On Friday, August 4, 2023, I spent my second full day in Mount Rainier National Park exploring the Paradise area, where I hiked the Alta Vista Trail, Nisqually Vista Trail, and Skyline Loop Trail. Along the way, I also stopped to take photos of Christine Falls Bridge, Ricksecker Point, Narada Falls, and Upper Ruby Falls.
Christine Falls Bridge
I left the Paradise Village Hotel & Restaurant around 7:00am and headed toward the Paradise area, making several scenic stops along the way.
My first stop was Christine Falls, a beautiful 60-foot waterfall along the road to Paradise, approximately 4.5 miles east of Longmire. The waterfall is formed by Van Trump Creek as it plunges into a narrow canyon beneath the historic Christine Falls Bridge, a stone-faced arch bridge completed in 1928.
One of the most unique features of Christine Falls is how the bridge perfectly frames the waterfall, making it a popular photography spot. A small roadside parking area provides access to a short path leading to a viewpoint below the bridge, where visitors can enjoy the view without having to do much hiking.
Ricksecker Point
Next, I stopped at Ricksecker Point, a scenic overlook along the road to Paradise that offers panoramic views of Mount Rainier, the Tatoosh Range, and the Nisqually and Paradise River valleys.
The overlook is accessible via a short, one-way scenic loop road with two main pullouts, making it an easy stop for photos without having to hike. On clear days, the views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding landscape are incredible.
Narada Falls
My next stop was Narada Falls, one of the most impressive and easily accessible waterfalls in Mount Rainier National Park. Located along the road to Paradise, the 168-foot waterfall is formed by the Paradise River as it plunges over a rocky cliff into the valley below.
Visitors can see the top of the waterfall from the parking area, but the best view is from a lower overlook reached by a short, steep 0.2-mile trail (0.4 miles round trip) with about 200 feet of elevation change. The trail can be slippery from the waterfall's mist, so it's important to watch your footing.
Upper Ruby Falls
Just a short distance beyond Narada Falls is Ruby Falls, a lesser-known waterfall along the Paradise River, near the beginning of Stevens Canyon Road.
The waterfall drops about 53 feet in two sections, with the upper portion visible from the road near the bridge crossing the Paradise River. A small roadside pullout provides an opportunity to stop and enjoy the scenery, although parking is limited.
Alta Vista Trail
I arrived at the Paradise parking area around 8:30am, ready to begin exploring some of the area's hiking trails. My first hike was the Alta Vista Trail.
The Alta Vista Trail is a moderately challenging 1.75-mile round-trip hike with 600 feet of elevation gain. Beginning near the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, the trail climbs through beautiful subalpine meadows, offering sweeping views of Mount Rainier, the Tatoosh Range, and the surrounding Paradise area.
Although relatively short, portions of the trail are surprisingly steep, with paved pathways and stone steps leading uphill toward the viewpoint at approximately 5,940 feet above sea level. The combination of mountain views and alpine meadows makes it a beautiful introduction to hiking in the Paradise area.
It took me almost 1.5 hours to complete the loop.
Nisqually Vista Trail
The Nisqually Vista Trail is an easy, family-friendly 1.2-mile paved loop with 200 feet of elevation gain in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. The trail winds through evergreen trees, blueberry bushes, and subalpine meadows, offering panoramic views of Mount Rainier, the Nisqually Glacier, and the Nisqually River Valley. Along the way, hikers may also spot wildlife, including marmots, black-tailed deer, and birds.
The trail is suitable for families with strollers, although there is a short set of stairs at the beginning when accessing it from the lower Paradise parking lot. Visitors with strollers can instead use connecting trails from the upper parking lot to avoid the stairs.
It took me about 30 minutes to complete the loop before continuing on to my next hike.
Skyline Loop Trail
My last hike of the day was the Skyline Loop Trail, one of the most popular hikes in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. The trail is about 5.5 miles round trip with 1,700 feet of elevation gain, offering a little bit of everything: beautiful subalpine meadows, glacier views, waterfalls, and incredible views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding mountains.
The trail begins near the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center and can be hiked either clockwise or counterclockwise. I had read that the clockwise route was more popular, so that's the direction I chose. The trail starts with a steep uphill climb, but the views along the way make it well worth the effort. One of the main highlights is Panorama Point, which offers sweeping views of the surrounding mountains. From there, the trail continues around the loop, eventually passing Myrtle Falls on the way back to Paradise.
For anyone who doesn't want to complete the full loop, another option is to hike to Panorama Point and return the same way.
It took me about five hours to complete the hike, with Strava recording my total distance at 5.7 miles.
Sunset from the Lower Parking Lot
I completed the Skyline Loop Trail around 6:30pm, with sunset scheduled for 8:34pm. I had read that Skyline Loop was a great place to watch the sunset, so looking back, I probably should have started the hike a little later.
With about two hours to spare, I wasn't entirely sure where else would be a good spot to watch the sunset. One of the park rangers recommended the lower parking lot in the Paradise area, which offers beautiful views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding alpine landscape.
I decided to take the ranger's advice, and it turned out to be a great spot! The views were beautiful, and it was a wonderful way to close out a long day of hiking. Altogether, I ended up hiking 8.3 miles that day.
