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Mt. Rainier Visitor Association Blog

Sharing the beauty and information about Mt. Rainier and the lovely Nisqually Valley area with visitors from around the world.

In the Rain: Carter Falls and Madcap Falls

We know how it is; you plan for your trip, you get excited, you see the mountain from the road (almost there!), then, on the day of the trip- snow at paradise, and raining everywhere else. We know, because it happened to us too. It’s always unfortunate when you can’t see the mountain because of weather, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the park and the many other views it has to offer.

When we woke up the day of our hike and checked the weather reports (always important!), we saw that there was a storm warning at paradise, and it was raining cats and dogs everywhere else. Checking the weather beforehand and talking to the rangers at the park helped, and so we changed our plans. Instead of a hike near Paradise, that would put us at snow level, we opted for a lower elevation hike in the trees for partial rain coverage. The perfect trail for that? Carter and Madcap Falls.

The Carter Falls and Madcap Falls trail is a 1.1 mile part of the Wonderland Trail, a 92 mile trail that goes around Mt. Rainier National Park. The trailhead is across from the Cougar Rock Campground, about 8 miles from the park entrance, with parking off the side of the road.

The hike starts by crossing the Nisqually riverbed; including walking across a log bridge- kids should have an adult cross with them to be safe. The cliffs across the river are spotted with long, graceful waterfalls, and if there are no clouds, Mt. Rainier can be seen looking up the river. Once you are on the other side of the river you head up into the trees and start making your way to the falls, with the river on your right. It is an uphill hike, but not a steep one.

Carter Falls is a spectacular waterfall with an 80 ft drop. A nice reward for your hike! Just past Carter Falls, 1/10th of a mile up is Madcap Falls, a smaller set of waterfalls in the Nisqually. Fun Fact: the Nisqually River, which flows from the Nisqually Glacier seen above Paradise to the left, feeds Alder Lake, a large lake you pass if you’re entering the park from the southwest.

Hiking is great in that it isn’t necessarily a fair-weather sport. As long as you are prepared, i.e. a waterproof coat, gloves, appropriate shoes, etc., you can still go out in the rain. Wildlife is still out and about, but there are fewer crowds. Check out other good hikes in bad weather in our previous blog ‘Don’t Let the Rain Stop You.’ If you do go out in bad weather, make sure you know the conditions beforehand, you’re prepared, and safe.

Posted on October 6, 2013

Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad

All aboard! If you are exploring Mt. Rainier and are looking for an extra activity outside the park, the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is an amazing ride. Located just twelve miles from the west entrance to Mt. Rainier, the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad (MRSR) is close to the action and family-friendly, with beautiful scenery and a stop at a historic logging museum

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad train has been operating out of Elbe  since 1981. The non-profit organization’s mission is two-fold: to educate visitors and locals alike about the  logging industry that shaped the region over the last 100 years, and to preserve the steam engines that made the lumber industry possible in the first part of the 20th century.

Rides are offered Saturday and Sunday at 10 am, 12:45 pm, and 3:30 pm through October 27th, when the trains will stop for the winter season. You can reserve seats in advance (recommended) or arrive at least 30 minutes early to purchase tickets. Check here for occasional Groupon opportunities to save some dough.

The staff will let you and your family know when it is time to board, and then let you take your seats.  As the train pulls out of the Elbe station, a staff member will come around to punch tickets, answer questions, and provide safety rules for the journey.  Once you and your family depart on your adventure, you’ll cross over the highway and head west towards Ashford (and Mt. Rainier Nat’l Park) until the train turns southwards at Park Junction and makes its way south towards Mineral. The other branch (which is no longer in use), once  made its way onwards to Ashford and National the first half of last century, where one of the largest logging mills in America used to reside.

Continuing on the adventure, the train will cross back across the high way and across a bridge over the Nisqually River.  On a clear day you can look upriver to enjoy the grandeur of the river’s source – Mt. Rainier. The mountain will show her face a bit throughout the latter half of the ride, peaking above the hills and adding another dimension to the scenes of changing leaves, flowing rivers, and forested hillsides.

The train will stop after approximately 30 minutes in Mineral, at the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad’s own version of a railroad camp.  Historic logging camp buildings from all over Washington have been brought together to form this camp. The largest structure is the MRSR restoration and repair shop which contains a track with a servicing pit, and all the necessary tools to rebuild a steam locomotive.  The staff and volunteers work here on the MRSR trains, using skills and tools employed since the 1800’s. The railroad camp is still under development to restore and furnish each of the camp buildings to accurately portray life as it once was at a railroad camp.  On each visit you can come to enjoy something new!

Once run on coal, the train now runs on used motor oil. The round-trip adventure from Elbe to Mineral and back takes 150 gallons of the recycled oil, and 1,500 gallons or more of water. A steam locomotive works by burning a combustible material (in this case used motor oil),  producing steam in a boiler, which is then driven through an engine.

The water is an incredibly powerful source of combustion – when a molecule of water is heated to 387 degrees, it expands to more than 1600 times it’s original size.  The steam engines are marvelously effective, but their disuse came about because of their difficulty to maintain.  Steam engines were used until the 1950s.

Interestingly, the steam also explains where the “choo-choo” sound comes from. When the slide valve opens the high-pressure steam into either side of the cylinder, the escaping steam makes the recognizable “choo!” sound as it exits.

Learn all about steam engines and the fascinating logging history of the Nisqually River region on the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad.  The views are beautiful, the people friendly, and the ride is sure to please everyone in your family, young and old.  Enjoy!

More information can be found at the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad website here.

Posted on September 25, 2013

DNR Horse Camp

Looking for a place to camp that can accommodate a large RV outside the west entrance of Mt. Rainier Nat’l Park?  Or perhaps you are looking for a place to camp when the auto campgrounds at Mt. Rainier close on Sept. 29th, 2013. Look no more! As long as you can live without hookups and can pack out your own garbage, the Sahra Creek DNR Horsecamp is just the place for you.

The DNR Horse Camp is located about 8 miles from the west entrance to Mt. Rainier, in a beautiful wooded locale.  The sites are large and plentiful, there are pull-through spots that can accommodate large RVs, and most of the sites have picnic tables and fire grates.  There are two water spigots and a couple of fairly nice pit toilets, and there’s a central grass area that has horse shoe pits if you bring your own shoes.  There is even a building in the center of the camp with over a dozen picnic tables – perfect for a group gathering when the weather isn’t optimal.

The campground accesses a large system of horse trails, meaning that summer weekends and holidays during the summer finds the campground filled with horse trailers. However, mid-week and into the fall season, the campground is very quiet. Since this is a horse camp, you can expect to find some horse “residue,” though most folks are good about cleaning up after their animals. Pets and tent camping are welcomed! This is a great family-friendly place, although the grounds are quite open – so privacy is minimal.

The campground is free to use, but a Washington State Discover Pass is required.  These passes can be obtained at sporting good stores, anywhere a fishing or hunting license are sold, or at the AVG gas station in Ashford (approximately 2 miles east of the DNR horsecamp).  Licenses are $30 for a yearly pass or $10 for daily passes (with transaction and dealer fees the totals are $35 or $11.50), and can also be bought online here: http://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/.

The DNR horse camp is located approximately 5 miles east of Elbe.  When heading east, the DNR sign and drive will be on the left side of the road.  The Visitor Center is just two miles further east in Ashford, and the Mt. Rainier west entrance is less than a 10 minute drive away.

Happy camping!

Address: 262nd Ave E, Ashford, WA 98304
South Puget Sound Region DNR phone: 1-800-527-3305

Posted on September 6, 2013
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