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
Always superb vision.
Thank you so much!
Magnificent landscapes!
Thank you! So glad you enjoy it! But I must say that photos will never do justice for this magnificent mountain. One must be near it in person to realize its size and grandeur.
W, Mount Rainer looks and sounds amazing! It’s one of the places I would love to visit one day especially to see blooming wildflowers
August would be prime bloom time for the meadow wildflowers at Paradise, although it depends on the length of the spring season and amount of precipitation. Plan on doing a little bit of hiking in the Paradise area to get an eye’s worth!
I love the shots of the mountains and the fireweed!
So glad you liked the photos! The summer wildflowers are so beautiful this time of year in the park!
Just beautiful!