Visit one of the most magnificent national parks in the country! Experience Mount Rainier in June and wear a t-shirt while playing in the snow. Mount Rainier is a large active volcano just 60 miles from Seattle, Washington. It’s an extremely popular park with most people visiting in July and August. Go in June and you can escape the crowds while having an awesome adventure.
I went to all three Washington national parks and Mount Rainier was definitely my favorite! Seeing this incredible volcano in person is mind-blowing 🤯. I enjoyed visiting in June, because we had many of the trails to ourselves and we got to play in the snow! Find out how you can also have an incredible time in the park.
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Table of Contents
Mount Rainier in June Details
Quick Park Facts
💵 Mt. Rainier costs $30 for a private vehicle that covers 7 day. You can also use any of the annual passes like the America the Beautiful Pass to get in.
🎟 Visitors will need to get timed entry permits to visit the Paradise area from 7 am-3 pm in June!
☀️ Weather changes quickly in Mt. Rainier National Park. Make sure that you stay updated and that you take the proper precautions. If there are signs of bad weather, then stay in the lower elevations.
⛺️Most of the campgrounds at Mount Rainier are on a first-come, first-served basis. However, you can book reservations at Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh Rock up to six months in advance on recreation.gov.
🐻 Mt. Rainier is bear country, so make sure to stay bear aware and make loud noises when hiking on the trails. Use the rule of thumb when viewing wildlife, so that you stay the correct distance away.
🦮 Pets are not allowed in the park and they must stay leashed in parking lots as well.
⚠️Steves Canyon Road is open seasonally and is not open in June. The Sunrise area often opens in late June or early July, so look on the NPS website for the latest updates. You can access the Paradise and Longmire areas to see Mount Rainier.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Is June a Good Time to Visit?
June is a magnificent time to visit Mt Rainier: less rain, higher temperatures, and beautiful wildflowers 🌸 in the lowlands. There is still snow that covers much of the ground in Mt. Rainier so some of the park will still be closed, but there are still so many fun things you can do! You can take trails in the lowlands, view Mt. Rainier at Paradise, and see gushing waterfalls from the snowmelt.
Channel your inner child and play in the snow on Mt. Rainier ❄️! Many people go to the park in the early summer to see the snow with sunny skies. You can have a snowball fight, hike through the snow, and even go glisadding. Glissading is where you sled down the mountain on your butt or a trash bag to protect yourself a little more and it is extremely thrilling✨! So, get your snow boots on, pack your sunscreen, and head to Mt. Rainier!
⚠️ You will need to get timed entry permits to visit the Paradise Area in June!
Things to Know About Visiting in June
Because of the high elevation, much of the park is still closed until late June ⚠️. If you want to visit during this time, then the best areas to visit are the Paradise and Longmire areas. These sections of the park have some amazing day hikes and gorgeous views that you can see even in the early summer! You should head to the visitor center to get even more information on which trails are open and what to do on your visit!
Where to Stay
If you want to stay in the park then you can book a reservation at one of the two inns or two campgrounds that are open in June. The National Park Inn has rooms in the Longmire area of the park or you can stay in Paradise at the Paradise Inn. Rooms fill up quickly so get reservations early. Both the Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh campgrounds ⛺️ are open to the public in June. The other campgrounds do not open until late June or even early July.
You can also find some lodging outside of the park in the small towns and there are plenty of dispersed camping sites in the National Forest outside of Mt. Rainier. If you don’t mind staying further away then try looking for rooms in Olympia (17 miles away) or Tacoma (40 miles away).
Great Hotels Near Mt Rainier:
Things to Do in June
Explore Paradise
The Paradise area is one of the most popular spots in Mount Rainier, because of its beautiful views of the mountain. It is located at 5400 feet above sea level on the South side of the mountain.
You can go to this area to take a hike, play in the snow, or learn more about the area at the Visitor Center. In the early summer, there will still be snow here, but you can take the trails as long as you have shoes with good grips or spikes 🥾!
Just remember, that you’ll need timed entry permits to visit in June from 7 am to 3 pm. You can book them starting on February 21 or get next day permits!
Visit Longmire
Longmire used to be the gateway to Mount Rainier back in the day, it was the very first visitor center back in the late 1800s! Travelers visited this destination to view the beautiful mountain. Now, you can still go to the gift shop and visitor center here or take some of the best trails in this area of the park. Many of these trails are open in June, because they are at a much lower elevation.
Stop at a Scenic Overlooks
Drive along the road and stop at the scenic overlooks for Mount Rainier and the Tatoosh mountains. You cannot beat seeing these magnificent landscapes from various perspectives. There are a bunch of places that you can stop to see varying views over the park.
View Narada Falls
Stop at the Narada Falls overlook or walk the .2 mile path down to the bottom of the Falls for an even better view! In June, this waterfall is gushing from all of the snow that has melted. If you travel down the path to the bottom, you can even feel the mist hit your face from this powerful waterfall 💦!
Go Hiking
Visiting Mount Rainier in June means that your hiking options are a bit more limited. Many of the trails are closed due to the heavy snowpack that is still melting. Despite this, there are still plenty of great places to go hiking 🥾 and get incredible views of the Mountain and the surrounding areas. I have outlined some of the best June trails below.
Carter Falls
Cross the river, walk through the woods, and make your way to this beautiful waterfall! This trail is 1.7 miles and is an easy hike that is great for hikers of any ability! Some of the best views on this trail are at the beginning where you can get shots of the river with Mount Rainier in the background 🗻. In order to get here, drive to the Carter Falls trailhead parking, which is in the Longmire area of the park.
Rampart Ridge to Wonderland Trail
For hikers that want a little bit more of a challenge and great views, you can take the Rampart Ridge to Wonderland Trail in the Longmire area! Along the way, you will be able to see the beautiful Cedar trees 🌳, the Tatoosh Mountains, and stunning lookouts of Mt. Rainier.
This trail leaves across the road from the Longmire parking lot at the Trail of the Shadows. Then, you will walk up 1400 feet over steep switchbacks 🥵 through the woods until finally you will get to Rampart Ridge and the first scenic overlook. View the Tatoosh mountains and the river far beyond. Continue walking along the ridge, until you reach the clearing to see Mount Rainier. There are many wildflowers along the top of the ridgeline in June, which are spectacular. Finally, return to Longmire on the Wonderland trail and head back to your car.
Alta Vista Trail
Although this hike is covered in snow, it’s one of the best walks you can do in June! The trail makes its way from the Paradise Visitor center and is about 1.8 miles round trip. You can either wear microspikes or hiking boots with good grip to trek over the snow. Once you get to the end of the trail, you’ll have 360 degree views of Mount Rainier with the Tatoosh mountains and Mount Saint Helens behind you.
On the way back down, you can either walk down the trail or go on a glissading adventure 🛷! This is where you sled on your butt. It’s a fun and easy way to get back down the mountain. You can either make your own glissading path or use some that you find along the way!
Packing List
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Small Pack
- First Aid Kit
- Layers including rain jacket and winter jacket
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat to block sun
- Microspikes or snowshoes
- Hiking Poles
Final Thoughts
If you are willing to navigate the snow, then Mt Rainier is a 💫 magical place 💫 to visit in June! You will be awe struck by this looming mountain and you will love the surrounding area. It’s truly an amazing park and there are so many things to see there.
Let me know if you enjoyed this guide in the comments!
📌 Pin Guide to Visiting Mount Rainier in June to Pinterest
Hiking this mountain has been on my radar for a while now. I love that even in June there’s this much snow on the ground – yet you’re in tank tops! Typical PNW! Loved the info about the waterfalls too!
Yeah it was wild! I hadn’t experienced anything like that before. We had so much fun.
Thank you so much for sharing this guide! My husband and I are planning a day trip to Mount Rainier during our visit to Seattle this October, and I can’t wait! The Rampart Ridge to Wonderland Trail looks stunning!
That was definitely our favorite one while we were there! Hopefully trails will be more snow free for you all!
I definitely want to play in the snow in June! This looks like such an incredible and fun experience. Great recommendations too!
It was seriously so fun!
It has always been my DREAM to visit Mt. Rainier – in June seems like such a perfect time, too. Playing in the snow in June? I mean what a crazy experience. Thanks for the advice!
I know it was wild to be wearing t shirts and sledding down the hills!
Wow, I loved your post! Mount Rainier has been on my list forever, and I’ll be referencing this post for a future trip. So cool that you were hiking in the snow while wearing short sleeves. Thanks for sharing!
Of course, we had such a fun time and I highly recommend!
What hike should I take to visit the beautiful Paradise which u mentioned above sea level with snow in June?
We are planning to visit from Seattle as a day trip in June in our vehicle…..
We are coming from Atlanta.
So if you can let us know exactly where to park and which trail to go to play at snow and places to take some beautiful pics it would be helpful.
We did the Alta Vista trail, which is a good trail to do in June. There may still be snow on the ground, so you should wear shoes with a good grip or microspikes!
Thanks for putting this together. Much appreciated. Is there a possibility of coming face to face with bears on the trails that you described in this article?
Yes, there are black bears in Mount Rainier. Although, they have never attacked humans. So, just make a lot of loud noises and give them space if you come across them!
Thanks for the guide, if I just want to have a nice view but don’t want to risk of getting lost or eaten by bears, where do you recommend me to visit. My wife and I will have one day to visit this place around June 20th, and we are beginners to hiking. Thanks!
I would stick to the Paradise area and then do Trail Ridge or parts of the Wonderland trail! You can also go to Narada Falls!
Thanks so much for this post, especially about Alta Vista trail and playing in the snow in June. My family and I visited the park a couple of weeks ago from Florida and had the best time. Two of us even made it to Alta Vista to take in that beautiful view. Unfortunately, I got one of the worst sunburns I’ve had in years on my lower face, neck and arms because I wasn’t thinking like a Floridian when it comes to sun exposure and even glare from below or around me. The cool air temperatures and presence of snow were very deceiving, and the heat from hiking uphill and from the sun’s intense radiation on the mountain forced me to take my sweatshirt off, resulting in a bit of a burn that still has me peeling over two weeks later. Other than that, it was a blast. I was particularly thankful for the great food and facilities available afterward at the visitors center. I’m glad we stopped to see Ranier on our way to Olympic National Park!
Oh wow, that snow sunburn can be even worse than the direct sun! So sorry that happened and hope that you recover completely soon!
Great post! I’m looking at visiting the park next June with 3 kids (ages 9, 12 & 14.) We will stay 3 nights allowing for 2 full days to explore. I’m looking into a rental but am not sure if I should choose Packwood or Ashford? Any suggestions?
If you are only planning on visiting the Paradise area then Ashford is good, but if you want to move around the park to both the Sunrise areas as well then Packwood is better to get to all of them!