In Part One, we flew to the greater Seattle area and toured the National Park Service (NPS) lands northeast and northwest of the Seattle metro area. That included North Cascades National Park (NCNP), Olympic National Park (ONP) and the various associated National Recreation Areas and NPS lands. In this section, we’ll continue our tour of NPS lands in the Pacific Northwest, south and southeast of Seattle.
A Hot Ticket
The Cascade mountain range in the Pacific Northwest is best known for its string of massive volcanoes, most of which are still considered active. From the most northern Mount Baker, just south of the Canadian border, to northern California’s Lassen Peak, the range is home to over a dozen stratovolcanoes. These steep-sided volcanoes are prominent landmarks during any flight in visual conditions and, on clear days, can often be seen from well over 100 miles away. None are considered even dormant, much less extinct, and all are monitored for seismic activity by multiple scientific organizations tasked with evaluating any hazards and issuing warnings to the surrounding population.
In the Seattle area, airports providing access to the most famous and accessible peaks are on the metro area’s southern reaches. Mount Rainier National Park (MRNP) and Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument (MSHNVM) are southeast and south of Seattle, respectively. While access to those areas is certainly easy enough from the major airline hub of Seattle-Tacoma Int’l Airport (KSEA), it would seldom be the primary choice of King Air category aircraft. South of KSEA, several airports are far more likely to host corporate and charter traffic, in general, and King Air traffic, in particular. The closest of those is Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW), a Class D airport under the lateral limits of the Seattle Class Bravo. Tacoma offers two full-service FBOs, rental cars and multiple Instrument Approach Procedures (IAPs) at both ends of its single 5,000-foot x 100-foot paved runway. Located immediately adjacent to the famous Tacoma Narrows Bridge, pilots and passengers will have quick access across Puget Sound to the city of Tacoma and the NPS sites which lie beyond. Slightly further southwest is another Class D airport, Olympia Regional (KOLM). Olympia is Washington’s capital city and offers many reasons to visit for business or pleasure. But, as a regional airport, it is also well suited. It provides a 5,500-foot x 150-foot paved runway with IAPs to both ends and a 4,100-foot x 150-foot crosswind runway for those days when the winds are howling in from the Pacific coast. Two pilot-controlled fields are also adequate for King Air operators and positioned within reasonable driving distance of both MRNP and MSHNVM: Chehalis-Centralia Airport (KCLS), located between its namesake cities and South Lewis Co. Airport (KTDO), just outside the town of Toleda, Washington. As always, use caution when planning, as both offer suitable runways and IAPs, but the latter lacks rental car services and Jet-A fuel.
A Decade Volcano
Mount Rainier (also referred to as Tahoma Mountain) is considered one of the most visually magnificent, yet approachable, mountains in the U.S. The darker side of it is the reality that it’s considered well overdue for a major eruption. This makes it a “decade volcano” (one considered likely to experience a major eruption within a decade). But that doesn’t seem to keep the tourists away any more than it did in the years and months leading up to the eruption of Mount Saint Helens. With the lack of seismic activity warning an eruption is imminent, there appears little reason to avoid visiting the Pacific Northwest, in general, or MRNP, in particular. Indeed, seismologists and volcanologists believe the mountain will provide adequate warning leading into its next eruptive cycle.
The NPS has long been dedicated to making such areas more accessible to the public while protecting the land, animals, plants and resources from various forms of exploitation. Without the NPS, areas like MRNP would remain inaccessible to all but the most ardent outdoorsman. Thankfully, for those of us who are less “hardy” but equally enamored with nature’s wonders, places like MRNP can be enjoyed. The closest entrance into MRNP is at the park’s northwest corner, known as the Carbon River Entrance. A Ranger Station fronts this way into the park, and the paved road ends at the park’s boundary. Beyond that, hikers, mountain bikers and campers have miles of trails to enjoy, but wilderness and camping permits are required. As a result, the more popular entrance is at the park’s southwest corner, the Nisqually Entrance, off Highway 706.
Exploring MRNP by road is limited to the southern and eastern areas. Although there is a road and park entrance on the west side, its primary purpose is to allow access to the White River camping area (elevation: 4,400 feet MSL) and the Sunrise Visitor Center & Day Lodge (at 6,400 feet MSL, the highest point in the park reachable by car). However, those areas and the roads leading to them are typically only open July through September due to frequent and abundant snowfalls making the road impassable the rest of the year. In contrast, the Stevens Canyon Road is open year-round in the park’s southwest corner, where visitors can tour the Longmire Museum and stay at the National Park Inn. Through the park’s southern sections, the road can usually open sooner and remain open later, providing a much longer season to visit the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and the Paradise Inn (elevation: 5,400 feet MSL). From there, visitors can walk to and upon a glacier and to several waterfalls, alpine lakes and meadows painted with vibrant wildflowers.
Like any national park, Mount Rainier is most rewarding when the car is parked and one ventures deeper into the park’s interior on foot, and opportunities to do so are plentiful in MRNP. Short loop trails are available from almost every visitor and information center within the park. As one travels west on Hwy 706 (Stevens Canyon Road), there are places to stop and view or hike through a box canyon, multiple waterfalls and a grove of giant trees. These are all easy hikes suitable for most fitness levels. For serious multiday or thru- hikers, the park includes sections of the famous Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) along its eastern border. The Wonderland Trail is entirely within the park, encircling the volcano and covering some 93 miles of stunning scenery. While it is considered one of the most scenic trails in the U.S., it is also categorized as “strenuous” because it has almost no flat terrain. Between its low point of 2,320 feet and its high point of 6,750 feet, hikers can expect to climb or descend continuously for cumulative elevation gain of almost 22,000 feet!
Capping It Off
Just a short drive further down I-5, the notorious Mount Saint Helens awaits. While not a national park, but a National Volcanic Mon-ument, and not as developed as a result, it is still very much worth a visit. The May 1980 eruption which leveled 150 square miles of forest, killed 57 people and shortened the mountain by 1,300 feet remains the most destructive volcanic event in modern-day North America. Two years later, 110,000 acres were protected allowing MSHNVM to respond and recover naturally.
Exiting I-5 at Castle Rock and driving Route 504, visitors can first tour the MSH Visitor Center (a Washington State Park site) to learn about the historical eruption, its legacy and how the area has since recovered. Resorts and small lodging choices dot the route for those with enough time to spend a night or two in the area. Book in advance though, as most choices sell out early and close in the offseason.
It was the author’s intention to drive Route 504 all the way to its end point at the Johnston Ridge Observatory for the best view of MSH (looking at its north face, the side opened during the eruption). However, amazingly, 43 years later (in early 2023), the eruption was still impacting the area. Leftover debris from the eruption unexpectedly broke loose and, as it flowed downstream, washed out a bridge on the only road to the observatory. Thus, the Coldwater Lake Recreation Area and Science & Learning Center are (as of this writing) the upper limit of public access along Route 504. But that area offers a great view of MSH’s north face on a clear day and some fascinating and easy hiking among many of the hummocks deposited during the eruption. Coldwater Lake was created by landside debris damming a creek during and after the eruption. The small Kim Island in the lake is a single hummock, or a former piece of MSH, deposited over 6 miles away by the power of the eruption.
Although MSHNVM might not hold the prestige of a National Park, it is a perfect place to be reminded of the power of nature. While the events here in 1980 were cataclysmic, life remains resilient and the landscape is recovering faster than anyone predicted. It is different, of course, but alive and thriving, nonetheless. It should also be noted that while Portland, Oregon, was not the focus of this article, it is closer to MSHNVP than Seattle is. Portland has its own international airport (KPDX), two Class D reliever airports and multiple small pilot-controlled fields. Any one of them could serve as an excellent launching point into MSHNVP or MRNP to the north or the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to the south. The latter of which is deserving of an article of its own.
Copyright 2024, Matthew McDaniel
First publication rights granted to The Village Press, for King Air magazine
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