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5 out of 5 Rider Rating 5
7 Reviews

Mt Rainer Ramble

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Apr 14, 1998

Rider Reviews

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nflguy13
July 11, 2013
Having lived in Puyallup most of my life, I have…
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Guest
June 9, 2009
Maybe enough twisties for the Hog, but not for my…
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Written Directions

I suggest you start your drive in Elbe Washington. Its important to look for signs along this route ... they should direct you to both Paradise and Sunrise Park. You will take Rte 706 east till you get to Rte 123 which you take north. Take that till it runs into 410. Now you want to take 410 north towards Sunrise Park road. Look for Sunrise Park road which will be on your left and head west towards the route's end at beautiful Sunrise Point at the Sunrise Visitor Center.

Scenery

The star of this show is the 14,411 ft Mt. Rainier, the highest peak in the entire Cascade mountain range. This mountain is a dormant volcano with a distinctive dome shaped peak that is completely glaciated. You will see many rivers, lakes, canyons and waterfalls often times dramatically and starkly outlined by the dark volcanic rock surfaces. Overall the road conditions are almost ideal for motorcycle enjoyment. Plenty of zigs and zags and long climbs for you to feel the power of your bike. One of the best and most exciting sections of the route will be found as you approach and pass Cayuse Pass as you close in on Sunrise (the final destination of the route). As with any mountain motorcycle traveling, special care has to be taken to avoid late spring or early fall snow conditions.



The Nisqually River running rather dry this time of year

Drive Enjoyment

Overall the road conditions are almost ideal for motorcycle enjoyment. Plenty of zigs and zags and long climbs for you to feel the power of your bike. One of the best and most exciting sections of the route will be found as you approach and pass Cayuse Pass closing in on Sunrise, the final destination of the route. As with any mountain motorcycle traveling, special care has to be taken to avoid late spring or early fall snow conditions. Photo contributed by visitor in Jun 09 - "Awesome day @ Sunrise area on Mount Rainier."

Tourism Opportunities

The town of Elbe Washington is the home station for the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. You can ride this train along its 14-mile roundtrip journey enjoying the thrill of riding an authentic steam powered locomotive and open-air passenger cars and restored coach cars. You will travel to within 25 miles of Mt. Rainier through lush forests. You may enter Mt. Rainier National park via the main entrance, Nisqually entrance, and enjoy a museum and educational trail outline the parks history and points of interest. Further up Rte. 706 visitors can park and take a short hike to see the Narada Falls. It is here where the Paradise River takes a 168 ft dive. Further up the route you will find the most visited spot in the park Paradise. Here you will find the Jackson Visitor Center where you will learn about various mountain fauna and geology. Next on the route you will travel along a section known as Stevens Canyon Road. Along this section you will travel along canyons, see numerous lakes and waterfalls and view the pristine Reflection Lakes offering images of Mt Rainier on their mirror like surfaces. Towards the end of the run you will make your way unto the highest point accessible by motorized vehicles Sunrise point. From here you will take in the most impressive views of the looming Mt. Rainier to the west as well as other peaks among the Cascades. You can also see the largest glacier in the continental United States Emmons Glacier. The Sunrise Visitor Center will offer you more information and appreciation for the majesty of Mt. Rainier.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather . - Mt. Rainer Web-site - Mt. Rainer Nationa
 

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Mr_Metric
September 19, 2021
5 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Adventure Touring
Killer views
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Best Roads
January 27, 2022
62 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
If the weather is good I would suggest trying to get to the Sunrise Visitor Centre early as possible as this the highest and most scenic part of the Park. As so it can get busy fast. We did a loop coming in from the North on the 410 going to Sunrise then looping through the park to Elbe.
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danielcmeyer
April 9, 2020
4 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
I've taken this ride for the past two summers and plan to do it every summer as long as I live in the region. The views are spectacular and they just keep getting better as the ride progresses. Pavement is generally good, although one has to keep an eye out for the occasional scattering of rocks.
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