What to bring hiking Mount Rainier

What are the 10 Essentials for hiking?

The NPS lists ten: navigation, sun protection, extra clothing, illumination, first-aid supplies, fire, a repair kit and tools, extra food, water and water treatment, and emergency shelter.

• Navigation: map, compass or GPS.
• Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat.
• Extra clothing: a warm layer and a rain shell.
• Illumination: a headlamp or flashlight.
• First-aid supplies.
• Fire: matches or a lighter.
• Repair kit and tools: a knife, tape.
• Nutrition: extra food.
• Hydration: water and a way to treat it.
• Emergency shelter: a light bivy or space blanket.

On a short paved walk you will not need all ten, but the further you go from the parking lot, the more each one counts.

What should you wear hiking at Mount Rainier?

Layers and shoes with good grip. The NPS gives summer highs in the 60s and 70s, and snow can cover trails at 5,000 to 8,000 ft into mid-July.

Start with a base layer, add a fleece or light down jacket, and pack a waterproof shell. Average temperatures at Paradise range from 33°F in January to 64°F in July, per the NPS, and it is colder and windier on the ridges. Wear closed-toe hiking shoes or boots with a grippy sole. For the five-person day hike, the listing asks for closed-toe shoes, layers, a hat, gloves, a fleece or down layer and a rain shell. For winter, the all-inclusive small-group listing requires waterproof boots from November to May, with rental available.

What should you bring on every hike at Rainier?

Water, food, layers, sun protection and a way to find your route, plus a full tank of gas before you arrive.

Here is why each item matters at Rainier in particular:

Do you need to bring lunch on a Mount Rainier tour?

It depends on the listing. The all-inclusive small-group tour and the five-person day hike include lunch; the others list food as not included.

The all-inclusive small-group tour lists a seasonal picnic from a local caterer, plus coffee or tea and snacks. The five-person day hike lists lunch and snacks. The guided park tour lists lunch for purchase at local cafes or grocery stores. The 14-person guided day says to bring lunch or buy it at grocery stores on the way, with a cafeteria in the park. The in-depth small-group tour, the customized tour, the light-walking day tour and the St. Helens and Rainier day list meals or food as not included.

Water is listed on several tours, including the 14-person guided day, the in-depth small-group tour and the customized tour. Bring your own bottle for the trail anyway.

Lunch sorted: the all-inclusive small-group tour lists a picnic lunch, snacks, two guided hikes and park fees, in a group of up to 10.

Mount Rainier All-Inclusive Small Group Tour · 10.5 hours · Max 10

Book this →

What gear do the guided tours supply?

It varies: the five-person day hike lists trekking poles and backpacks, the 14-person guided day lists snowshoes and crampons from October to June, and the all-inclusive tour lists snowshoes in winter if needed.

The five-person day hike also includes lunch, snacks and gratuities, per its listing. It starts at the Sunrise Visitor Center, a summer area whose road is closed to private vehicles for the rest of 2026 after the Grand Park 2 fire, so check with the operator about current routing before you book. In a normal year, Sunrise Road opens in late June or early July. The 14-person guided day also lists walking sticks when needed and water. Whichever tour you choose, bring your own layers, sun protection and shoes.

A real trail day with the gear handed to you: trekking poles, a backpack, lunch and park fees, in a group of up to five.

Mount Rainier: Day Hike on the Mountain · Full day · Max 5

Book this →

How close can you get to wildlife at Mount Rainier?

Keep at least 50 yards from any wildlife and about 300 ft from bears, the stricter distances on the NPS wildlife page. Feeding wildlife is prohibited.

The park has black bears, which can be black, brown or cinnamon in colour. The 2026 park newspaper gives shorter distances, 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 yards from bears and other predators, but the wider gap is the safer habit. Marmots and ground squirrels that get used to human food can bite and can carry hantavirus, so never share your lunch, however tame they look. Store food in your pack, not on a rock beside you.

What are the most important rules and tips for hiking at Rainier?

Stay on the trails, leave pets and drones at home, keep back from wildlife, and start early.

• Stay on the trail: the park asks visitors to protect the meadows.
• No pets on trails: pets are not allowed on park trails. Leashed pets are allowed only in picnic areas, campgrounds, parking lots and on roads.
• No bicycles on trails.
• No drones: drones are not allowed anywhere in the park, including launching and landing.
• Keep your distance from wildlife and do not feed it.
• Start early: the park advises arriving before 7 AM or after 4 PM for parking.
• Check conditions: in 2026, Sunrise Road, the Mount Fremont trail and the Grove of the Patriarchs are closed.

What do you need to climb Mount Rainier or hike to Camp Muir?

For the summit: a climbing permit, the annual climbing fee and technical glacier-travel rope skills. For Camp Muir: navigation skills and whiteout preparation.

Camp Muir sits at 10,188 ft. From Paradise it is a 9-mile round trip with 4,680 ft of gain across the Muir Snowfield. The NPS warns that white-out conditions can occur suddenly there, and that navigation mistakes have caused lost climbers and hikers and fatalities. You need a permit and climbing pass to go onto glaciers or above Camp Muir. This is serious ground, not a day walk: read can you hike Mount Rainier? before you plan it.

Frequently asked questions