Lakes Trail and High Lakes Trail (High Lakes Loop)
Trail Highlights:
Mountain and panoramic views; lake views; wildflowers; wildlife
Round-trip Distance:
2.70 miles / 4.30 km (western and eastern Lakes Trail sections and High Lakes Trail hiked as a loop from the Reflection Lakes trailheads)
3.30 miles / 5.20 km (western and eastern Lakes Trail sections and High Lakes Trail hiked as a loop from the Valley Road trailhead)
4.60 miles / 7.40 km (western and eastern Lakes Trail sections and High Lakes Trail hiked as a loop between the Lakes and Skyline trailheads)
4.80 miles / 7.70 km (western and eastern Lakes Trail sections and High Lakes Trail hiked as a loop to and from the Lakes trailhead)
5.40 miles / 8.70 km (full Lakes Trail hiked as a loop between the Lakes and Skyline trailheads or to and from the Reflection Lakes or Valley Road trailheads)
Eastbound on State Route 706 (on some maps shown as National Park Highway), proceed to its terminus at Mt. Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance just east of Ashford, Washington
Continue into the park on Paradise Road (on some maps shown as The Road to Paradise) and proceed 16.00 miles / 25.70 km to the parking areas at the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center
The Lakes trailhead is located just south of Paradise Inn where Paradise Road turns into Valley Road, across the road from the last parking area. Use this trailhead to hike the Lakes Trail loops counterclockwise
The Skyline trailheads are located along the north edges of the Paradise parking areas. Access the Skyline Trail and proceed right approximately 1.40 miles / 2.30 km to its junction with the Lakes Trail, indicated by signage. Use these trailheads to hike the Lakes Trail loops clockwise
Valley Road Trailhead:
Eastbound on State Route 706 (on some maps shown as National Park Highway), proceed to its terminus at Mt. Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance just east of Ashford, Washington
Continue into the park on Paradise Road (on some maps shown as The Road to Paradise) and proceed 15.00 miles / 24.10 km to Stevens Canyon Road
Turn right onto Stevens Canyon Road and proceed 0.20 miles / 0.30 km to Valley Road
Turn left onto Valley Road and proceed 0.40 miles / 0.60 km to a small parking area on the left
Access the Lakes Trail on either side of Valley Road, depending on the desired direction of travel
Reflection Lakes Trailheads:
Eastbound on State Route 706 (on some maps shown as National Park Highway), proceed to its terminus at Mt. Rainier National Park's Nisqually entrance just east of Ashford, Washington
Continue into the park on Paradise Road (on some maps shown as The Road to Paradise) and proceed 15.00 miles / 24.10 km to Stevens Canyon Road
Turn right onto Stevens Canyon Road and proceed 1.50 miles / 2.40 km to the parking area at Reflection Lakes
The Lakes Trail merges with the Wonderland Trail along Reflection Lakes; from any of the Wonderland trailheads between Reflection Lakes and the parking area, hike in the desired direction of travel and look for signs indicating where the Lakes Trail diverges at either end of the lakes
This page profiles Mt. Rainier National Park's "High Lakes Trail," or, "High Lakes Loop," rather than the "High Lakes Trail" located in King County, Washington.
Given their several trailheads and loop configurations, Mt. Rainier National Park’s Lakes and High Lakes trails afford a variety of hiking experiences, from shadowy woodlands to flower-clad meadows and soaring vistas, with considerable differences in round-trip distance to satisfy a range of fitness levels. The pair anchors the southern network of trails that lace Paradise, the aptly named area of the Park at the headwaters of the Paradise River. Although the hiking season peaks during Paradise’s spectacular mid-summer wildflower display, the trails’ many other features provide interest throughout the year, including their namesake lakes, alternating meadow and woodland waysides, unexpected panoramas, and Mt. Rainier’s peekaboo appearances throughout. From its upper trailheads, the Lakes Trail descends to Reflection Lakes, where it merges briefly with the Wonderland Trail and flattens along the lakes’ southern shores before diverging again and climbing — sometimes rigorously — to rejoin Paradise. It can also be hiked in the reverse direction from its lower trailheads. The High Lakes Trail connects the western and eastern portions of the Lakes Trail north of Reflection Lakes, undulating across the short hills that ripple the mountainside between meadows and either looping around the lakes or bypassing them, depending on route. A clutch of small lakes and ponds dots the woodland near the High Lakes Trail’s eastern junction with the Lakes Trail and just above Faraway Rock’s surprise vantage of Louise Lake far below. In the Lakes Trail’s eastern uplands, the forest opens to huge meadows with sprawling views of Mt. Rainier and Stevens Canyon. North of Paradise, the Skyline Trail network offers options for extending the hike even further for those who haven’t quite gotten enough of the endless alpine views.
The best way to determine which route is best for you is to consult the Park Service’s handy trail map found at one of the “Additional Trail Info” links above. On the hike, the map will also help you choose the correct turns at some confusing trail junctions along the way. Given the trails’ popularity and ease of access, do expect to encounter others at intervals along the way, especially along Reflection Lakes. Bear scat is also plentiful along these trails, even just a short distance from the bustle of the Paradise Jackson Visitor Center and Paradise Inn. Always be aware of your surroundings and the fellow creatures in whose home you are the visitor. For the well-being of all, the Park Service has posted wildlife safety tips found at another of the “Additional Trail Info” links above.
Both the Lakes and High Lakes trails generally alternate between woodland and meadowland, with Mt. Rainier’s looming summit peering frequently over the horizon. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.The Lakes Trail’s western section is mostly wooded. Near its midpoint, it crosses the Paradise River on a footbridge in dense forest just below an unnamed waterfall. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.While many of the same wildflowers are found throughout much of Paradise, subtle variations in habitat vary their distribution. In the boggy meadows and shadowy woodlands of the trails’ western reaches, expect many moisture-loving blooms, such as partridgefoots (Leutkea pectinata) (upper first column), bird’s beak louseworts (Pedicularis ornithorhyncha) (lower first column), subalpine spiraea (Spiraea splendens) (upper second column), white rhododendrons, also known as Cascade azaleas (Rhododendron albiflorum) (center second column), dwarf brambles (Rubus lasiococcus) (lower second column), Sitka valerians (Valeriana sitchensis) (upper third column), sickletop louseworts (Pedicularis racemosa) (lower third column), high mountain cinquefoils (Potentilla flabellifolia) (upper fourth column), mountain gentians (Gentiana calycosa) (center fourth column), and purple monkey-flowers (Erythranthe lewisii) (lower fourth column). Lakes and High Lakes Trails, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.At its southernmost point, the Lakes Trail rounds the three Reflection Lakes, where it merges briefly with the Wonderland Trail before departing northward from either end. The High Lakes Trail crosses above the lakes’ opposite side, forming loops that either bypass them or encircle them, depending on the starting point. Lakes – Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.A short distance from the Lakes Trail, Louise Lake makes a pleasant detour. From the Lakes Trail’s eastern junction with the Wonderland Trail, proceed just 0.70 miles/1.10 km east down the Wonderland Trail to reach Louise Lake. Wonderland Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.Another glimpse of Louise Lake comes just 0.60 steep miles/1.00 km up the Lakes Trail from its eastern junction with the Wonderland Trail, where the forest suddenly opens to reveal a bird’s-eye view from atop Faraway Rock. For those bypassing Reflection Lakes on the High Lakes Trail, Faraway Rock’s lakeview vista is a worthy 0.10-mile/0.15-km jaunt southward from the High Lake’s Trail’s eastern junction with the Lakes Trail. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.Several more small lakes and ponds mirror the surrounding woodland near the High Lakes Trail’s eastern junction with the Lakes Trail. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.In late summer and early autumn, blueberries and huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) abound throughout the woodlands along the Lakes and High Lakes trails. Enjoy the tasty fruits, but do keep watch for the bears that snack on them, too. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.The Lakes Trail’s upland meadows provide glimpses of the Tatoosh Range rising on the southern horizon, including, shown here from left to right, Unicorn Peak, West Unicorn Peak, and Foss Peak, also known as Manatee Mountain. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.In the trails’ sunny alpine and subalpine reaches, expect an abundance of brightly colored summertime wildflowers, including small-flowered, or, magenta paintbrushes (Castilleja parviflora var. oreopola) (upper first column), Columbia lilies (Lilium columbianum) (lower first column), scarlet paintbrushes (Castilleja miniata) (upper second column), arrowleaf groundsel (Senecio triangularis) (center second column), wandering daisies (Erigeron glacialis) (lower second column), broadleaf arnicas (Arnica latifolia) (upper third column), Cascade asters (Eucephallus ledophyllus) (center third column), and pink mountain-heaths (Phyllodoce empetriformis) (lower third column). Lakes and High Lakes Trails, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.From the Lakes Trail’s upper eastern section, massive views open down Stevens Canyon. At the canyon’s mouth, Stevens Ridge (left) and Stevens Peak (right) rise like gateposts near the Park’s southern boundary. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.Near the Lakes Trail’s junction with the Skyline Trail, Mt. Rainier figures in full view amid a galaxy of summer wildflowers. Lakes Trail, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.The star of Paradise’s summer wildflower show is the broadleaf lupine (Lupinus latifolius var. subalpinus) (left), which masses in fragrant drifts throughout the meadowlands. Keep an eye out for unusual pale specimens, as in the upper right photo. Not to be outdone, alpine, or, American bistorts (Bistorta bistortoides) (upper center) also bloom by their billions, in some places bobbing amongst the lupines, as in the lower photo, and at others in vast parallel swathes, as in the foregoing photo of Mt. Rainier. Lakes and High Lakes Trails, Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington.
