I recently paid a visit to Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. I had been waiting until the meadow wildflowers were in full bloom. I was not disappointed. I visited on a weekday, as it is not wise to visit the park on a weekend during the summer tourist months. Waiting lines to get into the park can be up to an hour. Parking lots at the Paradise area fill up very quickly. The locals (me being one of them) know this all too well. Once the Labor Day holiday is over with, traffic into the park will settle down dramatically.

I spent most of my time at the Reflection Lakes area of the park, located along Stevens Canyon Road. Early morning hours are the best times to get some nice photography shots of the mountain from this area. The sun position will be in your favor, and the water surface will be calm enough to permit a beautiful reflection of Mount Rainier. I was more interested in the wildflowers along the shoreline and composed my photos so that I included them as much as possible. Pink Fireweed and Rosy Spirea are in abundance this time of year. Pearly Everlasting is blooming as well.

Along the same road, there is a parking area to view the Nisqually River Valley. Many times, early in the morning, one can find the valley full of hanging clouds. This particular day, the clouds were hanging in the valley for most of the day, quite unusual for a summer day! Many park visitors will stop to observe the dramatic scenery when conditions are like this. Here are a few images.

The mountain itself was starting to be encased in clouds. I was able to snap one photo before heading up to Paradise, where it became obscured from view. I did manage to get a few shots of some of the glacier fields before it disappeared from view, completely.

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All images property of Peggy A Thompson