Discover Nature
Discover Nature
5
Nature & Wildlife Tours
Read more
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Full view
About
Discover Nature/TourMtRainier offers you a personalized hike or hikes that are a fun, safe exploration of one of the most iconic mountain volcanoes in North America. I will happily help you choose and guide you on the best trail or trails to connect and appreciate this place of awe and wonder. This tour is perfect for people with their own vehicle as we will meet at a designated trailhead or park entrance. Bring your lunch to enjoy along the trail with some of the best surroundings. After our time together, you will have the time and ability to explore more of the park; perhaps even stay to enjoy the sunset or night sky! I am one of the few companies with a Commercial Use Permit from Mt. Rainier National Park which allows me to offer you hikes longer than 1 mile beyond a trailhead helping us get away from the crowds and increase your moments of Wow! All hikes are private from 1 – 5 people with a variety of meeting times. Hiking poles and the use of binoculars are provided.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Features animals
Anything missing or inaccurate?
Suggest an editSimilar Experiences
Travelers talk about
(47 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
275 reviews
Excellent
270
Very good
4
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
0
viewsfromthesikh
New Orleans, LA1 contribution
Aug 2022
When visiting Seattle, I knew I wanted to see Mt. Rainier, but I had never hiked before. Searching for a private guided tour, I happened to find Discover Nature, and my day on the trail ended up being an amazingly unforgettable experience that I will always cherish. Of course, this is all because of Diann - one of the most friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and supportive people I've met. She was completely understanding of my lack of hiking experience, and made sure I was comfortable throughout the entire hike. Her expertise in all aspects of nature - wildlife/flora/fauna/trail etiquette/safety, and more - was invaluable. I was able to take some great photos and create unique memories thanks to Diann.
Highly, highly recommend! Thank you Diann!!
Highly, highly recommend! Thank you Diann!!
Written September 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
How wonderful to read your thoughtful review "viewsfromthesikh". I appreciate the time you took to write this and for choosing my day hike offering on The Mountain. It was a delight to share a new experience with you and I am glad you will be seeking more trails to explore!!! I wish you all the best in your studies and future adventures!!
happy trails ~ Diann
Written September 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
808Momx2
Honolulu, HI212 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
You will ALWAYS get more out of a place with a guided tour, whether it’s a college, city, or a national park.
This is what you get with Diann from Discover Nature: a PERSONALIZED tour designed for you/your family based on time, ability, where you’re coming from, and what you want to see. This is what truly sets this company apart from other tour companies in the area, and because Diann is always on the mountain she knows what things are changing each week (weather/bugs/road conditions) and can redirect your tour based on that!
1) Drive time. We drove from the SeaTac area and met her at a designated google map location. Diann picked the entrance for us that was closer to us and would have less traffic congestion and less people. I never would have picked this route on my own, as it didn’t even look like a place. Make sure you screen shot the place because cell reception is spotty.
2) Start time. She suggested a time that allowed us to find parking and even use the porta potty just after it was serviced. She brought binoculars for us to look for wildlife and we saw climbers on the summit.
3) Ability. We have teenagers which means they are quick and agile and we are not. I didn’t want to spend all day hiking. She picked a half-day hike which had some elevation gains and great views without being too treacherous on our old bodies. Could we have done a harder hike? Of course. Could we have done a longer hike? Of course, but why would we, it all looks the same after a while. Would we have picked this particular hike on our own? No. But it was perfect FOR US. Why? We saw all types of terrain, hiked some of the PCT, National forest, saw the summit, and then we were off to drive to the other side. The park is HUGE…we saw the crowded tourist visitor center and was glad we didn’t go on those hikes, and we even went to Northwest Trek animal preserve on our way back. Oh and I can still walk today.
4) Specifics. Depending on the time of year you go, things like mosquitos and weather conditions will affect what you wear. She specifically warned us about the bugs so we had bug spray, but ours didn’t work as well as hers, so thank goodness she lets us use hers. And coming from Hawaii, I really wanted to see some snow. In August. She made it happen. You can’t hike up the summit of Ranier without special permits and equipment but she knew where to take us that might still have patches of snow left. To put this in perspective, last week they had 105 degree heat waves for days so I didn’t really think any snow would be left, except at the summit, but we saw some!
We had a great experience, we got lots of pictures and we got to do other things after the hike. Highly recommend Discover Nature.
This is what you get with Diann from Discover Nature: a PERSONALIZED tour designed for you/your family based on time, ability, where you’re coming from, and what you want to see. This is what truly sets this company apart from other tour companies in the area, and because Diann is always on the mountain she knows what things are changing each week (weather/bugs/road conditions) and can redirect your tour based on that!
1) Drive time. We drove from the SeaTac area and met her at a designated google map location. Diann picked the entrance for us that was closer to us and would have less traffic congestion and less people. I never would have picked this route on my own, as it didn’t even look like a place. Make sure you screen shot the place because cell reception is spotty.
2) Start time. She suggested a time that allowed us to find parking and even use the porta potty just after it was serviced. She brought binoculars for us to look for wildlife and we saw climbers on the summit.
3) Ability. We have teenagers which means they are quick and agile and we are not. I didn’t want to spend all day hiking. She picked a half-day hike which had some elevation gains and great views without being too treacherous on our old bodies. Could we have done a harder hike? Of course. Could we have done a longer hike? Of course, but why would we, it all looks the same after a while. Would we have picked this particular hike on our own? No. But it was perfect FOR US. Why? We saw all types of terrain, hiked some of the PCT, National forest, saw the summit, and then we were off to drive to the other side. The park is HUGE…we saw the crowded tourist visitor center and was glad we didn’t go on those hikes, and we even went to Northwest Trek animal preserve on our way back. Oh and I can still walk today.
4) Specifics. Depending on the time of year you go, things like mosquitos and weather conditions will affect what you wear. She specifically warned us about the bugs so we had bug spray, but ours didn’t work as well as hers, so thank goodness she lets us use hers. And coming from Hawaii, I really wanted to see some snow. In August. She made it happen. You can’t hike up the summit of Ranier without special permits and equipment but she knew where to take us that might still have patches of snow left. To put this in perspective, last week they had 105 degree heat waves for days so I didn’t really think any snow would be left, except at the summit, but we saw some!
We had a great experience, we got lots of pictures and we got to do other things after the hike. Highly recommend Discover Nature.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello 808Momx2 and family!!!
Wow! Wow! Wow! Thank you for the Five Star review :) I happily give your review 10 plus stars!! I truly appreciate the time and love you put into writing about your trip to The Mountain this August. I really enjoyed sharing the morning with your family and am grateful to know how valuable you found my offering. We certainly had a beautiful blue sky day with wildflowers and yes .... mosquitoes! I am glad my bug spray worked and you all were able to take the time needed to hike and enjoy the moments.
It sounds like you had a very successful day and experienced a great taste of the PNW! Perhaps you will be back to visit your son in college if he chooses UofW!!
Thanks again for your review and for choosing my day hike.
Happy trails ~ Diann
Written September 30, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Tara H
1 contribution
Jul 2022
I never write reviews but just had to this time. Our hike with Diann was absolutely amazing. We are a family of four, pretty good hikers and very much enjoy the outdoors. we were looking for a moderate to rigorous hike of Mt Rainier. We wanted a guide so that we could truly experience the mountain and not worry about getting lost. This hike truly exceeded our expectations. Diann loves what she does and caterers to what you need and want in a hike. She would stop along the way to explain what we were looking at in the mountains, landscape, flowers, animals etc. Having Diann we were able to explore parts of the mountain we probably would not have done ourselves. Post this hike, we went on an Alaskan cruise, which was also wonderful, but our most favorite part of the trip by far was the hike with Diann. Thank you for the wonderful experience!
Written August 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
HCtravel-1 I am smiling from ear to ear and my heart is bouncing with joy after reading your review :) Another reminder of why I do what I do :) Thank you so much for deciding to and for taking the time to write a review.
Spending the day with the four of you was an absolute joy! I loved everyones sense for adventure and curiosity. We certainly had some magical moments with The Mountain playing hide and seek! Oh and being on the snow in July!!
I am glad you enjoyed your Alaskan cruise and am deeply touched that your time on my guided hike was your highlight :) many, many thanks for sharing nature with your wonderful boys!!!
Keep on exploring!!
Diann
Written August 3, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
john h
Parker, CO4 contributions
Jul 2022
I am 74 years old and my grandaughter is almost 11. On July8, 2022, Diann took us on a hike on Mt. Rainier's trails to Carter and Madcap Falls and on up a bit from there. She is very cordial and was very attentive to my grandaughter who was immediawtely comfortable with her. Diann is also very knowledgeable about the geology and plant and animal life. Had we been on our own, we would have done some driving and maybe taken some hike, but we wouldn't have learned nearly as much abou the Park. Diann's tour was the real highlight of our Rainier trip and an investment well made.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello John and Beth :) I truly enjoyed spending the day with you two. I love the relationship you have and how you and Barbara are gifting your grandchildren a trip of their choice to a National Park! Lucky me, Beth chose Mt. Rainier National Park!! I am glad to know this was a highlight of your visit to the Pacific Northwest. Thank you for taking time to write about your journey with me. Enjoy your other trips with your other grandchildren :)
happy and safe travels ~ Diann
Written July 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Diana F
1 contribution
Jul 2022
My wife and I had the best day with Diann. First of all, she is incredibly kind. Following, she is knowledgeable about many things we encountered on our hike such as history, plants, wildlife, and more! You can tell that sharing and exploring nature with others is a real passion of hers, and that kind of energy is just perfect when hiking. Especially in a national park! She planned out a great day for us and we can't wait to do it again!
Written July 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you so much for taking time to write a review of your experience with me at Mt. Rainier National Park Diana!! I loved sharing the day with you and Christina and am so glad you are ready to do it again!!! You both are great adventurers and were prepared for the rain and sunshine :) Thanks for spotting the mamma bear and her cubs during our lunch break! It was awesome to see them from afar :)
Keep on exploring and loving adventures together!!!
Diann
Written July 28, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
tilleyfrontporch
Mooresville, NC28 contributions
Jun 2022 • Family
Diann was extremely accommodating to our family. Earlier in the week my hubby developed a knee issue which affected our original plans with Diann.
She immediately offered alternatives which were excellent. We started out doing a little snowshoeing that morning. Afterwards she took our 17 & 18 year old daughters to the Summerland trail. They loved it.
Diann seems easy going and extremely knowledgeable about the surrounding area and safety.
We will definitely be back and would love to use her services again.
Tilley Family
She immediately offered alternatives which were excellent. We started out doing a little snowshoeing that morning. Afterwards she took our 17 & 18 year old daughters to the Summerland trail. They loved it.
Diann seems easy going and extremely knowledgeable about the surrounding area and safety.
We will definitely be back and would love to use her services again.
Tilley Family
Written July 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hello Tilley Family :)
What a delight to read your review of our time together at Mt. Rainier National Park! Sharing the Park with families is such a joy and the private tour helps with making adjustments for sure! I am glad you were all pleased with the different plan! The Mountain sure was glowing along with all your smiles!!
Looking forward to another adventure with you as well!
Happy and safe travels ~ Diann
Written July 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wander59433177533
2 contributions
May 2022 • Family
What a wonderful, memorable visit to Mt Ranier thanks to Dianne. Her cheerfulness, kindness, and love for the mountains were so contagious. Thanks to Dianne we were able to experience the mountain by snowshoes was such a unique adventure. We are so thankful for the time we spent with our guide
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you Wander59433177533 for taking the time to review your Mountain adventure! I am glad you caught the Mountain Love and wish you many more amazing adventures!! Thanks for sharing a snowshoe with me! I am so happy that the experience added to your ability to enjoy Mt. Rainier National Park more. I hope to see you all another season!
happy travels ~ Diann
Written July 7, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
l0ngd0g
Fountain Valley, CA1 contribution
Oct 2021
The highlight of our Seattle trip was our hike at Mt Rainier. We were clueless as to what to do so we researched for a tour; however, we wanted a private tour catered to our expectations. We were so happy we found Diann. She was awesome. She was attentive, kind and had tons of patience. She knows Mt Rainier very well so she took us on hikes with beautiful waterfalls and answered all our questions. We highly recommend Diann as she made Mt Rainier an unforgettable experience for us.
Written October 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Well this thank you is way overdue :) I am not receiving notices that a review has been written anymore. Perhaps because I am not selling my tours through their platform. Anyway! "0ngd0g" I appreciate you taking the time back in October to write of your travels with my company to the beautiful Mt. Rainier National Park. We truly had a beautiful day to explore and I am glad you found your time with me unforgettable. I hope you have many more amazing adventures!!!
happy travels ~ Diann
Written February 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Kathleen A
Irvine, United States41 contributions
Sep 2021
Diann is excellent. Very knowledgeable in the history of the park. Knows her trees, berries and flowers which was very interesting. Made sure we were comfortable every step of the way. We are older so she adapted the tour for short, beautiful hikes and scenery.
Written September 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Thank you Kathleen for your review of our time together last fall. It was a pleasure to create a day that would meet your needs and interests. We certainly had a beautiful fall day!
Keep on enjoying your travels ~ Diann
Written February 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Brandye F
3 contributions
Aug 2021
This was our family's first trip to the Pacific Northwest. We are from Florida, so mountains are definitely not in our vocabulary! Diann planned the perfect day - while the hike was strenuous for us flat-landers, the views we were rewarded with were simply breathtaking. She was so incredibly patient with the less athletic of us (okay, it was me) and took great care of every detail. She gave us so much information about the plant life, animals and eco-system of the area. We wouldn't have gotten that from just setting off on our own. I highly recommend Diann/Discover Nature!!
Written August 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Hey Brandy and family! Thank you so much for taking the time to write about your hiking adventure with me last summer. We certainly had a great weather day and you all did wonderfully well for "flat-landers"! :) We had lots of great laughs and moments of awe for sure :) Glad to know you saw more than you would have on your own as that is truly one of my goals!
Keep on climbing and enjoying life!!!! ~ Diann
Written February 18, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
63Kathyd
Winter Haven, FL849 contributions
Hi,
Do you go to crystal mountain for the gondola with your trip. We will have 4 adults visiting in July, all outdoorsy people who love to hike and see everything.
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA253 contributions
Hello 63Kathyd,
Thank you for your question and interest in my tour offerings. I do not have a regular tour to Crystal Mountain. I am happy to consider putting something together. You can email me at tour mtrainier gmail or call 253-777-8226. (I had to add some spaces and omit some symbols to my email address so TripAdvisor would add my reply - I think you can figure it out or just call :) )
I hope to see you all in July.
Diann
corinneb7161
Royal Oak, MI
Hi, what would you like to know about this attraction?
Hello! My daughter and her girlfriend want to travel to Seattle for the "senior trip" and I am their chaperone along with another middle-age female. Spending a day with Diann sounds like the perfect thing to do! The girls love the outdoors and I love that they choose to pass on Daytona beach, FL.
How can I get a hold of Diann so we can start planning? Spring break is the first week in April.
Thank you!
Corinne
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA26 contributions
Hi Corinne ~ I replied to your questions a few days ago but do not see my response so I will answer again to make sure :)
How wonderful it is that your daughter and her girlfriend are up for an adventure to Seattle and Mt. Rainier for their senior trip. This would truly be a wonderful way for them to celebrate their accomplishments and enjoy an amazing National Park.
You can get a hold of me at 253-777-8226 or by email tourmtrainier @ gmail . com
I look forward to sharing the possibility of sharing the Park with all of you.
hi Diann,i want to visit mount rainier but I have to stay 2 or 3 days in hotel,i want to go with your group.So do you arrange these sevices?
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA26 contributions
Hello Sana ~ are you looking for transport to your hotel stay in the Park or pick up and drop off the day of your tour? I see that you sent me a direct email as well. I will answer there also :)
Thank you for your interest ~ Diann
JanF354
Vineland, NJ31 contributions
Hi I am trying to find website or contact info on this Discover nature, LLC tour, but to no avail. We will be out there Junly 24 and 25th. Would like rates and infor we are staying in Ashford, WA
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA26 contributions
Greetings! My website is tourmtrainier com My rates are $159 plus tax for adults and $89 plus tax for children 4 - 15 . Thank you for your interest ~ Diann
lmh1957
Tehachapi, CA1 contribution
Which hotels do you pick you do pick ups and drop off? How far in advance do I need to make a July 2016 reservation?
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA26 contributions
Hello Imh1957 ~ thank you for your call and note here on TripAdvisor. My tour does originate from the Tacoma/Lakewood/DuPont/Steilacoom area about 40 minutes south of Seattle. I pick up and drop off at any hotel located in Tacoma/Lakewood/DuPont/Steilacoom.
As for reserving a tour for the coming summer. If you have a specific day or limited flexibility, I recommend booking ahead. July and August months fill up fast as this is the busy time of the year for the Park. It can also be prime wildflower season depending on our winter snowpack.
Thank you for your questions and for booking your tour! See you in July.
lanitaawd
Sherwood, AR
Is there a lot of walking with this tour?
Diann S
Steilacoom, WA26 contributions
Hello Ianitaawd ~ the amount of walking varies based on the day and the group. By the end of the day with all the small walks completed and a longer one up around the Paradise area, we will have walked about 5 miles. This is broken up into shorter trips. There are options to not walk some places and enjoy the views, Visitor Center, etc. while others walk.
I can cater the trip to guests needs as well since I have a small group.
Thank you for your question ~ Diann