Mount Rainier at Your Own Pace: Named Trails at Paradise and Elbe's Railcar Diner

A small group and a driver, but the time at Paradise is yours to spend. The drive through the Cascades passes evergreen forest, lakes and the towns that grew on timber, with stops at viewpoints and waterfalls on the way up. Elbe is the one people remember. The town lives on trains and timber, and its diner, motel and pizzeria are all built inside converted railway carriages. The tour stops at the grocery there so you can buy snacks, at your own expense. Inside the park: Longmire and its museum, optional; Christine Falls under the arched bridge; the Nisqually River, which runs off the mountain all the way to Puget Sound; Narada Falls; the Reflection Lakes. At Paradise the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center has the park film, ranger-led programmes, a shop and a cafeteria, and the trailheads are right there. The Skyline Trail, the Nisqually Vista Trail and the Deadhorse Creek Trail all start from this point, and the free time is what lets you walk one. Pick-up and drop-off cover selected points in downtown Seattle and the airport hotels. Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.