Silver Falls

— On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley signed a bill establishing Mount Rainier National Park. Although the park is famous for the impressive Mount Rainier, towering at 14,410 feet (4,392 m) high, one cannot overlook that many waterfalls and lakes throughout the park. Silver Falls is one of those sites.

When we visited this park back in 2011, we liked the area so much that we hiked to Silver Falls twice. The icy glacier blue water and mist in this area are unforgettable. Hiking the Silver Falls Loop trail, one experiences an elevation gain of only 300 ft (91.4 m) in a 3-mile (4.8-km) roundtrip terrain. The trail parallels the scenic Ohanapecosh River, considered by many as the most beautiful river in the park.