The mountain is 59 miles southwest of Seattle and is the center piece of the Mt. Rainier National Park. On clear days it stands out as an impressive sight trough much of the State.

It is a volcano last erupting in 1854. It is considered one of the worlds most dangerous volcanos, largely due to its proximity to populated area of Wester Washington.

Mt Rainier is the tallest mountain, 14,411 feet, 4,392m tall, in Washington State and the Cascade Mountain Range. It is the tallest in the Continental US when measured by "topographical prominence", "how high the summit rises above it's surroundings". Rainier rises 13,210', 4,026 meters, above its surroundings. In the US, only Denali in Alaska and Mauna Kea in Hawaii are taller in prominence.