Mount Rainier National Park, WA
A short ridge loop ends at a bluff above the lakes.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 trailhead
Reflection Lakes: A Quick Mountain View“Reflection Lakes is coming up beside Stevens Canyon Road.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Mount Rainier Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
High Lakes Loop Trail is a roughly 3-mile circuit from the Reflection Lakes parking areas, climbing the ridge to Faraway Rock before returning along the lakeshore. It gains about 600 feet; allow two to three hours for the climb, uneven tread and stops. Choose it for a compact subalpine walk with a proper viewpoint rather than a level stroll around the lakes.
From the eastern parking area, follow the lakeside Wonderland Trail to the signed climb. The dirt tread is broken by roots and rock as it rises through open subalpine meadows; seasonal flowers color the slopes in summer. A seasonal stream crossing can be dry later in the season. Faraway Rock is the payoff: look east toward Louise Lake and Stevens Canyon, then southwest across Reflection Lakes to the Tatoosh Range. For a photo, include the lakes or the road below the bluff to show the drop and scale.
Continue past a small tarn on High Lakes Trail, then descend by Lower Lakes Trail to the lakeshore and the parking area. The ridge alternates open sunny ground with shaded patches, and the return gives a different angle on the lakes. At junctions, follow the Reflection Lakes loop rather than continuing toward Paradise; those mileages describe a longer walk.
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
ModeratePinnacle Peak Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.1 mi awayA short, steep climb to a saddle with Rainier views.
ModerateBench and Snow Lake Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 1 mi awayTwo lakes and Rainier views, reached by a short, rolling trail.
ChallengingSkyline Trail Loop5.5 mi · 4.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA strenuous Paradise loop past glaciers, Panorama Point and Myrtle Falls.
ModerateAlta Vista Trail Loop1.7 mi · 1.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayA short climb opens broad views of Paradise and the Tatoosh.
ModerateNarada Falls Trail from Paradise3.1 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayThe longer Paradise walk drops to the foot of a 168-foot waterfall.
ModerateLakes Trail Loop via Mazama Ridge5.3 mi · 4 hr · 1.3 mi awayLink Reflection Lakes, Faraway Rock, Mazama Ridge, and Myrtle Falls.
ChallengingPebble Creek Trail4.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.3 mi awayClimb through Paradise meadows to the edge of the Muir Snowfield.
ModerateGolden Gate Loop Trail4 mi · 3 hr · 1.3 mi awayWildflower meadows, Myrtle Falls and a high notch above Paradise.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayReflection LakesA mountain reflection with a rocky loop to Faraway Rock.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayInspiration PointA no-hike Rainier view framed by a century of park-road history.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayRuby FallsA two-tier cascade hides beneath the bridge, just above Narada Falls.
Sight · 1 mi awayNarada FallsRoadside waterfall views with a short, steep path to the lower pool.
Picnic area · 1.1 mi awayParadise Picnic AreaA laid-back lunch among 100-plus tables, with Rainier views on clear days.
Visitor center · 1.3 mi awayHenry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor CenterStart a Paradise visit with ranger advice and Rainier in view.
Lodging · 1.3 mi awayParadise InnA grand timber lodge with a 14-foot clock and trail access.
Visitor center · 1.3 mi awayParadise Wilderness Information CenterGet climbing help where summit attempts have begun since 1922.Parkwolf’s Mount Rainier ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
