Driving the highest paved road in Washington to Sunrise Point
Usa, north-america
24.78 km
1,957 m
moderate
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! You absolutely HAVE to experience Sunrise Point in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park. Perched way up high at 6,420 feet, this is the highest point you can drive to in the whole park!
The road itself, Sunrise Park Road (or just Sunrise Road), is paved the whole way. But fair warning: it's a twisty, turny climb, and it's narrow in places. If you're rocking a mega RV or towing anything longer than 25 feet, you might want to chill at the White River Campground intersection.
The fun starts from WA-410, and it's a 15.4-mile trek up a super steep and windy road, which opened way back in 1931. This is one of the highest roads in Washington, so keep in mind it's usually only open from late June/early July to late September/early October because of all that glorious winter snow. Even in late September, they close it down at night at the White River Campground junction, opening it up again in the morning if the weather cooperates.
You could technically blast up in about 30 minutes without stopping, but trust me, you'll want to take your time. The scenery is insane! There's a big parking lot at the top, and Sunrise Point is just WOW. On a clear day, you're treated to jaw-dropping 360-degree views of the valleys below, majestic Mount Rainier, and a bunch of other Cascade volcanoes like Mount Adams. And if you squint just right, you can even spot the top of Mount St. Helens! It's an absolute must-see.
Where is it?
Driving the highest paved road in Washington to Sunrise Point is located in Usa (north-america). Coordinates: 40.3460, -96.9974
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 24.78 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,957 m
- Difficulty
- moderate
- Coordinates
- 40.3460, -96.9974
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