Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Portland

Length of Trip

To experience the various destinations, we’ve written this itinerary over 7 full days, with air travel on the 1st and 7th days. However, depending on your interest, availability, and flight options, you could extend by adding extra time to any of the locations. You could also shorten the trip by reducing the time spent at any of the locations

Flight schedules may also impact your ability to do the activities as planned. See more details under “getting there” and reach out for any changes needed.

Travel Season

The best time to follow this itinerary is from mid-June to early October. During this period, the weather is generally mild and dry, and most of the trails and roads are fully accessible. In July and August, wildflowers are in full bloom in the alpine meadows in Mt. Rainier National Park, creating some of the most stunning scenery of the year. Snow has usually melted from most trails by this time, making it ideal for hiking and sightseeing.

Early fall, particularly September, offers cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and beautiful fall foliage, especially in the lower elevations and around Portland. However, by October, higher elevation trails may begin to see early snowfall. All key attractions are open year-round, but many are closed on some federal holidays.

   Jan     Feb     Mar     Apr     May     Jun     Jul     Aug     Sep     Oct     Nov     Dec   

Key:     best months       okay months     not advised

Many accommodations and high-demand activity permits fill up quickly during peak seasons. Planning a minimum of 6 months in advance, or in some cases 12 months, increases availability. However, even with shorter time horizons, we will work to find options for you and your group.

Tip: Wildflowers are in full bloom at Mt. Rainier National Park in July and August. 

Most nights on this trip involve lodging in 3-star hotels. Sometimes lodging in or adjacent to national parks may have fewer amenities, but is still the right choice based on location, as well as historic appeal. 

If you would prefer more luxurious lodging, let us know and we can present additional options along with the price difference. If you would prefer to save some money, let us know and we can discuss less expensive options as well. If you are interested in camping, there are campgrounds convenient to some, but not all, of the locations. Talk to our team about camping options in lieu of hotels when making your reservation. This will reduce cost significantly, but also may not always be available as park service campgrounds in particular often fill up quickly. (Note that Wandersaurus does not provide or facilitate rental of camping equipment.)

The recommended hikes throughout this trip are mostly of the 2-4 mile variety and can be completed by a reasonably fit person without much specific training. No more than 6 miles of hiking are listed on any individual day. Suggestions for longer trails can also be found in the detailed itinerary for those looking for increased challenge or to see a bit more of any particular park.

In the case of hikes that are a bit more challenging than the others in the itinerary, detailed descriptions are provided as well as alternative suggestions if one or more are not right for your group.  

Kids: You know your kids better than we do. A 5-year-old with enthusiasm for the outdoors and some hiking experience would not find any of these overly challenging. A 15-year-old with an “indoor cat” personality might struggle. That said, many trails are not stroller-friendly. A couple of individual trails will have notes of caution for kids in your detailed daily itinerary.

 Compared to most other Wandersaurus trips, these parks are practically next-door neighbors. You will not have any driving days greater than 2.5 hours:

• PDX to Mt. Rainier National Park: 2 ½ hours

• Mt. Rainier National Park to Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument: 2 hours

• Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to Portland: 2 hours

Other Logistics

There are no unique logistical challenges associated with this trip.

By Air

This itinerary is designed around a starting point of PDX Portland International Airport in downtown Portland, OR. It is a hub for Alaska Airlines and is served by all major domestic carriers. It is also served by over 10 car rental agencies at a centralized rental center. PDX is frequently ranked among the top airports in the US, and recently earned the #1 spot in a Washington Post ranking for 2025. A morning arrival and afternoon departure are ideal, but if flight times don’t work, we can make changes to activity and/or lodging plans to accommodate.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport also has significant commercial service and could be a viable option for some travelers. It is a 2.5-hour drive from Sea-Tac to Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Portland. If you wish you fly into this airport, let us know, and we can discuss appropriate changes to the itinerary plan. You may also with to swap out time in Portland for time in Seattle.

By Car

The only other significant metropolitan areas within 8 hours' drive are Spokane and Boise, so we anticipate the large majority of travelers would opt to fly, unless working on a longer road trip. Please let us know if you do intend to drive to the area and we can work on developing appropriate options for you.

Some features of this trip may have seasonal variation, so all package prices are presented as estimated ranges. Contact us for a more precise price estimate for your preferred travel dates. Pricing does NOT include airfare.

Couples / Two Travelers

This trip was originally designed for parties of 2 people, sharing a room. The expected total price for all included items is $2,400 - $2,800.

Families

Groups of 3-6 people can enjoy this trip as well, with costs variable depending on room-sharing preferences. Contact us for details.

Solo

Unfortunately for solo travelers, none of the costs are per person activity fees, so we would expect the cost to be the same.

Larger Groups

While details of this trip were not designed with larger groups in mind, the itinerary would still be functional. Contact us to discuss!

Payment Policies

• Payments must be made by credit card. Specific restrictions may exist for certain lodging or activity vendors. 

• 20% deposit due at time of reservation

• Balance due 90 days before trip start date (If booking within 90 days of trip, full balance due at time of reservation)

• Some portion of deposit may be nonrefundable, as some excursions or activity fees (which will have been booked upon confirmation) are nonrefundable. Accommodations and transportation will generally be reserved as refundable.

• Fully refundable until 60 days before trip start, less $100 admin fee and any nonrefundable excursions

• 50% refundable until 14 days before trip start

• If cancelling within 14 days of trip start, no refunds are given

Included In Your Package Price

• Bespoke itinerary - tailored as needed to suit your particular requirements

• Overnight accommodations for all nights

• Rental car

• Maps of all driving routes

• Trail maps and trail descriptions for all recommended hikes

• Restaurant recommendations, at a range of price points, highlighting vegetarian and kid-friendly options

• “America the Beautiful” federal lands pass (grants access to all National Park Service facilities on the trip)

• Tickets to all museums included in trip plan

• Fees for any guided tours mentioned in trip plan

• Expert advice and local information, including packing suggestions

• Updated information on any changing conditions delivered in the weeks before your trip

• Carbon offset credits for the mileage driven along the main route of the itinerary

• Full support during your trip from the Wandersaurus Travel team (9:00 am until 9:00 pm Eastern Time)

Not Included

• Travel to and from your starting/ending points

• Gasoline, parking, and/or any other ground transportation expenses unless specified

• Meals unless specified

• Additional guided tours or excursions beyond those specified

• Tips/gratuities for any guides

• Travel insurance. Note: we recommend purchasing travel insurance via a certified insurance agency