Klapatche Park Trail

Klapatche Park is one of Mount Rainier's best-kept secrets — a grueling 21-mile round trip that filters out casual day-hikers and rewards the committed with one of the most stunning alpine meadows in the entire park. Starting from the Westside Road area, the trail climbs steadily through old-growth forest thick with Douglas fir and western red cedar before breaking into subalpine parkland where Rainier looms so close it fills your entire field of vision. The final push into Klapatche Park delivers a pristine tarn reflecting the mountain's massive west face — a view most people only get on the Wonderland Trail. The terrain shifts from root-laced forest floor to rocky alpine meadow, with several stream crossings along the way. This is a trail for strong hikers who want to earn a view that most visitors to Rainier will never see.