MT Rainier - Washington
If you ever find yourself in the Seattle/Tacoma area, head east for about an hour or two and you’ll find yourself at Mt. Rainier National Park. So much beautiful solitude can be found just a short drive from the Seattle/Tacoma area. The ability to easily transition from “city” to nature is something we’re fans of and value when measuring the “livability” of a certain town. It’s actually something pretty high on our list. We linked up with an old friend from back home and spent the first day driving through the park and hiking some of the short trails accessed off the main road. The beauty of this park really blew us away and might only be rivaled by Glacier National Park which I’ll mention later. On our second day, Kelsey, Elliot, and I hiked the Naches Loop Trail which links up with the PCT on the eastern boundary of the park, a through hike I’ve considered and hope to at least section hike sometime soon. While at Rainer, I learned of a 93 mile trail that encircles the entire park. I may not ever hike the PCT but the Wonderland Trail is something I’m checking off the list this upcoming year.
