Weather forecast
Sun, Jun 28Start
Hayden, ID
72°
47°
💧 7%
En route
Henry M. Jackson, Paradise
41°
34°
💧 12% · 0.02″
Overnight
Gig Harbor, WA
65°
51°
💧 9%
Forecast via Open-Meteo
Log in to see hotel & daily logistics
The daily timeline, drive details, and lodging are private to the family.
Mount Rainier National Park
Jr. Ranger Badge
Junior Ranger badge — Jackson VC (Paradise) closes 4:30 PM
Game Plan
This is the tightest badge of the trip: 6¼ hrs of driving against a 4:30 close. Wheels rolling at 9:30 AM = arrive ~3:45 PM. Backup: the Longmire Museum (on your exit road, typically open to 5 PM) also issues badges.
- Skyline Trail to Myrtle Falls (1 mi RT · paved) — The signature easy Paradise walk — wildflower meadows (late June is early season but possible) with the mountain dead ahead.
- Nisqually Vista (1.1 mi loop) — Gentle paved loop to a glacier overlook; good with tired kids.
- Narada Falls — 168-ft falls steps from the parking lot (on your descent)
- Christine Falls — framed by a stone bridge, 1-min walk
- Reflection Lakes pullout if you have 10 spare minutes near Paradise
Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour
Sunrise
5:15 AM PDT
Sunset
9:05 PM PDT
Be set up by (sunrise)
4:45 AM
Be set up by (sunset)
8:45 PM
Sunrise spot — You're on the road at 9:30 AM — sunrise long past. En route, WA-410 over Chinook Pass catches pink alpenglow on the eastern Cascades in the morning hours.
Driving day — no sunrise opportunity.
Sunset spot — WA-7 between Elbe and Eatonville — flat farmland with Rainier behind you turning alpenglow pink long after sunset. Pull over at the Elbe Flats. You'll pass this area around 8:45 PM.
Rainier catches alpenglow long after the sun sets — worth 10 minutes at an Elbe Flats pullout on the descent around 8:45 PM.
Heads Up
Decision point: if worship runs past 9:15, the Paradise VC badge is at risk. Plan B = Longmire Museum badge on the way out; Plan C = mail-in (rangers will explain).
Good news for 2026: Mount Rainier will not use timed-entry reservations this year — drive straight to the Paradise corridor, no booking needed.
Confirm Chinook Pass (WA-410) is open; if not, US-12/White Pass adds ~15 min.
Trip Journal — Day 9
No journal entries for this day yet.