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Paradise Valley Road, in the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, leads from the Nisqually entrance to Paradise, passing the Longmire Historic District along the way. There are a few places to stop and hike or just enjoy the stunning natural scenery.
Twin Firs Trail
The first stop we made was at the Twin Firs Trail. This is a short and easy 0.4 mile loop through an old growth forest. Most of the trees are tall Douglas firs, cedars, and hemlock, some over 800 years old.
The scenery is beautiful, especially with all the moss and fallen timbers, but there was one problem. At about the halfway point, we lost the trail and couldn’t find where the loop continued.
Cougar Rock Overlook
After Longmire, you’ll find the Cougar Rock Overlook. It’s a look at a huge tree-covered rock with the rocky Nisqually River below.
Christine Falls
The best views of Christine Falls are from the bottom. The falls are named for Christine Van Trump, the daughter of mountaineer P. B. Van Trump (1838-1916). In 1889, Christine, at the age of 9, accompanied her father on an ascent of Mount Rainier even though she had a crippling nervous disorder. First, there’s a pullout before a bridge with views of the middle tier of the falls.
Another pullout after crossing the bridge allows you to walk down to see the lower tier. With the bridge spanning above the waterfall, it’s no secret why this is one of the most photographed scenes in the park.
If you prefer, you can walk a short section of the Comet Falls Trail to the upper tier of Christine Falls. After a slight elevation gain through the forest, you cross a bridge which takes you to the falls. The trail continues to one of the tallest waterfalls in the park, Comet Falls. We had to skip the rest of the trail for time purposes.
Ricksecker Point
Closed to the public on the day we visited was Ricksecker Point, which offers some of the best viewpoints in the park. It’s accessed via a small one-way road connected to the main highway.
Narada Falls
Narada Falls is another popular waterfall that’s easily accessed via a short downhill trail. It drops 188 feet in two tiers. Arthur F. Knight named the falls in 1893 for the Narada branch of the Theosophical Society of Western Washington. Narada also means “pure” or “uncontaminated” in Hindu “pure” or “uncontaminated”. The original name was Cushman Falls, but it didn’t catch on.
From the parking lot, it’s possible to get a good look at the Tatoosh Range.
