Van Trump Park Trail
This popular trail leads to 320-foot Comet Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the park.
Plan Around Van Trump Park Trail
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Van Trump Park Trail Details
This popular trail leads to 320-foot Comet Falls, one of the highest waterfalls in the park, and offers views of Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens to the south, and the Van Trump and Kautz glaciers to the north. Keep an eye out for deer, mountain goats, and smaller critters when you reach the fields of wildflowers around the park. The Van Trump Park and glacier were named after P.B. Van Trump who, with fellow mountaineer and writer Hazard Stevens, was one of the first people to summit Mount Rainier, in 1870. Find the trailhead for Comet Falls 4 miles northeast of Longmire on the road to Paradise. The small parking area often fills up quickly, so plan ahead. The trail climbs steeply at first and then eases off slightly in grade until it reaches the base of Comet Falls, 1.9 miles later. Enjoy the falls as it plunges into a pool and then drops another 40 feet. From here, the trail leads you up switchbacks for almost a mile until it intersects Rampart Ridge Trail. Turn right to reach Van Trump Park. Trail stats: 5.6 miles; 2,200 feet of elevation gain; 4 hours.
Difficulty
High
Distance
5.6 miles
Estimated time
4 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Van Trump Park Trail
Compare nearby parks around Van Trump Park Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Van Trump Park Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Van Trump Park Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.3 mi away
Christine Falls
This beautiful two-tiered waterfall, located on Van Trump Creek west of Paradise and northeast of Cougar Rock Campground, has an upper drop that's 32 feet high and a lower drop that's 37-feet high.
0.7 mi away
Ricksecker Point Road
This short, one-way road offers wonderful panoramic views of the Niqually Glacier and the Tatoosh Range.
0.8 mi away
Comet Falls Trail
This popular trail leads to 320-foot Comet Falls.
0.9 mi away
Cougar Rock Campground
Cougar Rock Campground nestles in the woods across the street from the Nisqually River.
1.1 mi away
Glacier Bridge
You'll enjoy a spectacular view of the Nisqually Glacier as you cross Glacier Bridge.
