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.