Paradise exemplifies the subalpine meadow and parkland ecosystem at Mount Rainier. These meadows, which average 643" of snow per year, hold what's arguably the Park's most impressive wildflower display. A network of short, interconnecting trails provides numerous routing options through the meadows and to various attractions including Panorama Point, Camp Muir and Paradise Glacier.

Paradise briefly held a world record in the 1971-1972 winter with 1122" of snow; in the 2014-2015 winter it saw a record low snowfall of 266"

Bistort, a member of the Buckwheat family, is nicknamed 'miner's socks' for the pungency of its flowers

Glaciers and running water sculpt the land in different ways; streams tend to cut winding curves and V-shaped valleys, while glaciers carve nearly straight valleys with broader U-shapes

The Nisqually River flows 78 miles from its source at Nisqually Glacier to the Puget Sound

Lousewort derives its name from the Latin word pediculus (a louse), an old misconception that stock could become infested with lice when grazing on the plants

Subalpine meadows in Mount Rainier can be divided into two groups: The North Pacific Alpine-Subalpine Dwarf-shrubland and Heath group, and the Northern Rocky Mountain-Vancouverian Subalpine Montane Mesic Herbaceous Meadow Group

Once above treeline weather and trail conditions become much less predictable

Fell Fields are characterized by a very cold winters, high winds, high ultraviolet radiation and surface temperatures during summer days, and a very short growing season

Bear grass, found throughout the subalpine zone, is frost tolerant and can thrive in low-nutrient soils

Muir Snowfield, wedged between the Nisqually and Paradise glaciers, is a notorious climb fraught with potential crevasses and rapidly changing weather

The High Skyline Trail arcs across the top of Paradise in the subalpine - alpine transition zone

An unmaintained route climbs 860' in 1.4 miles from the end of the Paradise Glacier Trail to the Cowlitz Gap

The Nisqually Glacier is perhaps the most studied of all Rainier glaciers, with a photo record that dates back to 1884

Glacial flour, created by the grinding of rocks into fine, mineral-rich sediments, gives Stevens Creek its distinct milky color

The hike to Camp Muir is a modest 4.5 miles - with a not-so-modest 4800' climb!

Some years snow never completely melts in the Paradise Meadows, like this patch in late August

Lupine is a flowering perennial plant from the legume family; the seeds are edible, but many species contain alkaloids that are toxic to livestock

Down-valley views stretch across the Tatoosh Range to Mt Adams Mt St Helens (and Mt Hood on very clear days)

Though bears are infrequently encountered on the trail, they are sometimes seen in adjacent meadows where there is no human traffic

Fell-field plants are adapted to a xeric environment; they are typically cushioned, matted or grow as flat rosettes, and often with thick leaf cuticles or a dense cover of hairs

The Paradise Glacier Trail clears treeline and traverses gravelly moraines to the end of maintenance along the creek near the base of the glacier