Don't overlook Mount Rainier park's Sunrise

Sunrise has some of the best views of Mount Rainier.

Unlike Paradise Lodge, the park's more popular south-side visitor center, Sunrise isn't on Mount Rainier itself. Sunrise sits on a ridge that extends away from the volcano, which gives it a special view of the mountain, and is isolated by deep glacial streams to the south and west.

Hiking the ridge toward Mount Rainier leads over Burroughs Mountain, where the trail ends with a point-blank view of the two largest glaciers on Mount Rainier -- the Emmons and Winthrop.

The trail up Burroughs Mountain is seven miles round trip, but the elevation gain is a modest 1,000 feet. On a clear day, this is one of the most spectacular hikes in Washington.

For easier outings, take the half-mile walk to the Emmons Glacier vista or the 1.5-mile Sourdough Ridge Nature Trail. Although food service at Sunrise is curtailed after Labor Day, the information center stays open and rangers are on hand to help visitors plan hikes. Pick up a copy of a handout that describes hikes in the Sunrise area.