Sunrise Visitor Center

Fantastic place, an active volcano, a rain forest, a glacier, and GIANT trees.

My first experience in 1992 was tough. We trekked a quarter of the way around the mountain and then joined Rainier Mountainiering on a summit attempt. We made it well past Desperation Cleave then ran in (more like crawled) to glass ice and couldn't make it further. Still the view from even 13900 ft is AMAZING. We climbed above the clouds and across an ocean of foam we saw distant peaks like St. Helens and Adams.

Back to Sunrise Visitor Center ... this is a great place for a view of the mountain and access to easy to difficult trails. There is a learning center of sorts and ranger staff available

Just so you know Sunrise Visitor Center is only open from early June to early September and closed in winter.

This is probably my favorite visitor center amongst the five. So far the most aggressive hike I did in Mt. Rainier is located in here. It was a steep, exhausted one yet a very rewarding view I've been so far. I felt my heart pumping while writing this review because this particular hike almost made my body in hypothermia condition. Goodness bandit is with me and almost carried me back to the parking area.

Anyhow, this visitor center offers interesting facts and information in the area. Nothing much in here except for this other building which offer some souvenirs to purchased. There are plenty of parking spaces in here yet when they opened in summer it's always packed and tourists do come and go every single day.

This center also offers several trails to hike from intermediate to advanced level. And before you leave the center, do not forget to stamp your passport! Cheee-hooo! It's kinda addicting collecting those stamps too.

Mahalo for reading and happy juandering fellow yeeps!

We drove from Seattle area up to the visitor center on a sunny day. We were lucky to find a parking space at this very popular site. We checked out the Visitor Center to get orientated and learn about the history. Recommend downloading the US National Park Service phone app to review the details, it was helpful. We selected the Skyline trail which was mostly paved but had some dirt & gravel sections. It was about a 2 mile hike up and about additional 800 foot elevation from our starting point. There were plenty of volunteer trail guides along the way. All the tourist seem to be enjoying their hike. We stopped the Tatoosh Cafe for refreshment once we finished our hike. Prices are higher than normal but when you considered the additional transportation cost, it's understandable.

Next year I am thinking about camping over nite at Camp Muir. We saw a couple guys in their 30's with backpack and were super excited about their adventures. However, I turn 72 this year and may need to recalibrate my thinking. My wife and I are fairly physically active, we walk 3-5 miles 5 days a week and I swim 2 miles three time a week. Many of the hikers got exhausted and didn't complete the 2 mile hike.

I believe the Sunrise Visitors Center is 5 stars as good as it gets. Well, it's not just the Visitors Center I'd like to talk about...it's the entire Sunrise area in general that I'd like to explain...sort of recommend to everyone why it's so important that they make this section of Mt. Rainier National Park a must visit.

The 2 primary parts of Mt. Rainier NP are PARADISE AND SUNRISE. They both need to be explored if you're truly to understand what makes Mt. Rainier a Top 10 National Park (at least in my book, lol).

Paradise - is home to many wonderful waterfalls, tremendous trails...overall the main hub of activity. It's located about 20 miles away from the western entrance to the park. I probably used 2 - 2.5 days to explore all of the sights and attractions at Paradise.

Now here at Sunrise...it may not feature the waterfalls, but this section certainly has some worthwhile hikes to trek along with a few other unique aspects that makes hanging out here necessary.

The entrance to Sunrise states..."At Sunrise, many trails lead you through pristine subalpine meadows covered in wildflowers. On clear days Sunrise provides stunning views of the Emmons Glacier, Mount Rainier, and many other volcanoes in the Cascade Range". So...that intro is terrific for what to expect out of Sunrise. Now, let me give you a few details from my experience...

The Visitors Center here was much better and more accessible than the Henry M. Jackson VC of Paradise. Because...during this summer pandemic of 2020, Paradise's VC was packed! Simply stuffed with tourists that there was a line just to get inside that (I swear) lasted 45 minutes!
Yet here at Sunrise, I walked right into the VC and bought all the gifts and souvenirs I needed. Plus...they sold snacks, food, sandwiches...much more than I ever expected. Before I started my hiking, I bought an ice cream bar for a nice little midday refreshment. Also, prices here at the VC were fair and reasonable...they certainly didn't price gauge.

Although the Visitors Center was technically closed, there were Park Rangers set up outside the doors to answer questions, give advice, hand out park maps, assist with hiking trail info and of course - get your National Parks Pass stamped!

I found parking to be accessible unlike the congested Paradise area. They do warn, although I was trekking my road trip from out of my car...lol, there were specific signs here saying no sleeping in your cars. Also, because accommodations were so limited within Mt. Rainier, they don't want folks camping out in their cars overnight to then have simple access to the attractions come morning.

On to the Main Events...The Hikes!

I hiked 3 trails here that I certainly recommend:

1. Mount Fremont Lookout Trail - 5.6 miles RT with 900 feet in elevation gain and 3.5 hours hiking time. DO THIS HIKE IN THE MORNING otherwise the sun will blast you in the face with rays of Mt. Rainier if hiked in the afternoon.

2. First and Second Burroughs Mountain Trails - 4.8 - 6.0 miles RT with 900 - 1200 feet in elevation and 3 - 4 hours hiking time. I hiked to both First and Second Burroughs. The views were quite similar at each overlook. But, if you trek all the way to the First, might as well go to the Second!

3. Sourdough Ridge Trail - 3 miles RT gaining 500 feet in elevation and 1.5 hours hiking time. You don't have to do this trail specifically. Getting to Mount Fremont and First and Second Burroughs...you must start by hiking a portion of Sourdough Ridge. But...the views of the Sunrise area looking back down on the parking lot as you start Sourdough Trail were fantastic!

Other Recommend Trails though I never hiked these...
- Sunrise Rim Trail - 5.2 miles RT gaining 1000 feet in elevation and 3 hours hiking time.
- Sunrise Nature Trail - 1.5 miles RT gaining 300 feet in elevation and 45 minutes hiking time. Here affords views of Mt. Rainier and the Cascades.
- Silver Forest Trail - 2 miles RT gaining 150 feet in elevation and 1 hour hiking time. Trail is located south of the parking lot. Great views from the Emmons Vista Overlooks.
- East to Dege Peak - 4.2 miles RT gaining 800 feet in elevation and 2.5 hours hiking time. Here you follow the Nature Trail to the right, then head east on Sourdough Ridge Trail to the Dege Peak Spur Trail for panoramic views of Cascade Crest Summits.

Overall, the surroundings and sights here at Sunrise within Mt. Rainier were absolutely wonderful! Even just simply hiking Sourdough Ridge Trail you'll be confronted with statuesque views within the heart of the landscape of the area. I used 2 full days to really immerse myself in the soul of Sunrise...capturing a full understanding for what makes this place so special and for what makes Mt. Rainier so stunning.

And although the Paradise area may feature more waterfalls and just as good of hikes like the Skyline Loop Trail...regardless, Sunrise is second to none in terms of just as worthwhile areas to explore and admire nature.

An awe inspiring location! Words simply cannot describe the view of Mt. Rainier. However the trails are poorly marked with many small trail markers bent or falling down. There was no ranger presence. Parking area had litter blowing around. Boarded up buildings show signs of disrepair & poor upkeep. Such a magnificent location deserves better care.

A pinnacle of natural beauty! Mt. Rainier is an episodically active volcano, but don't let that scare you. The drive up to Sunrise was beautiful, and the view of Rainier from the visitor center is already picture perfect. But we decided to hike up Sourdough trail. For some extra fun, bring headlamps and hike the trail near sunset. When it falls dark, the stars (and even Milky Way) are fully visible. It was nice of the park to not install lights in the parking lot, which made the sky even brighter.

I normally always go to paradise, this was a different view of the mountain. The gift shop is better on the paradise side. Beautiful scenery! The drive up was also nice.

We had a great family day. What amazing views!!!! A big shout out to the amazing Ranger. She helped my daughters see some mountain goats and even pulled out her binoculars for my youngest daughter to see who was having a hard time finding them.

We stay 1 mile out of the park at crystal mountain motel.
We went to this area and the paradise. You should definitely! go to this one and hike the sunrise trail. The view is awesome!

The view here is better than paradise.