails in the park. 

North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National ParkPhoto courtesy of Good Free PhotosNorth Cascades National Park spans the Cascade Crest from the temperate rainforest of the wet west-side to the dry ponderosa pine ecosystem of the east – all less than three hours from Seattle. Explore jagged peaks crowned by more than 300 glaciers. Listen to cascading waters in forested valleys. This park encompasses landscapes with over 9,000 feet of vertical relief and over 1,600 plant species.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National ParkPhoto courtesy of rachel_thecat via WikimediaWith its incredible range in precipitation and elevation, diversity is the hallmark of Olympic National Park. Encompassing nearly a million acres, the park protects a vast wilderness, thousands of years of human history, and several distinctly different ecosystems, including glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate rain forests, and over 70 miles of wild coastline.

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Mount Rainier National Park Video

Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State was the third national park to be established in the United States. Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Mountains, and it is covered by 26 named glaciers including Carbon Glacier and Emmons Glacier, the largest in the continental United States.