Mount Rainier

volcano · Washington · mountains · nature

Active stratovolcano. Mount Rainier is a real, live volcano in the Cascade Range that could erupt again someday. Scientists watch it closely to keep people safe.

Tallest in the region. At 14,406 feet high, Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in Washington state and the most prominent peak in the entire contiguous United States.

Frozen glacier giant. The mountain is covered in glaciers and snow year-round, with 26 named glaciers sprawling across its slopes that are slowly moving down the mountainside.

National park landmark. Mount Rainier National Park surrounds the volcano and sits just 59 miles south of Seattle, making it a popular hiking and climbing destination.

Indigenous name. Native peoples called the mountain Tahoma long before European explorers arrived, and that ancient name is still used today.