Mount Rainier National Park

The towering Mount Rainer is as synonymous with Seattle as the famous Space Needle, looming large above the skyscrapers and office buildings of the city's spectacular skyline. It's a breathtaking sight that is the aesthetic highlight of many visitors' trip to the city but what many people don't know is that nestled at the foot of this giant mountain is an incredible national park, waiting to be discovered.The 616-square-kilometer park is a designated Wilderness Area and its massive, unspoiled lands are home to stunning waterfalls, forests, streams and alpine meadows. 416 kilometres of well-maintained trails allow visitors to immerse themselves in the ethereal wonder of this protected area. The volcano's 4,400-meter, perennially snow-capped peak is both a beautiful sight and an important source of water in the area with 25 huge glaciers and snowfields that melt in the spring.Hiking is probably the most popular activity in the park and it's not hard to see why with countless tracks that cater to all levels of fitness and ability and which take you through ancient forests of western red cedars, Douglas firs and other native trees. Two family-friendly options are the easy Twin Firs Loop Trail and the 20-minute Trail of the Shadows which begins near the National Park Inn at Longmire. For the more experienced hiker, there are dozens of qualified guides who will take you to the park's most beautiful hidden treasures, from enormous glaciers to fragrant meadows.If you plan on staying a few days then the Paradise Inn which is located in the park is the perfect base from which to discover its splendour. This really is an outdoor paradise and the active visitor will find no shortage of options, including rock climbing, fishing and mountain biking as well as cross-country skiing and sledding in the winter months.If you want to learn a bit about the mountain and the national park then call in to the Visitor centre at Paradise Inn. If you don't have the time to explore the park on foot, then you can drive along the road that circles it, with plenty of stops and photo ops along the way.Open all year round, Mount Rainer National Park is 144 kilometres from Seattle. If visiting during the long winter months then take into account that there are frequent road closures due to snow.