From pretty much any vantage point in Seattle, Washington, you can see Mount Rainier. So it makes sense when people think about hiking trails around Seattle, Mount Rainier is one of the first places to come to mind. You could of course hike (and climb) up to the summit, but - at over 14,000 feet - it would take you a fair while. Plus, unless you've done it before, it's also recommended to take a guide and that can be quite expensive. For a challenging, yet not too dangerous hike in the real outdoors, Mount Rainier National Park is still the place, and the Wonderland Trail is the hike.

The Wonderland Trail is a 93-mile trail that hits just about every major zone of the park. You can start the Wonderland Trail at many different places along its way, but it will take you at least 10 to 12 days to complete it if you decide to hike the whole thing, so be prepared.

The Wonderland Trail actually circles Mount Rainier, meaning if you do the whole thing, you'll see the mountain from pretty much every conceivable angle (except from the top, of course). There are also ranger cabins all over the park. Because there aren't any places to purchase food, if you do decide to walk the entire trail, you're going to have to arrange to have food packages mailed to several ranger locations for pick up as you hike.

The weather in this area can be a bit iffy, even in the summer. Park rangers will also warn you to watch out for sudden, extreme changes of weather. If you're walking the whole Wonderland Trail, there's a good chance you'll experience some severe weather during the almost two weeks that you'll be hiking. So make sure you're prepared with all the right equipment.

The Wonderland Trail sounds like it could be too much like hard work, but, in reality, it's one of the best ways to see the park. All kinds of flora, fauna and wildlife exist, not to mention the panoramic views. And let's face it, if you've seen anything of Mount Rainier from Seattle, it'd be kinda cool to see it from so close up.

Mount Rainier is spectacular. This combination of two trails is a must do.

We've hiked much of the United States and some of Canada. How can I pick just one favorite hike? Should I pick the close-encounter-with-the-grizzly-bear hike? Should I pick the most beautiful hike? Should I pick one with ladders? Should I pick the one on which we got lost? I chose the hike about which I'm writing based on what I like best in a hike - variety of sights and terrain.

Mount Rainier National Park has close to 236,000 acres. The mountain is an active volcano with a range in elevation from 1,610 feet to 14,41 feet above sea level. One of the hikes we did in this must see National Park was recommended by a ranger. We intended to only do the first part of the hike called the Comet Falls Trail, which is 3.8 miles round trip with an elevation of 900 feet. The suggested hike time is three hours. However once we were on the trail we were told by several people that we must go on to the Van Trump hike to Trump Park. We did and though we were exhausted I highly recommend that you continue.

This will make the hike about a 2,000 foot elevation gain and take about five hours. Most people it seems don't hike to Trump Park because they aren't aware that there is much more to see. Let's start from the beginning - You'll find the trailhead for Comet Falls four miles east on the road heading toward Paradise. Although the

Their Web site notes that the parking is limited, and that there is no more parkingc so have an alternative hike in mind, don'tgive up so fast!

If you find that the parking area is full drive about a quarter of a mile and you'll see a small parking area on the opposite side of the street. If you drive a bit farther you'll find more places to park. You might get lucky like we did and get a ride back to our car after our hike by people who got a space at the trail head. This trail is strenuous - perhaps the most strenuous we have done, though not the most dangerous. It's a safe trail. You won't have ledges on which to walk or look down to hundreds of feet of air. During our hike to Comet Falls we had the falls on our left much of the time. There were some challenging rocks over which we had to climb; some large branches; and very steep inclines and declines some of which were on pebbles and dirt thus slippery from the mist. The forest kept changing from thick trees to open grass; from shade to sun. The wildflowers were gorgeous. There were patches of them along the way.

One mistake I think some people make is to think that the top of Christine Falls while very pretty is Comet Falls and it is not. You must keep walking to reach Comet Falls. The top of Comet Falls is gorgeous. You'll know it because there is a flat piece of rock that allows you to get very close to the falls and the mist. If it's warm you'll enjoy the moisture. Until you find this landing you haven't reached the top of Comet Falls! After enjoying a refreshing shower in the mist we were energized to continue up the gruesomely difficult though well maintained trail.

The trail was quite steep. You'll find large, high granite steps. There were some boulders that at my 5-feet-4-inches tall I had to sit on to get down them and needed a little help to get up the rocks. You are going to see a sign that says "maintained path is ended." Please keep going. It is very safe and you are not breaking any laws. You will be treated to Van Trump Park and views that are unbelievable. I was a bit concerned that we were sitting on wildflowers but a Ranger who was coming back said it was fine for us to be sitting down.

The area is quite remote so in spite of signs that tell you not to step off the path because you'll kill the flowers you can enjoy this area. I did try to be careful to sit where there was grass rather than flowers. It's a wonderful place to have lunch or a snack. By then you'll need something to eat and drink. Make sure you brink lots of both. Although we stopped in this area, Van Trump Park, a family and a Marine (and the Ranger who was coming back) continued walking. The more you walk the closer you will come to Mount Rainier You will at this point feel as if you can touch Mount Rainier. It was truly one of the most memorable and
spiritual experiences I've had.

Other information culled from : http://www.nps.gov/archive/mora/trail/comet.htm

There are no specific areas for camping but with a permit you can backpack overnight. Check the Web site for weather conditions. The day we were there it was beautiful though be prepared to walk in snow. Fires are not allowed nor are pets.Water must be treated before drinking. Have fun! Please take only pictures, leave only footprints and kill only time.

Sources: www.nps.gov/archive/mora/trail/comet.htm