Skyline Trail

Skyline Trail is the most-hiked trail at Mt Rainier — a 5.5-mile loop from the Paradise Inn that climbs 1,788 feet through the subalpine meadows that bloom mid-July through mid-August in the most-photographed wildflower display in the National Park system. The high point at Panorama Point (6,800 ft) is the closest a casual day hiker can stand to the Nisqually Glacier without crampons. Paradise needs no ticket: NPS states that timed entry reservations are currently not required anywhere in Mount Rainier and that the park will not implement one for any portion of it in 2026, managing the corridor by parking capacity instead (nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm · checked 2026-09-23). What that leaves is the lot itself, which fills on summer weekends. RVs over 25 feet are advised to stage at Cougar Rock Campground (7 miles west, 35-ft rig cap) and drive to Paradise in the tow vehicle. The trail closes at the high snow-bridge sections through mid-July most years; July 10 is the typical first-clear date per ranger reports.