Sight · Mount Rainier National Park
A 1932 lookout caps a steep hike to Rainier’s southeast panorama.
Overview
Shriner Peak Fire Lookout is a two-story wooden tower on a 5,834-foot summit in Mount Rainier’s southeast corner. The payoff is both the surviving 1930s lookout and a broad view across the park’s eastern valleys and Cascade peaks. Getting there takes a strenuous hike, not a quick stop: the route is about 8 miles round trip with 3,434 feet of climbing. Choose it when you want a full day on a steep trail; skip it if you are looking for an easy viewpoint.
Parkwolf’s verdictWorth the climb?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
Shriner Peak: A Steep Climb to the Lookout“You're nearing Shriner Peak trailhead, where a steep hike leads to a wooden fire lookout built in nineteen thirty-two.”
Plays as you drive up to Shriner Peak Fire Lookout in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The Shriner Peak Trail starts from a small parking area along SR 123. It begins in forest beside Panther Creek, then climbs through an open old burn with little shade. The first view of Rainier comes about 2.5 miles in; higher up, the route follows a ridge and steep switchbacks before the lookout comes into view near the top. Plan on about five hours for the hike, and breaks or a slower pace can make it a longer day.
Built in 1932, the wooden tower is one of four fire lookouts remaining in the park and part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District. Firewatchers scanned for smoke and lightning, then reported what they saw by telephone. From here, they watched a 630-acre park fire in July 1934. The tower is not overnight lodging; daytime access to its interior is not dependable, so count on the outside and the summit rather than a guaranteed look inside.
The summit panorama takes in Mount Rainier, Ohanapecosh Valley and the Cascade Range. On a clear day, look for Little Tahoma, Mount Adams, Goat Rocks and Mount St. Helens. For a photo, include the tower with some of the open slope and distant ridges; a tight shot of the building misses the scale of the setting. Summer wildflowers and autumn color add detail on the burned slopes, especially the bright shrubs and larches.
Carry plenty of water: much of the upper climb is open to strong sun, and there is no water or food service at the lookout. SR 123 closes for winter, so the hike is seasonal and the snow-free window shifts from year to year. A small parking area serves the trailhead, and pets are not allowed on park trails.
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
EasyDeer Creek Falls Trail0.8 mi · 45 min · 1.4 mi awayA short, steep forest walk to Deer Creek’s tiered falls.
ModerateStafford Falls via Deer Creek3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayBlue-green pools and a punch bowl after a steep forest drop.
ChallengingShriner Peak Trail8 mi · 6 hr · 1.4 mi awayA tough, exposed climb to a historic lookout and wide views.
ModerateEastside Trail11.2 mi · 6.5 hr · 3.7 mi awayMeadows, waterfalls, and old growth on a long mountain traverse.
EasyTipsoo Lake Loop Trail0.7 mi · 30 min · 3.8 mi awayAn easy alpine lap with wildflowers, lake views and Rainier.
ModerateNaches Peak Loop Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 3.8 mi awayRainier leads the meadow return; Dewey Lake drops away on the PCT.
EasyGrove of the Patriarchs Trail1.1 mi · 1 hr · 4 mi awayAn easy island loop under some of Mount Rainier’s biggest trees.
ModerateEastside Trail to Ohanapecosh Falls7.4 mi · 4 hr · 4.1 mi awayA forest walk to a nearly 70-foot, two-tier waterfall.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayStafford FallsA blue-green waterfall hike with a steep climb back to the road.Sight · 1.5 mi awayDeer Creek FallsA short downhill walk to a 60-foot gorge waterfall.
Sight · 1.7 mi awayOhanapecosh FallsTwo drops, a footbridge, and a long walk into the forest.
Sight · 3.6 mi awayGrove of the PatriarchsOld-growth conifers on a small island in the Ohanapecosh River
Sight · 3.9 mi awayTipsoo LakeA short loop, wildflowers, and a chance at Rainier's reflection.
Sight · 4.1 mi awayChinook Entrance ArchA 90-foot CCC gateway doubles as a Pacific Crest Trail crossing.
Entrance station · 4.2 mi awayStevens Canyon EntranceGet a map before setting out on the cross-park road.
Sight · 4.5 mi awaySilver FallsA 60-foot drop and a footbridge in an old-growth gorge.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
