National Parks

...two of Washington’s State’s famous National Parks: Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens.


****Mount Rainier****

Mount Rainier National Park (also called The Cascades National Park), just 54 miles from Seattle, was established on March 2, 1899 and was the fifth National Park created within the USA. The park covers an area of 235,625 acres, up to 14,410 above sea level.

Mount Rainier, for which the ...
...who flood to Mount Ranier National Park with the intention of gaping at the remarkable views. Disappointment is common, regardless of the time of year and this is something that potential visitors should bear in mind. I’d advise all tourists to check the weather reports before driving all that way and to put aside more then one potential day to visit.

Do bear in mind though that despite the disappointing fact that we couldn’t see ... more

****Washington State****

Washington State, situated on the West coast of the USA, is the most Northerly American State. The State borders Idaho and Oregon, in addition to Canada (The province of British Columbia) making it an excellent base for exploring the wonders of the Rocky Mountains. Washington State was created in 1889 and named after George Washington, the first American President and is the only State named in such manner. The Capital is Olympia but the biggest and best known City is actually Seattle, a beautiful harbour side city, famous for Frasier and fabulous fish markets, which I highly recommend visiting. The purpose of this review though is not to describe Washington’s Cities, which ultimately are similar to any other, but to describe two of Washington’s State’s famous National Parks: Mount Rainier and Mount St Helens.

****Mount Rainier****

Mount Rainier National Park (also called The Cascades National Park), just 54 miles from Seattle, was established on March 2, 1899 and was the fifth National Park created within the USA. The park covers an area of 235,625 acres, up to 14,410 above sea level.

Mount Rainier, for which the park is named, is an active volcano, which last erupted 2,200 years ago. It is the highest peak of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and rises abruptly from the surrounding land, majestically topped with snow fall and glaciers.

I can tell you this because I have seen the pictures...... Yes I've been to the park I undertook the long drives, I even wore shorts that day, after all it was August in America. The day we visited it was very cold for this time of year and so foggy that we couldn't even see Mount Rainier. I have a picture of us all stood in front of it (apparently) me with my blue legs shivering and just wanting to get back in the car, gutted that we couldn't see it.

Enormous amounts of rain and snow fall on the park, particularly on the peak every year, all year round. Incremental weather is a common problem for the 1.3 million tourists who flood to Mount Ranier National Park with the intention of gaping at the remarkable views. Disappointment is common, regardless of the time of year and this is something that potential visitors should bear in mind. I’d advise all tourists to check the weather reports before driving all that way and to put aside more then one potential day to visit.

Do bear in mind though that despite the disappointing fact that we couldn’t see Rainer it was still a good day out. Mount Rainier is surrounded by valleys, 26 glaciers, forests, crystal clear streams and waterfalls, deep lakes and meadows of wild flowers. You might even be lucky enough to spot the wild dears, mountain goats or black bears. It is a truly beautiful park and we could still see the bits which were in the immediate vicinity.

I was also lucky enough to see the mountain indirectly!! On clear days, Rainier can be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon, and Victoria in British Columbia. I first saw Rainier from an internal flight I took back to Seattle from Idaho. The Mountain was clearly visible from the plane, towering above the low lying clouds and was truly a spectacular site (I have some amazing photos of it). On a clear day, like we had Mount Rainier can also be seen in the distance from Seattle which is an amazing sight and these experiences did make up for the initial disappointment somewhat.

The park contains all the usual features that come with National parks in general: camping and picnic-ing facilities, toilets and the odd restaurant/visitors centre. There are excellent opportunities for a whole host of outdoor pursuits such as hiking, mountain climbing, boating, cycling, fishing and swimming and it would be easy to spend a few days here. As far as I remember you have to pay a small fee to enter the parks which is per car taken in but once there all of this natural beauty is completely free!

I've included some pictures of Mount Rainier itself and of the National park in general below.

****Mount St Helens****

Mount St Helens National Park, which is 96 miles from Seattle, now stands in stark and bleak contrast to the lush and fertile grounds that surround Mount Ranier, even though the mountain is also part of the Cascades Volcanic Arc. On May 18, 1980, the long-dormant Mount St. Helens erupted following an earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, making it the most destructive recorded in the USA. The north face of the mountain collapsed and within moments, this enormous slab of rock and ice slammed into Spirit Lake, crossed a ridge 1,300 feet high, and roared 14 miles down the Toutle River. The eruption lasted nine hours during which nearly 230 square miles of forest was blown over or left dead, 57 people were killed and 250 homes, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railways and 185 miles of highway were destroyed.

The park is completely free to enter and was relatively quiet when we visited although it was peak season. The journey to the volcano’s site, along narrow, winding mountain roads allows the visitor to take in the scale of the devastation. This destruction caused by the eruption is immense and recovery is going to take decades. The whole site is desolate and barren but it truly is amazing and fascinating and I’ll never forget it. Hardly anything grows there anymore, there are no living trees even though this was once forest land. All that remains are stripped bare trunks of those which somehow managed to survive the blast and the aftermath, all bending over away from St Helens itself, demonstrating the pure force of the explosion.

There is a small information point opposite the volcano showing photos of the area before the blast for comparison. The mountain is now a totally different shape due to the collapse of one entire side and it is now much smaller height wise than it was originally and much less magnificent.

St Helens is a spectacular and shocking site, one of the most amazing I have ever been lucky enough to come across. Although there isn't much left of St Helens, the site is well worth a day trip. St Helen’s sums up the extreme power of nature more than anything else I've seen and let’s just hope that this still active volcano does not decide to blow again for some time.

****Summary****

Washington State is a beautiful state, with lots to do and I highly recommend a visit to this part of the world. The National Park of Rainier is simply stunning although the unreliable weather experienced here can be an issue. Although destroyed by the eruption of 1980 Mount St Helen’s is also an interesting and unforgettable day trip. What’s more, in addition to these sites Washington State is home to many others areas of outstanding beauty including The Olympic National Park, part of which is coastal. Sadly we didn't have time to visit here, but there’s always next time! 

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