@gabbettfamilytravels: Mount Rainier National Park in fall might just ruin every other season for you! Camping right now: 📍 Cougar Rock Campground is the only campground currently open, and it’s officially first-come, first-served only right now (no reservations). Arrive right before the office opens at 8:30am, line up, and cross your fingers. We got there at 8:20am on a Wednesday and snagged 3 nights — looked like plenty of sites were still available. 🚫 Sunrise is currently closed to vehicles (open to hikers/bikers only), so plan your route around Paradise/Longmire. 🏡 If you’re not camping, Ashford is the best home base for exploring the park right now. Don’t miss: 💦 Waterfalls: Myrtle Falls, Narada Falls, Christine Falls, Silver Falls, and Carter Falls. 🪞 Reflection Lake on a clear day. 🥾 Bench & Snow Lake — some uphill but so worth it. Pack a lunch and eat on the rocks by the lake. Our top hike: Skyline Trail → Golden Gate → toward Panoramic Point from Paradise. Rated strenuous, and it earns it — signage says 4 miles round trip, we tracked 6. We didn’t quite make Panoramic Point (stopped 0.5 mi short) but found an epic viewpoint just before it that was worth every step. Our 4 and 6 year old crushed it with barely a complaint — thank marmots (we saw dozens), deer, mountain goats, and ptarmigans for that. Rock scrambles near the top are fun but keep kids close — loose rock and steep drop-offs. Go early (especially weekends) for parking, and only on a clear day. Pack for anything. Weather swings hard by elevation and by the day — we had 70° at Paradise one day and snow in the 30s the next. Layers are non-negotiable. 📌 Save this for your fall trip planning and let us know if you plan to visit! 💬 What’s your favorite hike at Mount Rainier National Park? ➡️ Be sure to follow us @gabbettfamilytravels for more national park travel info & fall family trip ideas in the PNW & beyond. #familytravel #travelwithkids #nationalparks #familyhikes #mountrainier

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Monday 28 September 2026 22:33:07 GMT