Rainier's Grand Park

Glacier Lillies hiding in the shaded areas
 just as you open up into Grand Park.

Did you know that inside this national park there are multiple smaller parks?  There are.  Next time you look at the park's map look out for areas like"Spray Park" and "Grand Park", among others.  These areas of the park are usually flat or rolling hills with few trees.  This time of year these fields are blanketed with wild flowers.  They allow for great views of the mountain itself, while giving you the feeling of being out away from it all.  Most of the areas require some hiking, but it is worth it.  You will skip the hordes of tourists at Paradise and at the same time enjoy the magic one feels in the back country of a national park.

360 degrees atop Grand Park

I started my trip late in the morning just outside the national park.  Forest Service Road 7300, off of Highway 410, takes you just North, about 100 yards, of the park's boarder.  There is a trail at Eleanor Creek that leads into the park and to Lake Eleanor.  This is a great location to swim on hot summer days.  The lake looked very clean and cool, especially for being relatively low in elevation.  If you continue on, as you should, to Grand park you will first come to a small meadow that gives you a small taste of what you are in for.  Then the only really challenging part of the hike climes up to the park.  All of a sudden you turn a corner out of the thinning trees and BAM, the most beautiful view of any mountain you have ever laid eyes on.  Grand Park is unique in that it is a large flat plateau, sitting at 5,600 ft.  There are drop offs on all sides leaving straight through shots to the mountain, almost directly south.  Other areas of the park have dips with little hiding places for snow.  Up on Grand I had the impression I was in a high dessert.  It's openness flat terrain doesn't allow for much vegetation.  There are only two stagnant pools of water on the butte.  So, besides the flowers and pine trees you really aren't going to find much up there.  However, I would built my house here if I could.  Hiking in supplies would be worth having a porch with this view.

270 degrees from newly discovered viewpoint

After spending some time taking pictures and looking around at some other landmarks in view we (my father in law was with me) were about to turn back for the car.  Luckily there were a couple of men that told us of a viewpoint not far down the Wonderland Trail.  After continuing to the southern end of Grand Park we turned right (West) and hiked another quarter of a mile.  the view here was even better than the one from above.  With the Winthrop Glacier right in front of us we could see the entire mountain as we stopped for lunch.  As we made our hike back to the car we informed others of the view, and they were excited to know about it.
This was my third hike in the North of the Mt. Rainier National Park.  All three have been my favorites.