By Andrea Christensen, Philanthropy Director
Paradise is where countless relationships with Mount Rainier begin.
For first-time visitors and lifelong hikers alike, the Skyline Trail is often their first step into the alpine — a front-row introduction to wildflower meadows, glaciers, and sweeping views that define this iconic place. It’s consistently one of the most visited trails in the park, and even ranks among the most popular hiking trails in the country. But that popularity comes at a cost.
Today, the trail we love is under visible strain.
Decades of heavy foot traffic, aging infrastructure, and changing weather patterns have worn down the Skyline Trail.
Narrow tread forces hikers into fragile meadows. Braided social paths, where multiple, unofficial paths have split off from the established trail, scar once-intact vegetation.
Steep, uneven sections increase erosion and safety concerns, especially when lingering snow pushes visitors off trail.
Without intervention, these impacts compound each season — threatening both the visitor experience and the alpine ecosystem that makes Paradise so special.
Rehabilitating the Skyline Trail is the next critical phase of Restoring Paradise — a bold, multi-year effort led by Washington’s National Park Fund and Mount Rainier National Park to care for Paradise as a whole.
Over more than a century of visitation, this beloved area has absorbed the impacts of millions of footsteps, extreme weather, and aging infrastructure. From worn trails and trampled meadows to historic facilities in need of repair, the signs of strain are unmistakable.
Restoring Paradise takes a comprehensive approach. Alongside Skyline Trail rehabilitation, the initiative includes constructing a new connector trail to reduce unsafe roadside walking and social trails, restoring the historic Slate Comfort Station, and supporting cutting-edge meadow restoration research to guide long-term recovery.
Each project addresses a different need, but together they protect Paradise’s landscapes, history, and visitor experience for generations to come.
Within this larger effort, we’re setting out to raise $530,000 for the Skyline Trail project. With that funding, Mount Rainier National Park will rebuild and widen the most heavily damaged portion of the trail between the Dance Floor and Panorama Point, beginning with the segment up to Marmot Hill. The park will improve drainage and footing, create clearly defined rest areas, and restore damaged meadows.
By giving people a safe, durable trail they want to stay on, we reduce harm to surrounding alpine ecosystems and help one of Mount Rainier’s most iconic landscapes heal and endure.
Skyline Trail rehabilitation is also a cornerstone of WNPF’s Together for the Parks campaign — an ambitious effort to scale up private support for Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks as visitation rises and federal resources struggle to keep pace.
Projects like this aren’t just about fixing what’s broken; they’re about proactively investing in the future of Washington’s national parks so they can continue inspiring stewardship, connection, and awe for generations to come.
If you’ve ever paused on Skyline to catch your breath and take in the view, you understand what’s at stake. This is a moment that calls for urgency and collective action.
Feeling inspired? You can contribute to Restoring Paradise by making a donation today.
Together, we can ensure that one of Mount Rainier’s most beloved trails remains safe, sustainable, and worthy of the wonder it delivers — today and long into the future.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Through the Together for the Parks campaign, WNPF is raising critical funds to protect trails, restore ecosystems, and enhance visitor experiences across Washington’s national parks. Interested in getting involved? Reach out to Andrea Christensen at andrea@wnpf.org.