Mt. Rainier National Park: 12 BEST Family Hikes

Mt. Rainier National Park is one of three national parks in Washington State, located southeast of Seattle. Mt. Rainier itself is an active volcano, sitting 14. 410 feet above sea level. There are 4 different entrances to the park, each about 2 – 2.5 hours away from Seattle.

This is a very popular park, about 2 million visitors per year, so you can expect there to be crowding on the more popular trails. Residents of the pacific northwest are chomping at the bit to get out on the trails when the summer months come. Be smart and go early as it’s the best time to avoid crowds!

Nisqually in the southwest of the park is the only park entrance that is open year round to the public. This entrance also leads to some of the most popular hiking trails for families within Mr. Rainier.

Remember that this site is geared specifically toward families! There are many amazing and beautiful hikes within the park that are not ones I would try with my kids. Luckily there are an abundance of family friendly trails as well!

The Carbon River entrance in the northwest is open to foot traffic year round but you can only drive to the park entrance. This is certainly not an ideal situation for families, so if you want to visit this portion of the park, choose summer!

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Understanding Mt. Rainier

Even though there are 4 entrances to the park, there are 5 developed areas. The many hiking trails are organized by which of these 5 developed areas they are found in. It can seem a bit confusing but I hope it will make sense to you after reading this!

Just to make it a little more confusing, the names of the developed areas don’t always match up with the name of the park entrance near it. Still following? Ha! Stick with me and it will make sense!

Now keep in mind, this park is HUGE! You are not going to be doing the entire park in a day trip. You will likely want a full day to do the Paradise area alone. Three days would be a great amount of time to spend in Mt. Rainier.

Let’s get into the best day hikes for families in each of these portions of Mt. Rainier National Park! The All Trails App is a good way to check the status of trails, or as at the Visitor Center (which is what we prefer!).

Paradise Family-Friendly Hikes

The Paradise area is in the southern area of the park and can be accessed by two different park entrances, but the Nisqually entrance is closest (about half an hour drive).

This is the most popular area of the park, with the most popular hikes, and would be my recommendation if you only had time to do one. The colorful wildflowers, breathtaking mountain views and favorite hikes make this undeniably the most visited area.

To avoid snowy trails, you will want to visit in August. Yes, that is a very short window of time. You can visit a bit before or after but you are running the risk of still having snow covered trails.

The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center is your command central for visiting Paradise.

We always recommend stopping at the visitor center in the parks to check in with the rangers about any trail closures and grab some maps (and junior ranger books). It’s also a good opportunity for the kids (and yourself) to take that last minute bathroom break.

This particular visitor center is in a great location as it has lots of parking and access to many of the trail heads. Note that the “lots of parking” goes out the window by about 10 am during August. Hear me when I say, this is not the trip to sleep in!

Let’s look at the best hikes for families in Paradise.

Myrtle Falls via Skyline Trail

Paradise has an upper and a lower parking lot. When parking in the lower parking lot, you get to the trails but going up steep stone steps. Alternatively, if you have strollers or someone in a wheelchair, the upper parking lot has ramps to the trailheads.

You access Myrtle Falls by starting going up the stone stairs to the Skyline Trail. This portion of the trail is paved for 0.4 miles. As you walk here you can enjoy the beautiful wildflowers but remember, you are not allowed to pick them!

The paved trail brings you to a bridge which your kids will love crossing, and then left to the Myrtle Falls viewpoint. This 72 foot waterfall with Mt. Rainier in the background is, quite possibly, the most beautiful waterfall view that you will ever see.

Because of this, it can be quite crowded here with people trying to take photos, but it is WORTH IT! This is a view that you and your kids will not soon forget. Enjoy your time here and then head back the way you came.

This portion of the hike is best enjoyed between late June and September. The roads travelling to these trails are not open in the winter.

If you were to carry on past Myrtle Falls, you would continue on the Skyline Loop Trail which is a 5.5 mile round trip with 1450 elevation gain.

This is a difficult trail that is NOT something I would consider family friendly. If you have teenagers, or maybe older kids who are experienced hikers with good stamina, this is one of the most popular hikes in the park.

From the Skyline trail you will be able to spot more volcanoes, mountain views and breathtaking scenery. This trail is really only good in August as there could be snow up there still in late July.

Nisqually Vista Trail

This is the perfect trail for kids! Your kids, and you, will super enjoy this easy and paved trail through subalpine meadows. This is a great option for you if you are using a stroller.

The trail leads to stunning views of Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier and overlooks the Nisqually River Valley.

Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife; you may even get to see a cute little furry marmot! Just make sure your kids don’t try to get an up-close view or feed the wildlife!

Longmire Family-Friendly Hikes

The Longmire area, known by some as the Gateway to Mt. Rainier, is a National Historic District and was the 1st entrance to this park. The Longmire Visitor Center is a beautiful building and the museum has so much interesting information about what the park was like in its earliest days.

Longmire is in the southwest corner of the park and only 6.5 miles from the Nisqually park entrance. That is the entrance you will use to do any of these easy hikes.

Twin Firs Loop Trail

This is one of my favorite hikes for families with toddlers and little kids! This short walk through the old-growth forest of Longmire is a loop that your littlest kids can do on their own.

If they’ve been spending much of your trip in a stroller or hiking backpack, this is a great place to let them free and do a little “hike” of their own! These huge trees will seem like they touch the clouds to their little selves!

If you are a family of littles, this short distance trail is a must-do!

Trail of Shadows

This is a flat and easy trail that is a perfect loop for young kids but your older kids will enjoy it too! (That can be a hard balance to find, can’t it!) You can hike this trail in either a counterclockwise or clockwise direction.

Even though it is flat, it is not paved so it is not suitable for strollers. There is a variety of surfaces such as gravel, boardwalk, a wooden bridge and even some tree roots.

One of the best parts of this trail is its historical content. The kids love reading all the historical signs that are posted along the trail. One of the highlights of this trail is passing by one of the park’s earliest homesteads and being able to enter Longmire cabin, the oldest structure in the park.

You also get to see the Longmire Mineral Springs which are said to “bubble” in the fall from the volcanic gas.

Carter Falls Trail

This easy trail begins just below Cougar Rock Campground and is a small portion of the Wonderland Trail. Take a left on the Wonderland Trail to walk through the old-growth forest and along Paradise River, with a gradual ascent to the falls.

A short, family-friendly 2 mile hike to see 2 waterfalls is well worth it! You get to walk past Carter Falls (53 feet tall) and if you go another 150 feet you will also see Madcap Falls.

Sunrise Family-Friendly Hikes

Probably the second most beautiful part of the park, this northeastern corner area is named because it is the first place in the park that you are able to see the sunrise. It doesn’t have as many people as Paradise so is a nice escape from the big crowds during the late summer months.

Sunrise also is home to the highest point of the park that is accessible by car (a 6400 foot elevation!) It is most easily accessed via that White River park entrance.

This area of the park has limited times it is open due to heavy snowfall. Sunrise Road typically opens in late June or early July and is closed by early October. So visiting Sunrise is only a possibility in the summer time of year.

The 40 minute drive between Paradise and Sunrise is one of the most beautiful drives you will see and is a must if you have enough days to do both areas. Each of these 2 park regions could have a day of their own.

Silver Forest Trail

This is the easiest (and least visited) of the trails in Sunrise as it is basically flat, with only 100 feet of elevation gain over the whole trail. The trail name “Silver Forest” comes from the old, dead trees you will see as you walk.

Past the Visitor Center, you take a small downhill and come to a fork in the trail, stay left for the Silver Forest Trail. You will find some observation platforms and benches where you can rest and enjoy the view. You turn back and return the way you came when you reach the end of the maintained trail.

While this trail is easy, it still gives spectacular views as you go of both Mt. Rainier and Emmons Glacier. I’m not sure why it isn’t more widely visited as you can see some of the best views, but it is a great one for families.

Sunrise Nature Trail

This self-guided nature trail with teaching signs along the way will take you about 45 minutes to hike. Or you can read the information for each stop online (here). Kids and adults alike find it so fun and informational to read the signs and learn things as you go.

This trail takes you through subalpine meadows and gives you the iconic view of Mt. Rainier. One great thing about this park is that you can get the views from family-friendly hikes and not just the dangerous and difficult hikes!

Tipsoo Lake Trail

This is the best trail in all of the park for your toddlers. This is a flat, easy and short walk around the lake. Let your toddlers run free, stretch their legs and have some fun. (Your strollers wont work here as it is narrow in places)

Don’t worry that you won’t have a nice view on this easy trail, you will! The view of Mt. Rainier reflecting in Tipsoo Lake is one of the most popular views to photograph in the park and the wildflowers here are second to none (in season of course!).

*Naches Peak Loop Trail

I put an asterisk on this trail because it isn’t family-friendly for ALL families. This is likely a bit long for your toddlers and youngest kids (unless they don’t mind the time in the carrier and you don’t mind carrying them!).

It will take about 2 hours to complete and does have a mild gradual elevation gain. I would say your middle elementary kids and older can complete and enjoy this trail.

The best time to do this trail is between June and September, but in late July / early August you can enjoy the wildflowers and maybe even some wild huckleberries!

For the best views of Mt. Rainier, I recommend completing this trail clockwise, even though it is a loop and could be completed in either direction. If you are hiking clockwise, just after the Dewey Lake viewpoint the Pacific Crest Trail and Naches Peak Loop Trail meet up. Be sure to stay to the right here and take the trail through the best part of the loop, the alpine meadows with mountainous views!

Ohanapecosh Family-Friendly Hikes

Ohanapecosh (meaning “deep blue”) is the southeast corner of the park and uses the Stevens Canyon Entrance. This corner of the park is full of enchanting old-growth forests and clear blue waters.

This is a quieter area of the park but worth visiting if you have the time and are visiting between May and October.

Silver Falls Trail

If you make it to this area of the park, this trail is a must see! This is an ideal trail for your kids that are school-age. Near the beginning of the trail you will see the Hot Springs!

This easy trail follows a river and crosses a bridge. This will be a favorite of kids for the amazing view of Silver Falls from the bridge, but even more so for the spray that comes from the waterfalls and the rapids! Your kids will talk about this one long after the trip is over! (and isn’t that what we want?)

Early in the season, these 40 ft falls will be thundering! That is when you will really feel the spray when you get to the viewpoint a little further up the trail, right by the falls. The area around the falls can be slippery so stay on the trail!

Continue to stay to the left to complete this easy loop trail.

Grove of the Patriarchs Trail

I love Mt. Rainier NP for young families, and that is because of trails like this! The Grove of the Patriarchs trail is a trail easy enough for your preschoolers, yet you will see ancient forests and a suspension bridge!

The magic of this trail is in the suspension bridge that crosses over to a small island in the Ohanapecosh River. Boardwalks and dirt trails through the large trees look around the island.

If you want to make this a little longer, you can cross the Stevens Canyon Road and walk 0.5 miles to link up with the Silver Falls Trail.

Carbon River & Mowich Lake Family-Friendly Hikes

This little visited area of the park is great for avoiding crowds, however, due to the road being washed out in 2006, you can only drive to the Carbon River park entrance. Past that, it has been converted to a trail and you must go by foot (or snowshoe!).

This northwest area of the park is notoriously known for extreme amounts of rainfall, making the plants and animals resemble a temperate rainforest. If you decide to come here, prepare for it to be soggy underfoot and wet!

Since this area is only accessible on foot, it is open year round.

Carbon River is named for the coal deposits found in the area and Mowich Lake is the deepest and largest lake in Mount Rainier National Park! While this area is beautiful, unless you have a long time it is one I would skip to be sure to see the more iconic views in Paradise and Sunrise.

Carbon River Rainforest Nature Trail

This short, peaceful trail follows a rickety boardwalk, crosses a bridge and takes you under green mossy trees. The easy loop can connect to longer trails, including The Boundary Trail which is a 1.3 mile hike to a waterfall.

There are displays along the boardwalk to point out different plants and other highlights of the forest. This is a nice and relaxing walk for the entire family.

Don’t Forget to Check

It is always important to check the park website before traveling. Weather and natural disasters can happen at any time, causing certain trails to be closed down. To avoid disappointment, be sure to check before you go!