High Skyline Loop Trail

We drove up to Paradise at Mt Rainier National Park to hike the High Skyline Trail and enjoy the fall colors. We went counterclockwise with a side trip to the tarn up on the Paradise Glacier Trail and returned via the Alta Vista Trail, overall 6.3 miles with 1,875 ft of gain. Zoom view of Mt Rainier from the parkinga area

Views and color on our way to Myrtle Falls

Myrtle Falls

Edith Creek above the falls

Up on the hillside, we spotted a couple of mountain goats, blurry zoom image

Views, color and a couple of small waterfalls as we hiked over to and up Mazama Ridge

Mt Rainier reflecting in a tarn along the Paradise Glacier Trail

Views along the high part of the High Sklyine Trail

Views heading down the Pebble Creek Trail and back down the High Skyline Trail

Views and color along the Alta Vista Trail

Margaret Lake

We drove to the Mount Margaret/Lake Lillian Trailhead on FR 4934 to hike to Margaret Lake, 5.5 miles roundtrip with 1,900 ft of overall gain. Most of the trail is in the forest, with some views along the way. On the way up the ridge we saw Silver Peak and Tinkham Peak across the valley.

View of Mt Rainier to the south

On the ridge we entered the Alpine Lakes Wilderness before descending down to the lake. Views on the way down the ridge towaeds the lake, Hibox Mountain to the north: Mount Stuart to the northeast

Lake Yvonne

Views of Margaret Lake with Mount Margaret in the distance

Some of the fall color, flowers, berries and fungi we saw along the trail today:

Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

I drove to the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge to walk out to the end of the boardwalk and back. Beautiful day with shorebirds and seals, 4 miles round trip. View of the mile long boardwalk

Some views along the boardwalk

zoom of seals seen from the end of the boardwalk

yellowlegs

seagulls and a yellowleg

sandpippers

Great Blue Herons