Guide to Visiting Mount Rainier in June

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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Mount Rainier in June Details

Quick Park Facts

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:

• Nisqually Lodge
• Mountain Meadows Inn & Chalet Suites

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!

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!

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