Rainier and St. Helens volcano loop

Route description

From Seattle, head south to Ashford, the small town at the Nisqually entrance to Mount Rainier National Park. The road then climbs through old forest along the Nisqually River to Paradise, where wildflower meadows at 5,400 feet spread below the glaciers and trails lead up toward them. The meadows are usually at their best from late July to August, and the park may require timed-entry reservations in summer.

From Paradise, continue east on Stevens Canyon Road or return through Ashford, then head south and west to I-5 and the Spirit Lake Highway (WA-504) toward Mount St. Helens. Johnston Ridge Observatory looks straight into the crater, five miles from the 1980 blast, but a 2023 landslide cut the road below the ridge, so check whether it has reopened before you plan on it.

From the mountain, I-5 leads south across the Columbia River to Portland. Snow closes the higher roads at Mount Rainier for much of the year, so the loop is best from July to September.