Camp Muir

This challenging, high-elevation hike to Camp Muir climbs 4,640 feet over approximately 8.4 miles round-trip, leading from the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park to the historic high camp at 10,080 feet. The route begins on the paved Skyline Trail, starting near the Jackson Visitor Center and Paradise Inn, and climbs steadily toward Panorama Point. Along the way, the trail passes Glacier Vista, which offers sweeping views of the Nisqually Glacier and the southern Cascade Range. After passing Panorama Point, the paved path ends and the crowd thins significantly. The route continues past McClure Rock and onto the Muir Snowfield. This permanent snowfield is wide, open, and lacks defined trail markings, requiring navigation skills and caution. On clear days, the snowfield provides expansive mountain views, but whiteout conditions can develop rapidly, making a compass, GPS, and map essential for keeping on course. Proper preparation is critical for this demanding trek. Depending on the season and daily conditions, hikers should be equipped with crampons or traction devices, trekking poles or an ice axe, and multiple warm layers. Rapid weather shifts are common, and the snowfield can present severe navigation and temperature hazards even in mid-summer. The hike terminates at Camp Muir, a historic stone shelter complex serving as the primary base camp for climbers attempting the summit of Mount Rainier.

Camp Muir, originally known as Cloud Camp, was named Camp Muir after writer/naturalist John Muir summited the mountain. Muir was a member of the climbing party that made the sixth recorded ascent of the Mount Rainier in 1888. Camp Muir is one of the primary high camps for summit attempts and is a favorite campsite with climbers.