Naches Peak Loop

This easy loop is family-friendly and one of the most popular hikes in the park. To get the best views of Mount Rainier, hike the loop in a clockwise direction. It starts out along the Pacific Crest Trail at Chinook Pass and leads south, traversing the east side of Naches Peak 1.6 miles until intersecting the Naches Loop Trail. To continue the loop and return to Tipsoo Lake in 1.4 miles, follow the Naches Loop Trail along the west side of Naches Peak. An option for hikers with a bit more time and energy is to proceed on the Pacific Crest Trail from the junction to Dewey Lakes, an additional one mile round trip. This short hike is well worth the extra time and effort.

Naches Peak Loop Trail is an easy 4.5 mile loop trail gaining 700 feet elevation and has a high point of 5,900 feet.  Allow 2-3 hours to complete.  The trail is accessible July through October. To find the trailhead, park at Tipsoo Lake, 0.5 mile west of Chinook Pass on SR 410. For a clockwise hike of the Naches Peak Loop Trail, follow the trail from the picnic area to Chinook Pass and the Pacific Crest Trail.

For more information, go to Visit Rainier.

Area Birding

High-elevation meadows, lakes, mountain hemlocks, subalpine firs within Mt. Rainier National Park/USFS. Discover birds that like high country: resident Sooty Grouse, Mountain Chickadees, Gray Jays and Clark’s Nutcrackers; plus summer visitors: Varied and Hermit Thrushes, Cassin’s Finches, American Pipits, Chipping and Fox Sparrows, and even Rufous Hummingbirds.

Trails open after mid-July snow melt. Take footbridge over Hwy 410 to 3.5-mile Naches Peak Loop with views of Mt Rainier. Spectacular wildflowers peak mid-August. Or hike north 3.8 miles to Sheep Lake; add 1 more mile to Sourdough Gap with view of Mt Adams. From Hwy 410 at milepost 69.5, turn north into Chinook Pass Summit rest stop. Park in paved lot. Order the Sun & Sage Loop Map of the Great Washington State Birding Trail.