The Skyline Loop Trail was one of the most surreal, beautiful hikes I’ve ever done. We had a pretty cloudy, even rainy weekend when we visited Mount Rainier National Park, so while we didn’t get any view of Mount Rainier herself, I still thought this hike was 100% worth it. The trees, the wildlife, the lush meadows, the wildflowers — everything about this trail was truly breathtaking! The Skyline Loop Trail is one of the most popular hikes, if not the most popular hike, in Mount Rainier National Park.
What is the Skyline Loop Trail?
The Skyline Loop Trail is a popular and scenic hiking trail in Mount Rainier National Park, located near Paradise, Washington. Spanning about 5.5 miles (8.8 km), the loop offers stunning displays of subalpine wildflowers, a close-up look at Mount Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier, and, sometimes on a clear day, views of peaks as far south as Oregon’s Mount Hood. The trail gains around 1,700 feet (518 meters) in elevation, making it a moderately challenging hike. Key viewpoints along the trail include Panorama Point, which provides expansive views of the surrounding valleys and peaks within the park.
Hiking distance: 5.5 miles (8.8km)
Elevation gain: 1,700 feet (~518m)
Hiking length: 4-5 hours
Hiking difficulty: medium – challenging
Important to know: no dogs allowed on this trail
My experience hiking the Skyline Loop Trail
I’m in the beginning of my national park, nature girl era, and was admittedly a little nervous about this hike. Between the elevation gain and length, I knew this would be one of my hardest hikes to date, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. While this hike definitely was difficult, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it was going to be. I see this hike labeled as moderately challenging to hard across many blogs and was expecting something much more difficult. If you are relatively active and able bodied, I think the Skyline Loop Trail is a very doable hike. While it isn’t necessarily an easy hike, I felt it was really manageable with proper footwear, enough water, and plenty of breaks. You’ll be busy taking photos anyway, so the breaks will happen one way or another!
We hiked the entire Skyline Loop Trail (5.5 miles) but there is an shorter option where people hike out and back to Panorama Point, which is about 4 miles total. I felt that doing the full loop was a lot more rewarding, and would’ve hated to miss any section of that hike. If you’re able, I recommend doing the full 5.5 mile loop.
Additionally, we hiked the trail counter clockwise, which I realized allowed us to skip the steep ascent if we were to have hiked clockwise. It was a much more gradual climb, and the beginning of the hike was so quiet and calm as most people do the hike clockwise. I highly recommend doing the hike counter clockwise since you’ll 1) get an easier hike and 2) get a much less crowded trail.
Important to know: Between Aug 19 2024 – Sept 15 2024, the park has started a timed entry permit for visitors to the Paradise and Sunrise corridors in order to deal with the increasing crowds visiting Rainier each year.
Basically, you need to sign up for a time slot to enter the park! A portion of timed entry reservations are released 90 days in advance, with all advanced reservations released by May 1, 2024. Advance reservations are available on Recreation.gov for some days and times for both corridors.
Next day timed entry reservations are available at 7:00 pm Pacific Time (PT) for next-day entry starting on May 24, 2024, for the Paradise Corridor and July 4, 2024, for the Sunrise Corridor on a daily rolling basis. Timed entry reservations can only be booked on Recreation.gov.
How to get to the Skyline Loop Trail
To get to the Skyline Loop Trail in Mount Rainier National Park, you’ll need to drive to the Paradise Area. From Seattle, you take I-5 South to Highway 7 (Exit 127) toward Mount Rainier National Park. Continue on Highway 7 to Elbe, then take Highway 706 to the park’s Nisqually Entrance. From there, follow the signs to Paradise, which is about 19 miles from the entrance.
Parking before the trail
Once you arrive, you’ll park at the parking area between Paradise Inn and the Jackson Visitor Center . There is a large parking lot that is well-marked and easily accessible — once you get there, it’ll be hard to miss. Paradise Inn and the Jackson Visitor Center offer bathrooms, cafés, and even giftshops. This is a good opportunity to use the bathroom, fill up waterbottles, and stock up on any snacks before you start the hike! The Skyline Loop Trailhead is located near the visitor center. The trail starts from the paved paths near the visitor center and offers immediate views of Mount Rainier (when it isn’t too cloudy).
Parking for the Skyline Loop is totally free (if you don’t count paying to enter the national park). Tip: Arrive early to secure parking, especially in summer. We showed up at 9am, and the parking lot was almost full already. I recommend arriving anywhere from 6am-9am.
Helpful tips for your hike
What to wear
What you wear to hike the Skyline Loop Trail largely depends on what season you are visiting during. There are some nonnegotiables, though, regardless of season.
- Hiking shoes or sneakers with solid grip — you do NOT want to do this hike in sandals. I have these hiking boots from Sorrel that I love.
- Comfortable, lightweight clothing that you can sweat in
- Layers — especially if you are hiking during the transitional months. Your hike may start off chilly, but 30 minutes into it you will start to get hot!
- Raincoat — the weekend we visited Mount Rainier National Park happened to be a rainy weekend (despite it being the middle of August). You never really know when it will rain in Washington, so bring a light raincoat just in case. If you’re looking for a good raincoat, I use this raincoat from Rains, which has come with me on a few rainy trips to Scotland and Washington and is perfect for the continuous drizzle.
What to pack
Below I’ve listed a few things you shouldn’t forget on your hike.
- Water bottle (don’t forget to fill it) — Make sure you fill your water bottle before leaving home or at the Visitor Center.
- Sunscreen
- Hiking sticks (trekking poles) — I don’t always recommend trekking poles, but for long hikes like this, they can be useful when you start to get tired. There are also a few uphill stretches of this hike, where I was glad to have a little more support. Trekking poles can range from $30 to $100 (though I personally don’t think $100 on hiking sticks is really necessary). These poles from Amazon are a great option to bring.
- Camera — if you don’t already know, the views during this hike are incredible. What a shame it would be if you forgot your camera! If you’re looking for a digital camera, I use the Sony a6000, which is a great beginner-friendly travel camera. You can also find this camera used for under $300, which I recommend doing.
- Snacks/Lunch — you’ll be thankful for a few snack breaks during this hike. We had bought trail mix, protein bars, and Cheez-Its. Just make sure to not leave any trash or food on the trail!
Best times to hike the Skyline Loop Trail
The best times to visit the Skyline Loop Trail are June through September. The best time to hike the Skyline Loop Trail is early morning, as the this is arguably the most popular hike in Mount Rainier National Park, therefore making it one of the most crowded hikes. You will see plenty of people making their way through this trail, so to avoid the crowds (and guarantee parking) I recommend starting your hike anywhere from 6am-9am.
Wildlife on the Skyline Loop Trail
Mount Rainier National Park is home to over 65 species of mammals, including black bears, mountain goats, elk, and marmots. Some of which you may be able to see during your hike! When we went, we ran across a park ranger who had actually just told us of a bear sighting in a meadow we had passed about 45 minutes into the hike.
On the Skyline Loop trail, you’ll more commonly see animals likes marmots, chipmunks, and pikas. We actually had a run in with a chipmunk at the peak of the hike as they are very much not shy and not afraid to beg for food. While they might seem cute, they suddenly are not so cute when you have one trying to climb up your leg. It is important to not feed the wildlife in Mount Rainier National Park, as this is harmful to their health and alters their natural behaviors. For more information on how to interact with wildlife in the park, check out the National Park Services’ guide to wildlife safety.
