The easiest hikes in Mount Rainier National Park, by the numbers
Of the 91 trails in Mount Rainier National Park in our dataset, 10 (11 percent) rate easiest on the gain-and-distance scale we use, run 1 to 6 miles and climb 500 ft or less; all 10 are listed here, lowest rating first.
Mazama Ridge has the lowest rating: 4 ft of gain over 2 miles, 2 ft per mile.
Across the 10, gain runs from 4 to 494 ft and distance from 1 mile to 4.2 miles; the median gain is 319 ft and the median distance 1.4 miles.
7 of the 10 are point-to-point routes; the rest are out-and-back (3).
| # | Trail | Miles | Gain (ft) | Ft per mile | Max grade | Elevation (ft) | Rating | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mazama RidgeSouthwest Washington | 2 | 4 | 2 | 25% | 4,872 to 5,785 | 4 | |
| 2 | Silver ForestSouthwest Washington | 1 | 66 | 66 | 8% | 6,258 to 6,317 | 11.5 | |
| 3 | Nisqually VistaSouthwest Washington | 1.2 | 175 | 146 | 12% | 5,233 to 5,395 | 20.5 | |
| 4 | Lower LakesSouthwest Washington | 1.5 | 227 | 151 | 39% | 4,872 to 5,352 | 26.1 | |
| 5 | Emmons MoraineSouthwest Washington | 1 | 442 | 442 | 38% | 4,798 to 5,240 | 29.7 | |
| 6 | Wonderland | 1.1 | 475 | 432 | 41% | 2,550 to 3,055 | 32.3 | |
| 7 | Lake EleanorSouthwest Washington | 4.2 | 155 | 37 | 28% | 4,559 to 5,641 | 36.1 | |
| 8 | Mount Fremont TrailSouthwest Washington | 1.4 | 494 | 353 | 16% | 6,743 to 7,170 | 37.2 | |
| 9 | Bench and Snow Lake TrailSouthwest Washington | 2.3 | 420 | 183 | 29% | 4,565 to 4,701 | 44 | |
| 10 | Paul PeakSouthwest Washington | 3 | 410 | 137 | 41% | 2,797 to 3,684 | 49.6 |
How this list is ranked
Rating = the square root of 2 x elevation gain (ft) x distance (miles), the gain-and-distance formula Shenandoah National Park publishes for its own trails. Bands: under 50 easiest, 50 to 100 moderate, 100 to 150 moderately strenuous, 150 to 200 strenuous, 200 and over very strenuous.
This list: band easiest (under 50), 1 to 6 miles, no more than 500 ft of gain, ordered by rating asc, miles asc, capped at 25. The rating column is computed from the miles and gain printed in the same row, the numbers each trail page uses, so every row can be checked from the row itself. The rating says nothing about exposure, scrambling, altitude or conditions.
Only trails with a full page count, so "Mount Rainier National Park" here means the 91 trails in Mount Rainier National Park in our dataset, not every trail in Mount Rainier National Park.
Each trail page shows the full elevation profile behind these numbers and the same data drawn as a topographic print, made to order. Start with Mazama Ridge.
Easiest hikes elsewhere.
The same ranking for other parks in our dataset.