Mount Rainier — Paradise

Mount Rainier rises 14,411 feet above sea level — the most prominent peak in the lower 48 states — and Paradise is the historic visitor area on its southern flank. This live camera looks up at the volcano from the Paradise area at roughly 5,400 feet elevation, capturing the changing weather, snow cover, and dramatic cloud formations that swirl around the summit nearly every day. Rainier is heavily glaciated, with 25 named glaciers covering more lake-area than any peak outside of Alaska. The mountain creates its own weather. Lenticular clouds — the saucer-shaped lens clouds that signal high-altitude moisture — form regularly over the summit and are among the most photographed weather features in the Pacific Northwest. The Paradise area receives some of the heaviest snowfall on Earth, with seasonal totals routinely exceeding 600 inches and a world-record season of over 1,100 inches in 1971-72. The best viewing seasons depend on what you want to see. Summer (mid-July through early September) brings wildflower season in the subalpine meadows — fields of avalanche lilies, lupines, and Indian paintbrush bloom right up to the snow line. Fall offers crisp clear days and the first dustings of snow on the upper slopes. Winter delivers heavy snowpack, ice climbing conditions, and the chance of clear cold days with stunning visibility. Spring snowmelt creates rushing meltwater streams and waterfalls. Nearby attractions include the historic Paradise Inn, the Skyline Trail loop, Reflection Lakes, Christine Falls, and the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. The Wonderland Trail circles the entire mountain over 93 miles. Sunrise — the highest point in the park reachable by car at 6,400 feet — sits on the northeast side of the mountain.