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Mount Rainier National Park

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What is the most beautiful animal in the subalpine?

If strangeness is a part of beauty, the porcupine is a strong contender.

Porcupines live in the forest. They hang out in the same tree for days eating the bark and needles. But like many of us, this particular porcupine is not content to stay at lower altitudes, instead forging steadily upward.

Its long hairs stand up and catch the breeze, creating a Linus-like cloud in the sunlight. Quills visible on its back are lightly attached. Similar to a cholla cactus, the quills don't actually shoot out. If an animal touches the porcupine, the quills easily dislodge and embed into the skin of their new host. They are barbed and can be difficult to remove. Sometimes a mountain lion or fisher will eat a porcupine and die later from infection. Fishers are adept climbers and have a method for backing a porcupine down its tree to snack on the softer parts of our pokey pal.

Porcupines are not listed as endangered or even threatened, but anecdotally, people have noticed they see porcupines less and less in the Pacific Northwest. Historical data is lacking; they were in the past considered a nuisance to be eliminated.

It is a treat to see one in all its strange glory. Have you seen any porcupines in the park?

NPS video/ R.Buchanan: A porcupine walks uphill amid rocks and small plants. Marmot can be heard alerting in the background. by @mountrainiernps

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2 days ago

Getting to Sunrise can take a while. The line to get in at the White River entrance is frequently over an hour long, especially at midday and on weekends.

There is a public restroom on the other side of the entrance gate, but is a good idea to stop in a nearby town or at one of the park toilets along the way. There are vault toilets at Tipsoo Lake, and there is a public restroom in downtown Enumclaw.

Bring snacks and extra drinking water with you. There is limited water in the park. Our supply primarily depends on streams and lakes fed by snowmelt and perennial snowfields.

NPS photo of about a third of the White River entrance line last Saturday, in the reflection of a side-view mirror. by @mountrainiernps

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4 days ago

Pink and yellow monkeyflower are thriving along many of the park's streams and creeks. Pink monkeyflower (Mimulus lewisii), also known as Lewis’ monkeyflower, grows in dense patches of flowers. Its stems are 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) tall with oval, toothed leaves. Similar in appearance, yellow monkeyflower (Mimulus guttatus) is generally found at lower elevations than pink monkeyflower, which favors the subalpine regions of the park. Both are commonly found growing together along waterways in the park. What colorful wildflowers are you finding in the park?

Remember, please stay on trails to avoid trampling wildflowers! There are plenty of opportunities for the perfect wildflower + mountain view from the trails.

For updates on what’s blooming where visit go.nps.gov/RainierWildflower

Unfamiliar with Mount Rainier’s wildflower species? Check out the wildflower guide at go.nps.gov/RainierWildflowerGuide

NPS Photo of monkeyflowers at Tipsoo Lake, 7/15/26. #RainierWildflowers A shrubby Lewis' monkeyflower with vivid pink, trumpet-shaped blossoms, yellow-speckled throats, and bright green, oval leaves growing in opposite pairs. by @mountrainiernps

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4 days ago

Your dog is a very good dog! But Mount Rainier's wildlife doesn't know that.

To a marmot, bear, an endangered Cascade red fox or white-tailed ptarmigan, even the friendliest pup looks and smells like a predator. That can trigger stress responses, disrupt feeding, separate parents from young, and cause animals to abandon important habitat. Sadly, your experience will end up seeing less of them.

Dogs can also leave behind scents that linger long after a hike and can spread diseases and parasites between pets and wild animals.

For many reasons, pets aren't allowed on Mount Rainier's trails, paved or unpaved. The rule protects wildlife and it protects your best friend from steep cliffs, wildlife encounters, hot pavement, and fragile ecosystems.

Your pup can still be part of the adventure. Leashed pets are welcome in developed areas like campgrounds, parking lots, and roads open to vehicles. Learn more: nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/pets.htm

Every choice we make shapes the experience of the wildlife that lives here. Help keep Mount Rainier wild for the species that call it their only home.

NPS Photo Graphic A satirical graphic styled like a wildlife surveillance display shows a real person walking a real leashed dog through a subalpine meadow at Mount Rainier. The scene is viewed from behind a simulated marmot, with on-screen overlays reading "Marmot Vision: Subalpine Sentry Mode." The dog is highlighted in a red box labeled "Predator Detected" with a high threat level, while the person is labeled "Meadow Stomper Detected." Other annotations identify the trail as the "Common Bigfoot Highway," note "Predator's scent detected," and display an alert recommending the marmot "retreat to burrow." The graphic illustrates that wildlife perceives even friendly pet dogs as potential predators. by @mountrainiernps

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4 days ago

POV: You just had the perfect day at Mount Rainier National Park.

Now, we want to hear all about it! It’s your turn to share the views and memories from your visit. Did you hike to a subalpine tarn (a lake formed in a glacially-carved cirque)? Enjoy the spectacular wildflower meadows? Sip a cool beverage in the historic Paradise Inn Lobby?

What was the highlight of your perfect day at Mount Rainier? Tell us below.

NPS/Ian Bellows photo of Mount Rainier reflected in Mystic Lake, July 2026.

#MountRainier
#POV
#NPS Ice and rock covered Mount Rainier and it's reflection in a small mountain lake. by @mountrainiernps

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5 days ago

Haze may be visible in the park over the next few days as wildfire smoke enters the area. Heat can compound the danger and discomfort of smoky air. When air quality is a concern:

1. monitor air quality and smoke forecasts
2. assess your own sensitivity to poor air quality, and others in your group
3. adjust outdoor activities as needed

You may want to shorten your hike, or pick a hike that is a bit less strenuous than you would normally choose. If you find yourself on the trail during smoky conditions and begin to notice difficulty breathing or feel air quality worsen, consider turning back.

The most effective way to protect yourself during wildfires is to limit your time outdoors when there is smoke in the air. Unfortunately, bandanas don't help with smoke particulates.

You can help by remembering that there is currently a fire ban in the park, no campfires are allowed. Portable stoves are ok. Assist with localized air issues by turning your engine off if you are waiting in the park entrance line, if possible.

Before you visit the park, you can check the skies on our webcams at
https://go.nps.gov/yq6syr

For current fire information and resources within the park, including air quality, visit: go.nps.gov/MountRainierFire

NPS photos show clear vs smoky air in the park during previous smoke episodes. by @mountrainiernps

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5 days ago

Wildlife often has excellent camouflage, designed by nature to blend seamlessly into the environment. What is the most obvious sign of the animal in this photo?

Found widely in the park's forested regions, these hooved animals feature large, fuzzy, mule-like ears, red-brown coats, and white rumps with all-black tails. Even their newborns are camouflaged, sporting white spots on their fawn-colored coats.

Who—and how many—do you see? The answer is below.

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There are two black-tailed deer in this photo: one standing and one lying down. While they may appear docile, black-tailed deer are wild animals that can become aggressive. Please observe deer and all wildlife from a safe distance and never feed them—handouts harm!

NPS photo

#MountRainier
#NPS
#Wildlife Evergreen trees partially conceal the back end of brown mammal with a short black tail and only reveals a small portion of the coat of another. by @mountrainiernps

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7 days ago

Hot take: dirty glaciers are underrated. Hear us out!

Even though Mount Rainier's glaciers are shrinking overall as the climate warms, turns out being really dirty can be a glacier's shield against melting — but only if the layer is thick enough.

That "dirt" is actually rocks, gravel, and other debris that have fallen from the valley walls above and it changes how fast glaciers can melt.

Science research has shown that a thin layer of dark debris lowers the glacier's albedo (its ability to reflect sunlight), helping it absorb more solar radiation and melt faster — like wearing a black T-shirt on a hot day. But as that rocky layer builds up, it starts acting more like a winter coat, defending the ice beneath and slowing the melt.

Pictured here, Carbon Glacier is the thickest, longest, and the lowest reaching elevation glacier on the north side of the mountain part of it’s health is due to being perhaps the dirtiest glacier. Sometimes, a glacier's best defense is getting down in the dirt. So the next time you see a dirty glacier, say it with us: That's hot.

NPS Photo of Carbon Glacier terminus Picture of the Carbon Glacier terminus (the mouth of the river) within a valley and piles of debris covering the top of the glacier, interlaced with layers of ice. by @mountrainiernps

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8 days ago

If you are near a river and notice a rapid rise in water, feel the ground shaking, or hear a sound like a freight train—move quickly to higher ground! Go at least 200 feet above the river level.

Mount Rainier is sleeping, not dead. Seismic monitoring stations around the mountain are designed to provide days or weeks of advance warning of impending eruptions. Other geologic hazards, however, can occur with little warning. These include debris flows and deadly rockfalls.

Debris flows are a mix of sediment and water, and can carry huge boulders that slam together as they are transported downhill.

A debris flow in the 1980s permanently closed Westside Road, and you can still see the remnants today along Tahoma Creek. Hiking in the creek bed is not recommended. We have already had two small debris flows on Tahoma Creek this year (July 3 and July 7).

In this video from last year of high river flows along the Nisqually River, notice the chocolate milk (not actual unfortunately). If you see the water looking like this, a debris flow may be more likely to occur. You might notice this during heat waves or heavy rains, which can cause glacial melt and instability. by @mountrainiernps

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8 days ago

What is the most playful family of animals in the subalpine?

Weasels and martens are part of the family Mustelidae, or mustelids, which includes badgers, otters, and wolverines, among others.

Running circles around even the fastest hikers, mustelids seem not to have a care in the world as they jump from rock to rock or weave in and out of thick brush. A pine marten at Sunrise is seen streaking by in the first clip. In the second, a small and probably hungry Paradise weasel drops a large vole (sorry) and momentarily grows cautious. It tentatively retrieves its prey but is all weasel again as it bounds off the victor, tail streaming like a little flag. Weasels use their tails to balance; the black tip confuses predators.

Have you seen any mustelids in the park lately?

NPS video description: A marten jumps over a narrow hiking trail into low brush. Another weasel picks up a dead vole it has dropped on the trail. by @mountrainiernps

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9 days ago

What do you notice about this photo?

It can be easy to miss, but the worn-down path to the left of the official trail through the meadow is a social trail, aka a trail scar — and they form fast. All it takes for a scar to grow is just a few steps off-trail. Add nearly 2 million visitors a year, and that's a lot of footsteps with potential to create numerous scars in the fragile ecosystem. Crushed wildflowers don’t just bounce back, and chances are these scars may not heal for years, if at all, once they are established.

With great flowers comes great responsibility. Be a good steward. Help preserve the meadows by staying on designated trails and setting an example for all.

NPS Photo by @mountrainiernps

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9 days ago

The local sssnakesss hired a new PR team and have a few wordsss to sssay.

Mount Rainier is home to four native sssnake speciesss in the park: the rubber boa, northwestern garter snake, wandering garter snake, and the common garter sssnake — seen above! For yearsss, they’ve been typecassst as the villainsss of the trail but the allegations have been greatly exaggerated. Here'sss what their PR team wants you to know:

1. They're shy and would much rather avoid you than confront you.
2. They're not dangerousss to people.
3. They help keep ecosystemsss in balance by dining on insectsss, ssslugsss, amphibiansss, and sssmall rodentsss.
4. They're excellent ssswimmersss and can even be spotted in and around water.

If you do sssee one, do wish it a happy World Snake Day. Or elsssssse.

NPS Photo Graphic Photo graphic of a real common garter snake up-close in the grass with simulated pinks hearts, stars and blush. by @mountrainiernps

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10 days ago