Great National Parks: Mount Rainier and Olympic

Synopsis

Begin your sojourn in Mount Rainier National Park by tracing the fire-and-ice evolution that gave the mountain its spectacular character. Learn about jökulhlaups, the great flash floods created when Rainier's twin forces - volcanic heat and glacial colds - collide. Below Rainier's imperial peak, discover vistas and valleys, waterfalls and alpine meadows, bobcats, cougars, raccoons and other wildlife. Meet Ranger Ron Warfield and later climb to the summit of magnificent Mount Rainier. At Olympic National Park, visit the resplendent Hoh Rain Forest and listen to Marilyn Lewis tell the story of her pioneer grandfather (the "Iron Man of Hoh"), who carved a homestead out of the wilderness. Continue to the park's glacier-sculpted mountains and to Marymere Falls, Soleduck Falls and Mount Olympus itself. Finally, discover one of the most dramatic stretches of wilderness coast in America, with its wondrous tide pools teeming with vibrant life.