THE BLOG
the best mt. rainier elopement locations
where to elope in mt. rainier national park
Hi! I'm Natasha! Your Mt. Rainier elopement photographer, dog petter and donut eater. While photography is my first love, connecting with people is my love language. You'll find me lovin' on the big moments, the quiet moments, the silly moments – but especially the in between moments. The moments that are unadulterated and unfiltered. The ones where you are the real you. Here on the blog you'll find all of my favorite tips, tricks and resources for planning an elopement that's all about those moments.
NATASHA CARDINAL
mt rainier ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER
SO YOU'RE THINKING OF ELOPING AT MT. RAINIER...
Excellent choice! You guys must have good taste. Mt. Rainier is one of the most iconic places to elope in the PNW. Every single Mt. Rainier elopement location blows any traditional venue out of the park (literally...national park...). But figuring out exactly where you want to elope has it's own set of minor issues. What if you've never been to Mt. Rainier before? What if the first time you're visiting is for your elopement? What if you want to bring along family? What if you don't want to go for a major hike?
Well don't sweat it. That's exactly what we're gonna cover in this guide!
HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START
Mt. Rainier National Park is very particular about where you elope and how many people come along with you,
Here are the 4 things you need to know:
- No matter where in the park you elope or how many guests you have, you'll need a Special Use Permit.
- There are pre-permitted Mt. Rainier elopement locations that the make it easy for folks to apply for them.
- But you can also elope at other locations through out the park with special approval.
- Each locations has restrictions based on:
- Time of year you're eloping
- Number of guests you'll have
- Accessibility needs (wheelchair access, paved trails, etc.)
MT. RAINIER ELOPEMENT LOCATIONS
Something to note before we get into the actual Mt. Rainier elopement locations themselves, is that many of the iconic places at Mt. Rainier do not allow ceremonies specifically, however you can visited any of these spots for your elopement photos before or after your ceremony. We'll cover exactly what those spots are later in this guide, but for now here are some of our favorite Mt. Rainier elopement locations!
PARADISE-NISQUALLY VISTA OVERLOOK
Distance to site: 0.5 miles from parking area, paved trail with light rolling hills.
Maximum # of Guests: 30 (Although we recommend a max of 15 to comfortable fit everyone at the site)
Best Time of Year for This Site: late June-October (possibly during the winter months with snowshoes)
Best Day of the Week: Permits are only issues for elopements taking place on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Traffic Level: not a super busy trail! You'll have other guests passing by periodically, but it's never super packed.
Our Notes: This trail is one of our most recommended for larger groups that need a flexible spot for guests with a variety of activity/mobility levels. The trail is paved, making it a nice easy walk from the parking lot. While not ADA accessible, it is a great spot for parents who don't want to hike but still want a beautiful location.
PARADISE-MYRTLE FALLS
Distance to site: 0.3 miles from parking area, paved trail with light rolling hills.
Maximum # of Guests: 8
Best Time of Year for This Site: late July- early October (possibly during the winter months with snowshoes)
Best Day of the Week: Permits are only issues for elopements taking place on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Traffic Level: This is a VERY popular trail. One of the most visited in the park.
Our Notes: We exclusively recommend having your ceremony here only if you're planning on doing it at sunrise or right before sunset because the crowds can be amusement park level crowds. There are lots of visitors here during the summer months especially when the wildflower meadows are in full bloom. With that said, it's one of our most recommended locations for photos because the wildflower meadows are unmatched!
***The ceremony spot specifically does not have a view of the falls*** however, you'll be a literal 1 minute walk from the viewpoint of the falls where you can get photos of you walking over the bridge! (see above photos)
TIPSOO LAKE
Distance to site: 0.25 miles from the parking lot.
Maximum # of Guests: 8
Best Time of Year for This Site: late July- early October (road closed during winter months). The BEST time to visit is lake July when all of the wildflowers are in peak bloom (but also when the most tourists are visiting too).
Best Day of the Week: Permits are only issues for elopements taking place on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Traffic Level: Moderate. The parking lot fills up quick in the afternoon during the summer months but sunset or sunrise is a great time to visit.
Our Notes: One of the most easily accessible spots in the park! A short walk on a dirt trail will take you to one of two lovely elopement locations. You can stand at the lake's edge amongst the wildflowers or stand at a view point above the lake with a bit more privacy. You'll have other park visitors walking by, but it's a lovely area if you're planning your ceremony for sunrise or right before sunset.
NACHES PEAK LOOP
Distance to site: 3.2 miles for the full loop. Our recommended ceremony sites are about 1-1.5 miles into if you're not planning on doing the full loop.
Maximum # of Guests: 8
Best Time of Year for This Site: late July- early October (road closed during winter months). The BEST time to visit is lake July when all of the wildflowers are in peak bloom (but also when the most tourists are visiting too).
Best Day of the Week: Permits are only issues for elopements taking place on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.
Traffic Level: Moderate. This is a popular trail, however there are plenty of stunning ceremony spots that are off the beaten path and a bit more private.
Our Notes: If you're up for a beautiful hike this one is it! Naches Peak is a beautiful hiking trail with tons of wildflowers, beautiful alpine ponds, views of Mt. Rainier and the Tatoosh Range. We LOVE this trail for photos because you can really get a bang for your buck with all of the different photo locations to compliment your ceremony spot. The hike in is uphill most of the way, but coming back down afterwards is a breeze. Not recommended for anyone with mobility issues. It can be a little bit steep, but the trail is wide and in great shape.
FARAWAY ROCK
Distance to site: 2.0 miles from the parking lot at Reflection Lakes via the Mazama Ridge Trail
Maximum # of Guests: 12
Best Time of Year for This Site: late July- September (road closed during winter months). This trail would be beautiful in late September with the fall colors!
Best Day of the Week: Permits are issued for any day of the week, anytime. But we always recommend sunset on a weekday here to avoid the most people possible.
Traffic Level: Low. This isn't a super popular trail. You'll see other people, but no crowds to worry about.
Our Notes: Faraway Rock is a highly underrated Mt. Rainier elopement location in our opinion! A short hike that isn't too steep (although there is one section that's a little bit huffy-puffy) that you could easily do in your wedding attire, that takes you to a stunning look out with views of the Tatoosh Range that are unbeat! You'll see marmots, eagles, and plenty of wildflowers along the way. This location is great if you want to also do photos at Reflection Lakes (where you'll park).
THE SKYLINE TRAIL + ALTA VISTA
Distance to site: 5.5 mile loop to do the entire trail.
Maximum # of Guests: 12-24 depending on location
Best Time of Year for This Site: late July- early October (road closed during winter months). The BEST time to visit is lake July when all of the wildflowers are in peak bloom (but also when the most tourists are visiting too).
Best Day of the Week: Permits are only issued for elopements on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays at sunrise (before 10am) or sunset (after 3pm)
Traffic Level: High. This is THE most popular trail in the entire park!
Our Notes: The Skyline Trail is the quintessential Mt. Rainier experience. And this trail has 7 different ceremony spots actually! Because the trail is a loop, there are certain locations that are easier to get to and closer to the parking area, but the whole trail is absolutely stunning. You're likely to see deer, mountain goats, marmots, birds of prey, and tons of wildflowers, not to mention the epic glacier views you get along the whole thing! But here's the rundown of each ceremony location:
- Paradise – Avalanche Lily Trail: 15 person limit. This is closest to the parking lot (just a short walk on a paved trail).
- Paradise – Myrtle Falls: 8 person limit (this one is detailed in the beginning of this blog!) One of the easier spots near the Paradise Inn.
- Paradise Dance Floor: 15 people. About 0.6 miles from the visitor center parking lot, uphill the whole way but a STUNNING location that's paved!
- Paradise – Moraine Trail: 12 people. One of the most stunning views of the glaciers on Mt. Rainier! 2.2 miles round trip and about 400 ft. of elevation gain in 1 mile, so it's a bit of a climb but worth it for the views!!
- Paradise – Glacier Vista: 15 people. Now THIS is the view. Is as close as you can get to the glaciers (it's literally in the name!). 3.3 miles round trip, with 1,475 ft elevation gain in that first 1.5 miles (ooof) but is absolutely worth it for the sheer epicness of it all.
- Paradise – Panorama Point: 24 people. 4 miles round trip with 1,300 ft of elevation gain and is part of the Glacier Vista area. Just like the others, it's stunning. It would be tough to choose between the Glacier Vista, Moraine Trail, and this!
Now about those locations that aren't pre-permitted...
So the locations above are our favorite pre-approved locations in the park, but what about those sneaky secret locations we mentioned in the beginning of this blog? Well here's the deal...
There's a handful of spots that we recommend to couples with very specific situations, usually couples that have no guests, there's a bit of a hike required, but these spots are out of this world beautiful. And if you're thinking of something extra special? These take the cake.
- Pinnacle Glacial Tarn – a short but strenuous 3 mile hike that takes you right to a pool made of glacial runoff that reflections Mt. Rainier at just the right time of day. It's an EPIC view, that we reserve for couples that want something that's truly an adventure.
- Dead Horse Creek – another short 2.3 mile hike that takes you to a flat lookout with a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier. You'll cross a small stone bridge, see tons of wild flowers, and see the jagged peaks of the Tatoosh Range from a beautiful view point. We highly recommend this spot for sunset!
wanna see some full mt. rainier elopements + engagements?
naches peak engagement
