Name: Comet Falls
Rating: 4.5

Conditions

Unknown

History

Getting forecast...

“An easy to follow journey past three distinct waterfalls, Comet being one of Rainier's highest.”

— Tom Robson

Driving Directions GPX File

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

Fires are prohibited. No pets on trails. Treat water before drinking.

Overview

One of the highest waterfalls in the park, Comet Falls was named because it resembles the tail of a comet. Van Trump Park honors P. B. Van Trump, who, with Hazard Stevens, was one of the first people to stand on the summit of Mount Rainier.

Need to Know

There is no designated camp along this trail. Permits are required for camping. Permits and current trail conditions are available park-wide from wilderness information centers, ranger stations, and visitor centers.

Runner Notes

Comet Falls is a little pretty steep for running, but provides great hill training. In addition to the slope angle, the wet roots might prove difficult to navigate.

Description

The Comet Falls trailhead is located four miles east of Longmire on the road toward Paradise. Parking space is limited and often full. There is no additional parking nearby, so have an alternate run in mind.

The trail climbs steadily uphill for 1.8 miles until it reaches the base of Comet Falls. From there, it switchbacks 0.8 mile uphill to the junction with the Rampart Ridge Trail. Van Trump Park is to the right, where the trail winds through the meadows until the maintained trail ends in 0.5 mile - at Mildred Point.

Flora & Fauna

Three hundred-twenty foot Comet Falls is a popular destination for many runners. For those folks who continue to Van Trump Park, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens are visible to the south while the Kautz and Van Trump Glaciers dominate views of Mount Rainier to the north. Look for marmots, pikas, and goats on rocky open slopes.

Contacts

Local Club: Washington Trails Association

Sep 14, 2018: Big Creek Trail

Sep 14, 2018: Support Trails Today

Land Manager: National Park Service - Mount Rainier National Park

Full Details

Trail Ratings

4.5 from 19 votes

#2

in Longmire

#324

Overall

4.5 from 19 votes

5 Star		53%
4 Star		47%
3 Star		0%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Rankings

#2

in Longmire

#31

in Washington

#324

Overall

95 Views Last Month

1,055 Since Mar 4, 2015

Intermediate/Difficult

		0%
		6%
		25%
		69%
		0%
		0%

Add a Photo

Photos

Late summer at Christine Falls in Mt Rainier Na…

Christine Falls

Comet Falls, Mt Rainier National Park

Comet Falls, 320 foot fall

Crossing Van Trump Creek on a nice bridge.

Eagle Peak.

Looking down from Mildred Point (photo by Brewb…

Looking down at Comet Falls (photo by Brewbooks)

Start of the Comet Falls trail from the parking…

View of Comet Falls

4.6 Miles 7.4 Kilometers 61% Runnable	1,919' 585 m Ascent -1,918' -585 m Descent
16% Avg Grade (9°) 51% Max Grade (27°)	5,507' 1,679 m High 3,638' 1,109 m Low

Comet Falls

4.6 Miles 7.4 Kilometers

61%

1,919' 585 m

-1,918' -585 m

16%

51%

5,507' 1,679 m

3,638' 1,109 m

Shared By Tom Robson

Conditions

“An easy to follow journey past three distinct waterfalls, Comet being one of Rainier's highest.”

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

Overview

Need to Know

Runner Notes

Description

Flora & Fauna

Contacts

You & This Featured Run

Rate Quality

Rate Difficulty

Share This Run

Check-Ins

Trail Ratings

#2

#324

#2

#31

#324

Photos

0 Comments

Comment Type:

Nearby Runs

Nearby Gems

Bench and Snow Lake

Comet Falls

Panorama Point

Reflection Lakes

Trail Run Project is part of the REI Co-op family,where a life outdoors is a life well lived.

Free Widgets: Showcase running trails on your site

Mountain Project

MTB Project

Powder Project

Hiking Project

Trail Run Project

National Park Guide

Trail Run Project is part of the REI Co-op family,
where a life outdoors is a life well lived.

Free Widgets:
Showcase running trails on your site