Mt. Rainier National Park!

Park number 1 completed! On Thursday, August 11 we traveled to our first National Park!
Mt. Rainier National Park is located around, oddly enough, Mt. Rainier! The mountain dominates the skyline near Seattle, WA, and is surrounded by many beautiful hikes and views. Since we were staying at Sunset Lake Youth Camp we, along with Julie's brother and sister in law, headed out to Lake Mowish, which is in the NP! Pictures were taken! Cold water was experienced (mostly by Julie...) and hammocks were slept in!

The four of us at Lake Mowich!

We are hoping to get pictures with a sign at every National Park!

True love...

One of the things we are going to do is to do a review of each park based on several categories (obviously this will be based on the places we went and won't represent the entire park):
Personnel,
Climate/weather,
Facilities/signage,
Hiking trail experience,
Driving experience,
Camping options,
Hammockability,
Scenery.

Personnel:
The only personnel we saw were working on some signage upgrades. They seemed pleasant, but they were very focused on getting their tasks done.

Climate/weather:
The weather was beautiful when we were there, mostly sunny with some clouds. It was pretty much perfect hiking weather, but not great for swimming, as the water was definitely cold and the sun wasn't out enough to overcome that.

Facilities/signage:
There was a sign indicating that we were entering the National Park! (We took at least 2 pictures, it might have been more...) There were 2 pit toilets, they were acceptably clean, and seemed to be well maintained, but while we were there they were sorely tasked with keeping up with demand. There were also trash receptacles that were covered to prevent bears from getting into it.

Hiking trail experience:
Our hiking was limited (due to the "swimming" aspect and our limited time constraints) but the trails we did end up exploring were well maintained and had good views of the lake and surrounding hills/mountains. There were several spots around the lake where you could see Mt. Rainier as well.

Driving experience:
The driving experience was probably my least favorite part of this experience. The signage was limited (there were 2 signs, 1 of which was the NP sign), and the last couple miles of road were gravel that had copious pot hole opportunities. There were a few good views of the mountain and some nice view points, but there may be better roads elsewhere that have similar views with fewer pot holes interspersed.

One of the beautiful pullout locations on the drive!

Camping options:
There is only 1 drive up campground at Mowich, and it was packed full. Literally the tent stakes were less than a foot apart. Not an ideal camping situation, but then, I wasn't camping! Choose your time wisely if you are interested in car camping at Mowich. There are some other camping options that you can hike to nearby, but we didn't get to any of those.

Hammockability:
Lots of suitably sturdily spaced trees surround the lake, meaning any time of day you can choose sun or shade, views of Rainier, or views of the surrounding hills, close to the lake or tucked back in the forest. Even though the campground and parking lot were quite full when we got there and we put up our hammocks quite close to the entrance we only had 1 person pass by us, and if it had been more crowded there is plenty of space to explore and find some privacy. Combined with the beautiful scenery (see below) this spot is a great place for putting up your hammock and taking a siesta on the shores of an alpine lake.

Scenery:
The lake was truly beautiful (alpine lakes are so amazing!) and with the views of Mt. Rainier and the surrounding forests the beauty is only heightened. The water was quite clear and fairly still while we were there, great for pictures!

A truly beautiful view!

Overall this was a really cool spot to visit, the water was somewhat cold, and depending on the time of year there may be quite a few other people at the trailhead, but there are plenty of options for trails and generally you can find a secluded spot to set up your hammock. Also, because of the clear, still water and nearby parking bringing a kayak is an awesome way to experience this lake! Definitely worth a few pot holes and having to share with some other outdoor adventurers!