Picnic area · Mount Rainier National Park
A laid-back lunch among 100-plus tables, with Rainier views on clear days.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Mount Rainier Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Mount Rainier National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Mount Rainier audio tourRecorded for this place
Paradise Picnic Area: A Lunch Stop Among the Trees“Paradise Picnic Area is ahead, with tables and grills among the trees and Rainier views on clear days. It's a summer stop for a lunch you've brought along.”
Plays as you drive up to Paradise Picnic Area in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
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Guide
Paradise Picnic Area is a large picnic ground spread across several loops in the meadow called Barn Flat. More than 100 tables and grills sit among the trees, with a view of Mount Rainier from the tables on a clear day. Bring food and make this your sit-down break near Paradise's main visitor area.
The picnic area is on Paradise Valley Road, about half a mile southeast of the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center and 0.2 mile southeast of the lower Paradise parking lot. There is parking at the picnic area, and a short connector with stairs from the lower lot; small paths link the table areas. For step-free access, head to the central section: it has two accessible parking spaces beside the restroom and three accessible tables. Potable water is at the restrooms. The area typically opens from late June through late September, depending on weather and road conditions. Pets may join you at the tables and on paved roads or sidewalks, but not on park trails.
This meadow was developed as a picnic area during Mission 66, the postwar program that expanded park visitor facilities from 1956 to 1966. Mount Rainier was the first national park to get a Mission 66 development plan. Stick to the small paths between tables to protect the surrounding vegetation.
Wildlife
466 sightingsMountain GoatMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
383 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
10 sightingsWolverineMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
58 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
574 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
1,853 sightingsHoary MarmotMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Mount Rainier. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyNisqually Vista Trail1.2 mi · 45 min · 0.2 mi awayShort paved loop, big glacier views, and a few rolling climbs.
ModerateGlacier Vista Trail3.1 mi · 2.8 hr · 0.2 mi awayGet a clear look at the glacier’s icefall, crevasses and headwaters.
ModerateDeadhorse Creek and Moraine Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.2 mi awayWildflowers frame Rainier above the Nisqually Glacier.
ModerateNarada Falls Trail from Paradise3.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayThe longer Paradise walk drops to the foot of a 168-foot waterfall.
ModerateLakes Trail Loop via Mazama Ridge5.3 mi · 4 hr · 0.3 mi awayLink Reflection Lakes, Faraway Rock, Mazama Ridge, and Myrtle Falls.
ModerateParadise Glacier Trail5.1 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayFollow Skyline over flower meadows and steps to a glacier basin.
ChallengingPebble Creek Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.3 mi awayClimb through Paradise meadows to the edge of the Muir Snowfield.
ModerateGolden Gate Loop Trail4 mi · 3 hr · 0.3 mi awayWildflower meadows, Myrtle Falls and a high notch above Paradise.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayRuby FallsA two-tier cascade hides beneath the bridge, just above Narada Falls.
Visitor center · 0.3 mi awayHenry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor CenterStart a Paradise visit with ranger advice and Rainier in view.
Visitor center · 0.4 mi awayParadise Wilderness Information CenterGet climbing help where summit attempts have begun since 1922.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayParadise Ski-Tow PowerhouseA little A-frame recalls Paradise’s lift-served ski years.
Lodging · 0.4 mi awayParadise InnA grand timber lodge with a 14-foot clock and trail access.
Historic marker · 0.4 mi away10th Mountain Division MemorialA small memorial to the 10th Mountain Division at Paradise.Sight · 0.5 mi awayNisqually VistaA clear day makes the Nisqually Glacier worth the short walk.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayNarada FallsRoadside waterfall views with a short, steep path to the lower pool.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
