Mt Rainier - The Seven Wonders Of Washington State

The Seven Wonders of Washington State

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Mt Rainier

Mt Rainier as seen from the Sourdough Ridge Trail in the Sunrise area, with Little Tahoma Peak visible on the left Mt Rainier is one of the most amazing places on earth. The original inhabitants of this area of our planet had various names for this mountain, one of them being Tahoma, which can be roughly translated as "God's home." We locals just call it "The Mountain". With 26 major glaciers, Mt Rainier is the most glaciated mountain in the contiguous US. At 14,411 feet, it rises higher above its surrounding mountains than any other mountain in the Cascade Mountain Range, making it one of the most massive mountains on Earth. Within the Mt Rainier National Park boundaries, you can find temperate rain forests, alpine meadows, rocky tundra, forested valleys, glaciers, hot springs, rivers, lakes, wildflowers in the summer and blazing fall foliage in the autumn. There is nothing else like it in the world, which is why it is the first wonder of Washington State. Mt Rainier and Reflection Lakes There are several picturesque lakes near Mt Rainier. The most accessible are Reflection Lakes, on the south east side of the mountain along Stevens Canyon Road. You can park on the side of the road and see a perfect reflection of Mt Rainier in the lake without even getting out of you car. Another easily accessible viewpoint is Tipsoo Lake, located along Highway 410 near Chinook Pass. Wildflowers along the Silver Forest Trail in the Sunrise area The wildflower season on Mt Rainier is short but spectacular. July through August is normally the best time to see wildflowers, but this varies year to year depending on the weather. The glowing red and orange feathery-looking flowers that you can see are Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata), the blue and purple flowers are Broadleaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius) and the ones that look like little balls of fur are Pasqueflowers (Anemone occidentalis) in their seed pod stage. The sub-alpine meadows around Mt Rainier have been ranked as the best spot in the US for viewing wildflowers, and one of the 50 best spots in the world according to experts. Huckleberry bushes create an explosion of color every autumn The intensity of the fall colors on Mt Rainier varies from year to year due primarily to differing weather conditions. A wet growing season followed by a dry autumn that has cool nights without frost, mixed with sunny days, promote the formation of anthocyanins in the leaves of huckleberry bushes. Anthocyanins are the red pigments that give the leaves their vibrant intense colors, and are manufactured by sugars present in the leaves. Freezing conditions cause the formation of anthocyanins to stop, and from that point the leaves begin to turn brown and eventually fall off. The photographs and information about Mt Rainier shown here are just a sample from the book, The Seven Wonders of Washington State, which is available from Howard Frisk Photography via the link at the bottom of the page. Experiencing Mt RainierMt Rainier National Park Entrance Cost: $15 to $30 for a vehicle pass, $55 for a one year vehicle passAccess: road to Paradise area is open year round, road to Sunrise area, Stevens Canyon Road, Chinook Pass, Cayuse Pass usually open July - September You can see additional photographs of Mt Rainier and purchase fine art prints at WashingtonPhotographs.com. Mt Rainier Online Resources​Flowers of RainierMt Rainier ClimbingMt Rainier Guest Services - Paradise InnMt Rainier National ParkMt Rainier Photographs Mt Rainier Visitor Association Mt Rainier National Park VolunteersOhRanger.com - Mt Rainier National ParkPacific Northwest Seismic Network - Mt RainierRainierVisitorGuide.comRecreation.gov - Cougar Rock CampgroundRecreation.gov - Ohanapecosh CampgroundRMI Expeditions - Mt Rainier Climbing ProgramsSummit Post - Mt RainierUS Dept of Transportation - Washington State Scenic BywaysUSGS Cascades Volcano ObservatoryVisit RainierWashington Trails Association - Mt Rainier HikesWhittaker's Bunkhouse Photographer Howard Frisk and musician Larry Merritt have teamed up to create a unique offer. Larry has created a special edition of his music CD, The Seven Wonders of Washington State, as a companion CD to Howard's book by the same title. The CD includes seven original instrumental songs written and performed by Larry, one for each of the seven wonders of Washington State. You can listen to the first track of the CD below and purchase the book with or without the CD via the Buy Now link below. Click to set custom HTML Home - Mt Rainier - Mt St Helens - Columbia River Gorge - The Palouse - Hoh Rain Forest - Long Beach - The Channeled Scablands Copyright 2015 - 2025 by Howard Frisk, all rights reservedThe Seven Wonders of Washington State is available with out without an instrumental music CD by Larry Merritt.

Purchase The Seven Wonders of Washington State Book Only $17.95 USD Book and Music CD $22.95 USD

I recently published my second book, ​Abandoned Washington State. In addition to it's many natural wonders, Washington State is also home to a fascinating array of abandoned places. Utilizing historical as well as present day photographs, the book explores ghost towns, abandoned railroads, schools, farms, businesses and military sites. The first printing sold out, and the book is now in it's second printing. You can purchase your own copy directly from me via the link below.

Options: signed or unsigned Signed by Author $24.99 USD Unsigned $24.99 USD

Our Wonders of the Pacific Northwest 2026 Calendar is now available.​Click on the image below to see the month-by-month photos.