Fall colors at Mount Rainier, WA
- Dharshan Rangegowda
- Dec 7, 2022
- 2 min read
Shooting fall colors at Mount Rainier, WA has always been top of my list, but for various reasons it hasn't worked out. Finally got the opportunity to plan a trip this fall with my friend Murali who is also an avid photographer.
I flew into Seattle on a Friday afternoon and we immediately headed out to Mount Rainier. Since we planned to shoot fall colors in the morning we decided to shoot sunset at Reflection lakes. I have been to Reflection lakes a few times and am yet to see any any vivid sunsets. This time was no different, however we did get a slight hint of color. Nonetheless I greatly enjoyed the beautiful location and the chance to be back at one of my favorite places.
Once we wrapped up our sunset shoot at Reflection lakes we headed out to the Paradise Inn where we had a room reserved for the night. While driving we saw a beautiful sunset over the Tatoosh range, so of course we had to stop and shoot the sunset.
We spent the night at the historic Paradise Inn, which happens to be one of my favorite lodges. The rooms are small and dated, but I absolutely love the open lobby area with the huge fireplaces. This was the last day the lodge was open for the year. Typically the lodge closes for winter Oct 1st every year.
We headed out to shoot early morning a little before sunrise. The light and colors were beautiful right outside the entrance to the lodge. We hiked for a little bit on Myrtle falls trail looking for the best locations. After a little bit of scouting we decided that the lodge entrance area had the best colors and headed back. I fired off a few shots just as the early morning light hit the side of the mountain. I also ran another photographer at the location who shared a video of a Mama bear and cubs at the same location the previous year - beautiful!
Overall it was a great trip to one of my favorite locations. Look forward to visiting Rainier again in the fall next year!
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