Nestled in the northwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, sits the Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout with some of the best views of the famous volcano, Mount Rainier. On a blue bird day, the surrounding views of Mount St. Helens, Mount Baker and the Olympic mountains are unmatched. At approximately 6.6 miles, this is a relatively family-friendly hike with incredibly rewarding views!
The weather in Seattle, and surrounding areas, in October is unpredictable at the best of times. When Adam and I saw a single sunny Saturday, we knew we had to take advantage. I had been scoping out fire lookouts in the area to hike to, as they usually boast some pretty epic views. We finally settled on the Mount Tolmie Fire Lookout for the views of Mount Rainier.
Getting there:
After a relatively quick 2 hour drive from Seattle, we arrived in Mount Rainier National Park. We didn’t have a park pass, and with no ranger station available, we relied on our past knowledge of hikes in the area and knew we could find a money drop box. About 5 minutes after entering the national park, we found a drop box where we paid the $30 single vehicle fee and registered the car.
Getting to Mowich Lake, and the trailhead for Tolmie Peak, requires some off-road driving. Nothing we couldn’t handle! We chose to arrive pretty early to avoid the crowds, and we were very glad we did since parking can be tricky, and the paths crowded.
The hike:
We began our trek around Mowich lake, and caught our first glimpse of Mount Rainier. This fuelled our excitement to get to the top as quickly as possible! We made a mental note to come back another time to paddleboard the lake.
After a relatively easy mile, we reached Ipsut Pass which I’ve heard has amazing views of the valley, but we were eager to get to the top to take advantage of the beautiful blue skies, so we took the left fork and continued on. After a quick descent, the trail flattened out and we had a chance to admire the Old Growth forest surrounding us. There was even a beautiful waterfall to enjoy.
We finally reached the meadows and Eunice Lake. On a warm day, I’d be tempted to go for a quick swim. But better things awaited above! From here we scanned the horizon, and above us we scoped out our final destination. It looked daunting from our point of view, but the final push to the summit involved a few switch backs and was over in no time.
We reached the Tolmie Peak Fire Lookout, 1 of 4 fire lookouts remaining in Mount Rainier National Park, and knew we had made a great decision picking this hike. The 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and Mount Rainier was incredible! While the lookout isn’t open to the public (unless there is a volunteer present), you can hang out on the surrounding deck to “elevate” your view. 😉 Or continue on along the Tolmie Peak Ridge.
We found a great spot to enjoy lunch and a few summit beers while enjoying the view! There were even some friendly birds hanging around, who surprised people by landing on their heads and hands. (We were disappointed by fellow hikers that were feeding the birds.) Please don’t feed the wildlife.
An amazing day trip! I can’t wait to see what’s next!
