Mt. Ranier National Park Day 2

We came on a Sunday in mid-September and the lines to get in from the Longmire entrance were very long.

Our first quick stop was a look at Christine Falls which is framed beautifully by the rock bridge. There are multiple viewpoints to fully appreciate this glacier waterfall.

Just up the road is Ricksecer Point which offers great views of Mt. Ranier.

As we continued on Paradise Valley Road we came to a big parking lot for Narada Falls. The view from the top to the midpoint of the falls is easily accessible right from the parking lot. The rocks at the midpoint of the falls look like giant coins that have been tossed into the pool of water. As the water flows over the granodiorite lava rocks, the fall in long tendrils to the river below. This view is accessible through a short .1 mile hike down to the lower viewing area.

Next we headed to the paradise visitor center. The visitor center is adjacent to the Paradise Inn. If you want to be in the middle of the action this would be a great place to stay. From here you get spectacular views of the mountains as well as access to several fantastic trails. We did the easy half mile out and half mile back hike to Myrtle Falls which flows from Edith Creek. If you catch this waterfall on the right day you can get fantastic views of the glaciers and peak of Mt. Ranier. From Myrtle falls you can also hike the popular skyline Trail which is a 1 mile loop through the Alpine Meadows.

As you continue down the road, drive slowly over the bridge you can view Edith Gorge Falls.

From there we jumped on Stevens Canyon Rd toward Reflection Lake. If you catch it on a clear day, you can see beautiful reflections of the mountain in the lake.

At the bridge for Stevens Creek is Picture Frame Falls. This is a series of small cascades down the creek. Just past Stevens Creek Bridge is the section of the park that is experiencing road work (2022) and the road is closed Monday- Thursday.