Seattle Trip Overview
With a charming naturalist as your companion, stretch your legs through an old growth forest surrounded by 800-year old trees towering above you. Feel the cool mist blowing off glacier fed waterfalls carving through an ancient canyon. Refuel your energy with a chef-prepared picnic in the wilderness. Encounter the largest glaciers in the lower 48 as you stroll through alpine meadows above 5,000′ while looking for wildlife. With your guide’s help, spot mountaineers heading for the summit–a human drama unfolding before your eyes.
– Learn Mt. Rainier’s natural history on 4-6 guided nature walks.
– Leave the crowds behind with a small group of 10 guests or less.
– Explore the best photo spots for any season or weather.
– A knowledgeable, certified guide at your side to inform and entertain.
Additional Info
Duration: 10 hours
Starts: Seattle, United States
Trip Category: Day Trips & Excursions >> Day Trips
Explore Seattle Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Seattle, Washington, United States
With a charming naturalist as your companion, stretch your legs through an old growth forest surrounded by 800-year old trees towering above you. Feel the cool mist blowing off glacier fed waterfalls carving through an ancient canyon. Refuel your energy with a chef-prepared picnic in the wilderness. Encounter the largest glaciers in the lower 48 as you stroll through alpine meadows above 5,000′ while looking for wildlife. With your guide’s help, spot mountaineers heading for the summit–a human drama unfolding before your eyes.
– Learn Mt. Rainier’s natural history on 4-6 guided nature walks.
– Leave the crowds behind with a small group of 10 guests or less.
– Explore the best photo spots for any season or weather.
– A knowledgeable, certified guide at your side to inform and entertain.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Pass By: Hyatt Regency Seattle, 808 Howell St, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
Your tour will begin between 7:30am and 8:00am when your guide for the day picks you up at your downtown Seattle hotel or preferred location in the vicinity. If you are not staying in the vicinity of downtown Seattle or Sea-Tac area hotels, please arrange to meet us at the Hyatt Regency Seattle located on Howell St.
After pickup, we’ll drive south to Mt. Rainier National Park. As we approach the park, Mt. Rainier will periodically come into view on clear days. You’ll enjoy the scenery of the rustic farmland and lowland old growth forests will that surround the mountain as we get closer. During the journey, your guide will share background information about the park itself as well as the area’s natural history to put your visit to Mt. Rainier in a broader context of the Pacific Northwest’s geologic past.
Stop At: Mount Rainier National Park, WA 98304
After entering the park, we’ll begin to gain elevation and you’ll get your first panoramic views of Mt. Rainier’s glacier clad flanks and summit that towers above us at 14,411 ft. On the way up the mountain, we’ll make stops to stretch our legs and breath in our surroundings in the old growth forest amidst towering trees that have stood for over 800 years. We’ll take in plunging waterfalls and rivers fed by glacial run-off and heavy with silt, shaping the landscape before our eyes. The highest elevation your tour will reach will between 5,400 and 6,400 ft. At these heights, you’ll be surrounded by the mountain’s sub-alpine splendor. Early spring tours will see the mountain still in the midst of winter at these elevations. Summer tours in July and August will be able to walk through Mt. Rainier’s famous expanses of wildflower meadows, and after a short hike, come face to face with some of the mountain’s 25 major glaciers–the most of any peak in the US outside of Alaska.
Your full time guide will be with you throughout your journey at Mt. Rainier. You’ll learn about the mountain’s cycle of seasons, how its glaciers formed, how they are continually changing the landscape, and what’s in store for the mountain’s future. Around midday, your guide will serve you a delicious catered lunch in the park. No cold, dry sandwiches and bag of chips here! Lunches typically include a selection of steak, salmon, or chicken skewers with sides of vegetables, a fresh green salad, and dessert along with a selection of hot and cold beverages. We happily make meal arrangements for vegetarians, vegans or any other dietary requirements with advanced notice.
Duration: 6 hours
Pass By: Hyatt Regency Seattle, 808 Howell St, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
After about 6 hours spent within the park, it will be time to head back toward Seattle. Once in Seattle, your guide will drop you off at your preferred location in downtown Seattle.
