Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in Washington that reaches 4,392 meters in elevation and displays two craters at the top. Twenty-six large glaciers cover the slopes and feed rivers throughout the surrounding valleys.

Captain George Vancouver named the peak in 1792 after Admiral Peter Rainier, while Indigenous peoples referred to it as Tahoma. Hazard Stevens and Philemon Van Trump completed the first documented ascent in 1870.

Indigenous communities in the region hold ceremonies and prayers at specific locations near the base and along the trails. Visitors sometimes encounter offerings or sacred markers left by families honoring ancestral traditions.

Winter conditions require tire chains between November and May, and snowfall can occur at higher elevations throughout the year. Climbers attempting routes above 3,000 meters (roughly 10,000 feet) must register and carry proper equipment.

The glacier system here forms the largest network of permanent ice in the lower 48 states. Geothermal heat beneath the summit melts ice from below, creating caves that shift and collapse with each season.

Location: Washington

Elevation above the sea: 4,389 m

Made from material: andesite, basaltic andesite

GPS coordinates: 46.85215,-121.75768

Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:48