I’ve taken a bit of a break from posting, so let’s get back to it. This post highlights one of our new favorite national parks – Mt. Rainier! This was an absolutely breathtaking (both literally and figuratively) hike along the Skyline Trail. We got to hike through heavy mist, snow, sunny grass areas, and rocky or muddy paths. We were able to see the flat, expansive meadows and the jagged cliff edges. Through every point in the path we were rewarded with an amazing view.

Dustin got the best workout amongst our rather large hiking group (7 adults, 7 kids) with Reya on his shoulders for most of the hike. She’s our passenger princess, for sure. Dustin and one of our other friends also did the whole hike barefoot. Through the rocks, mud, and snow, they both managed to make it the whole way! We saw a lot of wildlife as well. Tons of chipmunks, including one that jumped onto my leg to beg for food. He also snuck up to Reya and took a gummy bear from her hand! She was not happy. We got to see a mountain goat munching on some grass (from a distance). Finally, we got to see a few hoary marmots along the way, one of which came right up to the kids in the hopes of finding food (it did not).

Overall, this hike and national park were absolutely worth the time and energy to hike! The views were AMAZING and it was really cool to see the wildlife. The kids enjoyed the climate changes and there were a lot of beautiful wildflowers along the way. We absolutely recommend this park (and the Skyline Trail hike)!