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Mount Rainier National Park

A 1917 View Of Paradise Inn And Tent Cabins, Mount Rainier National Park

A black-and-white 1917 image of Paradise Inn and surrounding tent cabins up at Mount Rainier National Park

This first month of the 2025 New Year is all about throwback in the National Park System, with a little added trivia.

Did you know that when Paradise Inn opened for business in 1917 up at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State, there were tent cabins there, too? According to Mount Rainier Guest Service's history page for the Paradise Inn:

National Park Service

A Little Bit Of Aurora Seen Along The Sourdough Ridge Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State

The faint pink color of an aurora in the sky above a still-dark night sky at Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State

Because of very strong solar storms, the Aurora Borealis was showing up in national parks further south than usually seen, such as at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State. The human eye cannot always detect an aurora in dim light and a camera with a very slow shutter speed and a wide aperture often captures what the naked eye does not see.

Rebecca Latson

Mount Rainier’s Wonderland Trail

Encircling Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State is a historic 93-mile (150-km) loop trail with 22,000 feet (6,705.6 m) of elevation gain and loss. An estimated 200–250 hikers complete the Wonderland Trail’s entire circumference annually, taking between 10–14 days, while thousands of others hike sections of the trail to enjoy the stunning views.

A Misty Sunrise Over "The Mountain" And Tipsoo Lake, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State

Sunrise over a snowcapped mountain beneath a blue sky and pink clouds, with the misty reflection of Tipsoo Lake in the foreground, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State

Located about 1/4 mile (0.4 km) past the Chinook Pass Entrance Arch on Washington SR 410, you will pass a long paved parking area to your right for the overlook to Tipsoo Lake, a subalpine lake set in a glacier-carved basin. That will be your first glimpse of Mount Rainier ("The Mountain," as locals like to call it) in Mount Rainier National Park as you continue driving into the park. There is a large parking area further down the road where you can park your car and hike around Tipsoo Lake.

Rebecca Latson

INN Member

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