Hiking the Tatoosh Range - Mt. Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is one of our favorite destinations. Its extreme height (14,411 feet) and snow-capped beauty captures the eye from miles around. The immensity of this great volcanic mountain, the size of the trees found there, and its varied and abundant wildlife makes for "the perfect" national park experience.

Hiking at Mount Rainier is exhilarating! We chose to hike in the Tatoosh Range, located near the southern boundary of the park. This is the scenic mountain range that most park visitors see from the Paradise Inn and Jackson Visitor Center parking areas.

The prominent peaks of the Tatoosh Range include (from left to right) The Castle, Pinnacle Peak, and Plummer Peak. The Pinnacle Peak Trail begins at Reflection Lakes and ends at the saddle between Pinnacle and Plummer Peaks. We chose to continue on by following animal trails, crossing snowfields, and even climbing trees to get to the top of Plummer Peak.

The marmots, main inhabitants of the rocky slopes, keep constantly busy collecting grasses and building nests. One fellow asked me if they were badgers...I told him they were marmots, and he looked in disbelief until I convinced him that they were "suped-up groundhogs!"

Vicki is ready to tackle the high country trails of the Tatoosh Range. Colorful displays of wildflowers carpet the steep slopes amid occasional snowfields. The solitary spire of Unicorn Peak is visible on the distant right.