Paul Peak - Elizabeth Ridge - Mount Rainier National Park

Go to the Mowich Entrance of Mount Rainier National Park. From Carbonado, drive Hwy 165 south. In three miles the road will cross over the Carbon River on a high, narrow bridge. In another 0.6 miles you will come to a fork. The left fork goes to the Carbon River Entrance to the park. The right fork is Mowich Lake Road going to the Mowich Lake Entrance (take this one). In 11 miles you will come to the park entrance.

Paul Peak and Elizabeth Ridge

This is a nice little option if you find yourself at the Mowich Lake entrance to Mount Rainier with the winter gate closed. The trip makes for a good poor weather scramble since there are only a few views through the trees here and there.

From the gate, walk the road to the Paul Peak Trailhead on the right. The trail only traverses Paul Peak, no trail goes up. At about one mile, where the trail turns from south to east at it is highest point at 3,900 feet, start climbing off trail up the ridge. In 900 feet, you are at the summit of Paul Peak. It is tree covered. Continue following the ridge as it goes toward Elizabeth Ridge. Drop to the 4,400 foot saddle between Paul and Elizabeth. Now a l,000 foot climb up to Elizabeth Ridge. This is all nice snowshoeing during winter and spring. From Elizabeth, it is an easy drop down a NE ridge to Mowich Lake. Return by walking the road to the gate. You can cut the upper switchbacks of the road on a trail or off-trial by snowshoe. if snow covered.