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Myrtle Falls

Mt Rainier National Park / Paradise, Washington, USA

About Myrtle Falls

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Myrtle Falls gave us that rare opportunity to photograph a waterfall in front of Mt Rainier – Washington’s most iconic mountain.

I had to believe that it was for this reason alone that the falls was very popular.

Rainier_428_08252011 - Myrtle Falls fronting Mt Rainier
Myrtle Falls fronting Mt Rainier

This was especially the case considering that it seemed every visitor to Mt Rainier would visit Paradise (i.e. the touristy part of the park).

So it wasn’t surprising to us when we saw how busy the trail was even within the limited space at its overlook.

It turned out that everyone at the overlook took turns taking their shots then moving aside so the next person could get their shots of the falls.

The Short Hike to Myrtle Falls and elsewhere

The trail was on a well-signposted 0.3-mile paved walk from the stairs leaving the Paradise Inn entrance area to the viewpoint you see pictured above.

Rainier_416_08252011 - The busy and paved walking trails in the Paradise area leading to Myrtle Falls while also revealing the glacier-laced volcano of Mt Rainier
The busy and paved walking trails in the Paradise area leading to Myrtle Falls while also revealing the glacier-laced volcano of Mt Rainier

A signpost near a three-pronged fork in the trail pointed the way right to a short descent leading to the viewpoint of both the Myrtle Falls, a footbridge above it, and Mt Rainier (on a clear day, of course).

When I walked this paved path, I realized that this waterfall wasn’t the only reason to go for a walk in this area.

There were also numerous other trails branching out from the Paradise Inn area leading to other waterfalls such as Sluiskin Falls as well as viewpoints and access to the Nisqually Glacier.

And just about all of these trails yielded views of the rounded snowy top of Mt Rainier, especially on the mostly clear day that Julie and I happened to be fortunate to experience.

Rainier_412_08252011 - Distant view of what I believe to be Sluiskin Falls on the southern slopes of Mt Rainier as seen from the walk to Myrtle Falls
Distant view of what I believe to be Sluiskin Falls on the southern slopes of Mt Rainier as seen from the walk to Myrtle Falls

There were also views of the Paradise River below as well as some jagged mountains surrounding the Paradise vicinity.

If we had more time to explore this part of the park, we very easily could have taken one of the longer walks and really experience this bustling place.

Unfortunately, since we were on a day trip from Seattle, we couldn’t devote more time here and really do this area justice.

So I guess we’ll have to come back here when our child would be old enough to appreciate this stuff and perhaps base ourselves in the Mt Rainier area instead of Seattle.

Authorities

Myrtle Falls resides in Mt Rainier National Park near Puyallup in Pierce County, Washington. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: mt rainier, mount rainier, national park, paradise, pierce, view, myrtle creek, washington, waterfall



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.