Okay, so I know I'm late, but I am going to Rainier on the 29th through the 2nd of Sept.
I'm curious about two things:
1) Campsite situation- are they going to be all booked for labor day weekend?
2)Wanting to get some nice sunset shots, where is the optimal place to camp? I haven't been to Rainier in a while, so I'm not privy on the hot spots. I wanted to ask here instead of calling the park service because I wanted to know the best "photographer's campsite" available.
Anyhoo, thanks for any input.
Oh, and I'm guessing the wildflowers have tanked out by now eh?
Posted by Jeremy Cram on August 24, 2007 at 10:58 PM
http://www.recreation.gov/campgroundSearch.do
Go here and reserve.
Posted by Sean Watson on August 24, 2007 at 11:30 PM
In terms of good campsites, it depends alot on what you want to shoot. There are 3 main drive in campgrounds: Cougar Rock on S side, Ohanepecosh on the SE side and White River on the NE side. There is a fairly large drive-in campground, Mowich Lake, on the NW side, but that's along a fairly well maintained dirt road. There are also numerous backcountry campgrounds, many of which are short backpack trips. There are also some National Forest campgrounds just outside the park (NE and SE).
Each of these areas are pretty different. The biggest difference is the way Rainier cuts the rain; eastern and northern are more dry; south and west are more wet.
If I had to pick a single sunset location, I'd recommend Spray Park which you'd reach from the Mowich Lake campground.
I wouldn't count on many flowers when you're there.
Posted by Mark Windom on August 25, 2007 at 3:25 PM
If you want sunset alpenglow on the mtn then I agree with the others who have suggested Spray Park. It's about a 3 mile hike in with some elevation gain. Another option would be the view from Tolmie Peak and Eunice Lake which you can also access from the Mowich Lake area.
I don't believe that camping is permitted in Spray Park. There is a walk-in campground along the trail to Spray, however. I have seen tents pitched on Tolmie Peak...I would check on whether or not this is allowed.
There is a small campground at Mowich Lake. It's first-come-first-served so get there early and hope for the best. You can always just sleep in your car.
There is sunset stuff to do in the Paradise area as well but you won't get any direct light on the mtn at this time of day/year. Shoot the Tatoosh or down toward TumTum peak. You can always do sunrise from the Paradise area (e.g. Reflection Lake) and get some alpenglow if you're lucky. Cougar Rock campground would be the place to stay for working the Paradise area but it fills up quickly. An alternative would be the Ohanapecosh campground.
Discussion
4 repliesI'm curious about two things:
1) Campsite situation- are they going to be all booked for labor day weekend?
2)Wanting to get some nice sunset shots, where is the optimal place to camp? I haven't been to Rainier in a while, so I'm not privy on the hot spots. I wanted to ask here instead of calling the park service because I wanted to know the best "photographer's campsite" available.
Anyhoo, thanks for any input.
Oh, and I'm guessing the wildflowers have tanked out by now eh?
Go here and reserve.
Each of these areas are pretty different. The biggest difference is the way Rainier cuts the rain; eastern and northern are more dry; south and west are more wet.
If I had to pick a single sunset location, I'd recommend Spray Park which you'd reach from the Mowich Lake campground.
I wouldn't count on many flowers when you're there.
Sean
I don't believe that camping is permitted in Spray Park. There is a walk-in campground along the trail to Spray, however. I have seen tents pitched on Tolmie Peak...I would check on whether or not this is allowed.
There is a small campground at Mowich Lake. It's first-come-first-served so get there early and hope for the best. You can always just sleep in your car.
There is sunset stuff to do in the Paradise area as well but you won't get any direct light on the mtn at this time of day/year. Shoot the Tatoosh or down toward TumTum peak. You can always do sunrise from the Paradise area (e.g. Reflection Lake) and get some alpenglow if you're lucky. Cougar Rock campground would be the place to stay for working the Paradise area but it fills up quickly. An alternative would be the Ohanapecosh campground.