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Mt. Rainier

 
Mt. Rainier is an amazing mountain.  It is so big and so diverse that each face of the mountain has its own distinct look and all sides provide unique hiking experiences.
Our personal favourite is a day hike from Sunrise up to Burroughs Mountain left  in the northeast corner of the park.  There are three separate summits, the first two can be done as a 5 mile return hike or as part of a 7 mile loop 1000ft gain 
The summit of Third Burroughs Mountain is slightly farther and it affords better views of the massive Emmons Glacier plus the crowds will thin out considerably.  The only downside is a modest flower display compared to other areas of the park and  light scrambling with snow a distinct possibility.  8.5 miles return 2000ft 
The Mt. Freemont Lookout is a worthy alternative. 5.6 miles, 800ft

The best known trail in the park is the 93 mile Wonderland Trail which encircles the entire mountain.  However access is so good that the majority of it can be enjoyed in a series of shorter hikes.  
Probably the most popular section of this trails climbs to aptly named Summerland right a magical meadow with marmots and blossoms of every colour.  8.4 miles 2339ft 
You can to Panhandle Gap 12 miles 31,77ft and attain expansive views to the south or do a short off trail scramble up  Banshee Peak 14 miles 4000ft below

The classic view of Mt. Rainier from the east is taken from Tipsoo Lake.  This roadside attraction is near Chinook Pass and serves as the trailhead for the family friendly Naches Peak Loop 4.6 miles 700ft
The views of the mountain from this side are somewhat compromised by 11,138ft Little Tahoma Peak which dominates the eastern face of the mountain. 
The section of the Wonderland Trail beyond Indian Bar follows the Cowlitz Divide and provides views of the southeast face.   The shortest route is from Box Canyon 12 miles 2900ft return to point 5930
A similar view is found along the hike to the Shriner Peak Lookout 8.2 miles, 3434ft
The Grove of the Patriarchs right is near the Ohanapecosh entrance and features a stand of old growth forest 1.3 miles 100ft.  A great first hike for small kids
Another good hike for small children is the one to Bench Lake 1.5 miles return 350ft the trail continues another mile to Snow Lake total hike 2.5 miles 700ft but there are no views of Mt. Rainier from the second Lake.
Just past the trailhead for Bench and Snow Lakes is the core area of the park which features roadside attractions like Reflection Lakes left, 241ft Narada Falls  and the Paradise Visitor Center.
Reflection Lakes is also the trailhead for Pinnacle Saddle below another family friendly trail.  2.6 miles 1055ft  Beyond the saddle there is also the option of scrambling another 415ft to the summit of Plummer Peak.  There is also a seasonal tarn near here that features a perfect reflection of Mt. Rainier.

For a truly spectacular vista of the southern face of Mt. Rainier the place to go is the High Rock Lookout.  Located off forest road 8440 the trail is a modest 3.5 miles return, 1400ft elevation gain but has some exposure.

However the south face is all about Paradise Park Meadows, the most popular area of the park.  There is an extensive trail system here, several are paved and can be combined to form loops with various levels of difficulty.
The Skyline Trail 5 miles 1700ft, samples the entire area.  It ascends Edith Creek, the source of Myrtle Falls, to a junction with the trail that leads to the former sight of the Paradise Ice Caves.  To complete the loop you ascend to Panorama Point and then drop back down to Paradise Park along the top of  the Nisqually Glacier Moraine.  Beyond Panorama Point is the most popular route to the summit via the Muir Snowfield.  Travel to Camp Muir is non-technical 10 miles 4600ft
Left: Myrtle Falls in Paradise Park 

Below: Nisqually Glacier Vista 

There are many waterfalls in Mt. Rainier National Park but the most dramatic of them all is 320ft Comet Falls left: 3.8m 900ft

A mile further and 1100ft higher is Van Trump Park right: 
There are nice meadows here and  grand  views of  Mt. Rainier but also plenty of trees. total 5.8 miles 2000ft

Mt. Baker North Cascades Glacier Peak Alpine Lakes Mt. Rainier Mt. Hood Central Oregon Pacific Coast South Cascades Columbia River Gorge
There is a long stretch of the Wonderland Trail from Cowlitz Divide to Rampart Ridge that is heavily forested and offers little in the way of views.  That changes dramatically after it crosses Kautz Creek and enters Indian Henry's Hunting Ground left 
The meadows here are fantastic and the requirement of a full day hike assures only a modest number of hikers. There are three routes, the approach from Longmire: 12.6 miles 2500ft, Via Kautz Creek, 12 miles 3100ft via the closed West Side Road and the 'unofficial' Tahoma Creek trail 10 miles 2430ft
Another trail reached from the closed West Side Road leads to Lake George and the Gobbler's Knob Lookout.  The trail portion is under five miles but it requires a long road walk 12.8 miles 1585ft.  This same lookout can be reached from the the Glacier View Wilderness via Lake Christine 10 miles 1100ft.
In The Glacier View Wilderness at the end of forest road #59 is a trail with similar views of Mt. Rainiers southwest face. left: 
6 miles 900ft

Emerald Ridge right is located on the Wonderland Trail three miles north of Indian Henry's Hunting Ground.  

"About the same distance as Indian Henry's for a day hike however the view here is much more 'in your face' with the mighty Tahoma Glacier front & center.  There was no shortage of flowers here either and a nifty little tarn with lots of potential to create some spectacular compositions."
The hike, 13.7 miles, 3141ft includes walking for a couple miles on the West Side Road and taking the unofficial Tahoma Creek Trail

The case could be made that the trail to Spray Park right: 6 miles 2200ft  is the best in all of Washington State.  Its relatively short, not too steep, features fabulous 354ft Spray Falls, glorious flower filled meadows and views of the Mountain itself.  There is also unrestricted trailhead camping at Mowich Lake.  The Tolmie Peak Lookout 7.2 miles 1200ft above Eunice Lake shares the same trailhead.
The hike itself to Klapatche Park from the St. Andrews Creek trailhead is only a round trip distance of five miles.  However the trailhead is 7+ miles via hike or 8+ miles via bike from the gate on the West Side Road.  Klapatche Park is the site of Aurora Lake left and it is only 1 mile, 350ft from St. Andrews Park, another famous highlight of the Wonderland Trail.  Total distances: via bike & hike 21.4 miles return, Hike only 19.6 miles.  Total elevation gain 4600ft, but only 2880ft for the trail portion.  Side trip to St. Andrews Park is 2 miles return, 350ft.

The west face of Mt. Rainier is featured from Sunset Park.  The most direct route to this vista is via the Paul Peak Trail and joins up with the Wonderland Trail at South Mowich River.  20.6 miles 2650ft

The loss of the Carbon River Road has eliminated easy access to north end of the park.  However the modest hike to Summit Lake 5 miles 1200ft in the Clearwater Wilderness has a clear view of the Mountain's north face.  The preferred vista is from a tarn near Mystic Lake.  It can be reached by hiking the Wonderland Trail out of Sunrise 22 miles return.   
The other access to this area is from Forest Road 73 and the Lake Eleanor trailhead.  Hiking to Grand Park 7.5 miles return, 1080ft is an excellent day hike.  There is also the Northern Loop Trail that connects Grand Park to the Carbon River.  The highlight of this section is Windy Gap. 
"Tyee Peak is an easy scramble past two pretty tarns and up a grassy heather slope to the top.  The summit is a broad plateau that makes up the northern wall of the Windy Gap. There is a partial view of Rainier from up here" left