Skyline to Panorama, Golden Gate, and Myrtle

Dogs No Dogs

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

Following the main Skyline Trail, but taking the Golden Gate Trail provides you with wonderful romps besides flowering meadows, close encounters with Marmots making their homes above treeline, and a peaceful run alongside the Golden Gate Falls. The terrain can be wet and slippery along the Golden Gate Trail, especially up near the switchbacks close to the Falls, so appropriate footwear is recommended to prevent slipping.

Panorama Point has a restroom at the top.

You can follow this trip in either direction, starting either with the Myrtle Falls or starting up Skyline Trail towards the Glacier Vista. Either is fine, but how you feel about steep switchbacks could be a determining factor.

The Golden Gate Trail has some switchbacks which might be tricky depending on your ability and choice of footwear. However, the view of the Golden Gate Falls is beautiful and many marmots make their home near the Falls. You may see families of marmots scrambling around chasing each other, crossing the gaps over snow bridges, and stopping alongside the trail to offer you their autograph.

While the start of the Skyline Trail may be busy, the crowd thins the higher up to go, and at the peak of Panorama Point, you may have half a dozen others with you. The trail starts off with an aggressive start to the unacclimated, but becomes much easier and you'll get your second wind early. After the Glacial Vista, the terrain becomes much trickier and that's when the crowd begins to thin dramatically. This area may be packed with snow, so using the guide ropes and carefully paying attention to the NPS flags marking no-go routes are important to maintain the safety of you and others with whom you share the trail.

Panorama Point has an incredible view of not only Mt. Rainier from the south, but, so long as the sky stays clear, you can also get a clear view of Mt. Adams rising toward the Southeast over the near ridgleline with Unicorn and Stevens Peak. There's also a bathroom at the top, and with the wide open area to meander, it becomes a perfect rest stop before beginning your descent. If the path is clear, you may also want to attempt a romp up to McClure's Rock, so long as the weather is fair.