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 let 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! 5) A photographer! I can't tell you how many trips we've taken and I'm not in a single picture because I'm the photographer. We now have pictures with all of us at Ranier, and not the selfie kind. This is an added bonus to having a tour guide. We had a great experience, we got lots of pictures and we got to do other things after the hike. Highly recommend Discover Nature. read more

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Diann delivered an excellent experience for my family. She was able to reschedule to a day with better weather and offered a different hike option due to the great conditions, we were glad to take her suggestions. Very knowledgeable, friendly and flexible when our three young girls needed breather breaks or snack stops along the way. We saw black bears, marmots, pikas, wildflowers, waterfalls and more! read more

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My time exploring Mt Rainier National Park with Diann was fantastic. She exceeded my expectations. Diann provided an experience that was educational, enlightening, therapeutic, and entertaining! Not only did Diann allow for a first-time experience of snowshoeing which was awesome, but she also kindly offered me boots and socks to accommodate! I researched many different options... needless to say, I highly recommend Diann with Discover Nature. I wouldn't change a single thing. You will be delighted. Holly read more

If I could give Diann 100 stars I would! She rocks! I am a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest; I wanted to visit Mt. Rainier National Park but didn't feel confident in my hiking or map reading skills to go alone. In my research, I found Discover Nature, which specifically leads hiking tours on Mt. Rainier. After speaking with Diann directly to chat about her services, I was sold! She was knowledgeable and enthusiastic and incredibly helpful in guiding me through the planning process of picking a date. In the weeks leading up to the hike, Diann was great about listing out tips and helpful information links to make my outing a success. She even lent me an extra pair of walking sticks for that day. I didn't own any and was curious to try them out! ( They were awesome and saved my knees!) Her directions were clear about where to meet early that morning. We spent a glorious day hiking through Mt. Rainier National Park. I trusted her to pick the trails that would be best suited to my hiking levels. I am in decent shape but I am not someone that goes hiking often. These trails were perfect for me. The weather cooperated. We walked at a moderate pace and she definitely accommodated me and encouraged breather breaks when we were on an incline, especially given the change in elevation. The scenery was SO AWESOME!! I could not stop saying "WOW!" Diann was a great companion and fabulous guide for the day: patient, knowledgeable, helpful, and interesting conversationalist without being overbearing. Having someone else lead the way allowed me to focus (mentally and with the camera, both) on the experience and views without being concerned with safety, distance, directions, etc. I am delighted with the photos and the suggestions from Diann for special shots. I enjoyed hearing about the history of the park, the topography, neighboring mountain ranges, and all learning about the flora and fauna. Diann walked me through the old part of the forest and showed me various plants and tree types, and identified markings of a pileated woodpecker, as well as the call of a very specific type of wren. I could not believe that some of the trees were 800 years old! Then, we drove to the next area called "Paradise". Along the way we stopped a few times, and took in the views at some of the scenic look outs. It was super laid back and felt like I was just hiking with an old friend (who happened to know a lot about the hike). Did I mention the wildlife?! I was lucky enough to see bears ( from a safe distance), mountain goats, marmots, pikas, a hawk and a bald eagle. It was great! I simply could not stop gaping at the stunning snow covered Mt. Ranier! After the hike, Diann recommended a few other places for me to check out on my own before leaving the park. I am so happy that I booked my tour with Discover Nature. Diann was the best! I look forward to booking with her again! read more

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I had the pleasure of visiting Mount Rainier on January 19th. Diann did a wonderful job planning an extraordinary day. Our day started out a bit later than we originally planned due to unforeseen circumstances with my friend's work schedule. Diann was very accommodating and assured us that it was not a problem to push back the start time. It's obvious that she is a seasoned tour guide as she is extremely knowledgeable about the Mountain and all that it has to offer. Since we visited in the Winter, many of the roads were closed, but that only meant we were able to devote more time to the accessible sights. Once we entered the park, we stopped at a few spots while making our way up to Paradise. This included a short, but beautiful hike in a rainforest where we were surrounded by giant trees and saw nature in its truest form. I can see how this hike would be easily missed for the average park visitor. We then drove further up the road and stopped along a bridge to see Christine Falls - A gorgeous waterfall. As we continued our journey to Paradise, it began to snow and really added to the experience. The snow falling on the trees was so picturesque and it felt like we were in a winter wonderland. At Paradise, we ate lunch provided by Diann at their visitors center. She picked up sandwiches of our choice on our way to the park entrance. These sandwiches were sold at a local bakery that was very charming. Following lunch, we were ready to snowshoe! I've never snowshoed before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was a lot of fun and I hope to do it again. We were able to see so much of the landscape by doing this activity. We also stopped many times to take pictures to capture all the beauty. Diann also surprised us and asked if we wanted to make ice cream. She came prepared with everything we needed, and I have to say, even something as simple as this might seem, I found it to be incredibly thoughtful and a really nice touch. We were lucky that it was snowing that day, so we had plenty of fresh snow. Overall, we had a wonderful day exploring this beautiful park. "The Mountain was not out," (a saying we learned is popular there; i.e. "Is The Mountain Out?") but that was to be expected with the climate. Things I appreciated from this tour: Diann sent an email the day before our tour date letting us know weather conditions and how to dress. She's very prepared and provided all the snowshoeing gear, and helped us secure our shoes (not difficult at all, but I felt helpless doing it on my own). She is also a very safe driver and never once did I feel uncomfortable which I have a tendency of having visited other national parks with windy roads. Diann is personable, kind, and wants you to enjoy the park, so the tour can easily be adjusted to fit your preferences. Thanks for a great day on The Mountain, Diann! A memorable experience I'll remember for quite some time. read more

I created an account with Yelp just so I could give Diann a 5 star review (which is still far less than the recognition she deserves). She led me through some of the most spectacular places I've ever been / in Mt. Rainier and was a perfect host + guide for 9+ hours. I originally chose to go with Discover Nature over other tour companies in the area because Diann offered smaller, more intimate tours, and after doing some research, I could only find positive things. Seriously - Diann does not have a single bad review out there. And rightfully so. I commuted from Seattle by the 594 bus, which was just under an hour. As promised, Diann was waiting for me at the bus stop and we took off. The drive up to Mt. Rainier was absolutely beautiful and Diann was never short on conversation, questions or history factrs. I immediately felt welcomed. In the park, we went on four shorter walks and one longer,snowy trek. We started out with a quick walk through the forest at "Twin Firs Trail" and then visited some of the original landmarks of Mt. Rainier on the "Trail of Shadows". For lunch, we walked along the Nisqually River before venturing up to Paradise to hike over the 11ft high snow banks (my absolute favorite). Our last stop was at Narada Falls, which was absolutely breathtaking. All of the hikes were manageable for all fitness levels (in my opinion) and Diann had everything you could possibly need for the different treks - from poles + snowshoes to micro spikes. She was always checking in with me to make sure I was comfortable and getting out of the tour what I wanted. Diann - I cannot thank you enough for hosting me and showing me around your playground. It was a day I will never forget. Happy trails! read more

It was the best adventure my mother and I have ever been on! It made memories that will last a lifetime. Diann was amazing tour guide and made sure we got to see everything we asked for and more. She is very knowledgeable with the history and environment. Definately worth it! read more

Discover Nature - One of the beautiful places Diann took us! There were many more! - Tours Near Me

Everything was wonderful! I was only in Seattle for a short time but seeing Mt Rainier was something I'd really hoped to do and Diann definitely made it happen for me. She was so accommodating with my schedule and so patient with alllll of my questions! Coming from a warmer climate and not an avid hiker I wasn't sure what to expect and had so much to ask her. Diann is extremely knowledgeable about the mountain, park, animals, plants, everything! I'm pretty sure I asked her questions about everything the entire day and she was more than happy to discuss and answer them. You can tell she is passionate about what she does and wants you to have an amazing experience. She was also so well prepared, I felt very comfortable knowing that with her experience and background she could literally handle anything! Overall, this Mt Rainier tour was the HIGHLIGHT of my Seattle trip and I can't thank Diann enough for being such a wonderful guide and host. I learned so much and made amazing memories, and we couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day...the mountain was definitely out! read more

Discover Nature - Amazing adventures thanks to Diann! - Tours Near Me

Great tour given by Diann of Mount Rainier. Whether solo or in a group you still get a great trip that's worth every penny. Very knowledgeable tour guide who can explain to you all about the Pacific Northwest. Easy to get to. I took Sound Transit from downtown Seattle. Met me in Lakewood. Very easy connection. Tour lasts about 10 hours total to include travel time. Plenty of time for pictures and such. Group size is small so there is no waiting around as with a large tour group. Going to mount rainier use this guide. read more

Discover Nature - Entrance to the park. - Tours Near Me

For anyone looking for an authentic tour of Mt.Rainier, I highly recommend booking your tour here. This is coming from someone not a big fan of travel buses that drag large group to and fro in a rushed manner, where time is not your own and you get one of those scripted narrative reading about what's happening. I was staying in Tacoma and my friend and I decided to book a tour through this site, and it went beyond my expectation. You will be touring Mt.Rainer up to Paradise trail through a family-sized van and you can even choose to customize the tour to your liking if you want to hike elsewhere within the park. Diann, who is the tour guide/coordinator of this tour, goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone gets a full and happy experience. She knows every details and beauty of Mount Rainer National Park, so you will not miss out on anything!! She is well educated in ecology and nature, so all questions asked were answered with solid knowledge. Not only did I see much, but I learned so much about the history and environmental sciences of the park. She is very respectful and sensible of everyone's needs/wanting. I actually had time to breathe in and enjoy my experience. If you are in town around TAC/SEA area without a car and want the ultimate tour of the magnificent Mt.Rainier, book your tour with Diann! Don't miss out on this!! Diann, if you happen to read this, we miss you!! Love from Chicago, read more

While looking for a guide or tour company to see Mt Rainier, I was happy to find Diann with Discover Natural LLC, https://www.tourmtrainier.com. Diann knew all about the history of Mt Rainier and where to go to maximize my one day on the mountain. There were just a few people on our tour- it was perfect! We hiked several trails, saw waterfalls and wildlife, I loved seeing the mountain goats. She even provided binoculars- I'd forgotten mine. It was great that Diann asked us all what we wanted to see on the ride up. She catered the tour to meet all our wants. I wanted to hike and see waterfalls, another guy wanted to see flowers. She surpasses all our wants by showing us so much more. The pace of our tour was perfect- I never felt held back by the others in our group. I saw other tour company's as we hiked and I'll tell you, I was so glad I choose to go with Diann. We saw so much more of what this amazing mountain had to offer. From every trail I saw wildlife, flowers, tress, even snow in Summer. The Ice glaciers- so blue in color -they were amazing. Loved all the waterfalls! Everything on the mountain was nature at it's best. We even lunched beside a creek flowing down off the mountain. A perfect day in Paradise! Thanks Diann, I'll be calling you again to see the rest of this amazing mountain! read more

Great family adventure with Diann as our tour guide! Spent nearly two weeks in Washington with my family on vacation and this was the highlight of our trip. Diann was so knowledgeable and friendly. Had a great time seeing some of the best sights at Mount Rainier. We hiked, learned about nurse logs and the forest ecology, saw fantastic waterfalls and hiked some more! Lunch was great and with Diann we felt like we were seeing the sights with a member of the family. Definitely recommend and would go on another tour the next time we are up in Washington! read more

What a fantastic day! Our tour with Diann was by far the highlight of our trip to Seattle. She was incredibly knowledgeable and obviously very passionate about Mt. Rainier and the outdoors. So glad we decided to take the tour with her rather than try to navigate the park ourselves. We learned and saw so much along the way! We would highly recommend Diann's tour to anyone in a heartbeat. Thank you Diann! read more

Diann is amazing! She is very passionate and knowledgable about the mountain and the nature that surrounds it. The tour exceeded our expectations as well. The small group size was perfect. It felt more like a fun trip to the mountain with friends than a tour group. The trip through the park was paced perfectly. Instead of rushing to get to the most popular sites we took the time to venture to some less traveled areas that were very rewarding. The lunch is fantastic and the little cafe that you pick it up from in the morning has really good coffee and pastries. All in all we made some wonderful family memories along the way. Obviously the scenery is beautiful, but honestly the experience is all in the trip. Please use Discover Nature to visit Mt. Rainier I promise you will not regret it. Just a side note, if you are staying in Seattle you may have to commute about 45-60 minutes to meet up with the tour. It really is not that big of a deal but we didn't realize it when we first made the reservation. After all was said and done, we didn't mind that part of it at all. read more

After spending a day running around with the masses in Seattle it was a much needed reprieve to get away and spend a day on Rainier with Diann from Discover Nature. Diann could not have been more welcoming, gracious, and knowledgeable. She took us to some incredible spots and went out of her way to show us the mountain. Her love and pride for Rainier was very evident. My wife lost he wallet in the park and Diann took the time and made the effort to find it and showed great kindness (good news- the wallet was returned to a visitors center and is being posted back to us). We were the only ones on the tour that day but even if there had been more people the tour would still have felt private and personal. All in all a refreshing day spent in an incredibly special place. Well worth it!! Thank you Diann and Discover Nature. read more

By far one of the best things we did on our trip to Washington. And without a doubt, Diann, made this trip one of the most pleasant and smooth vacations I've had in a long time. I booked with Diann because it seemed everyone on trip advisor thought the world of her....i see why now. She is so passionate & knowledgeable of her work & she never rushed us & was always attentive to our needs. And to think that we almost bypassed visiting Mt. Rainier on our trip! Sure glad we didn't & certainly stoked that we chose one of the best guides ever! read more

Thank you Diann for an unforgettable day! We had a great time. You are so kind, patient, knowledgeable, and have a great eye for spotting wildlife (bears & marmots!!!). Your tour is a great way to see a lot in one day. We will cherish our day with you forever. Thanks again. Love- Lindsay & Aidan read more

Okay we were a little bit worried about doing this tour this time of year - WE WERE WRONG - DO IT NOW - it was so cool. When we got to Paradise the snow started coming down and we got to Snow Shoe - it was such a great adventure. Diane is a great tour guide - knowledgeable - easy going - passionate about her job. She has found her Park!! read more

I was a bit skeptical about this 10 hr tour thing in the mountain but guess what? I was totally wrong. I took this chance to really explore the area and plus I didnt want to drive that far to get to the mt from downtown seattle. She is an amazing guide and she was able to guide me from the bus stop and she was very accomodating. I was able to get the full tour and I learned every little details about the history and it was actually FUN!:) the weather was perfect and the trails are manageable! it was a risk for me as a poor college grad but I can truly say it was worth it and I would do it again if I bring my family to washington!:) read more

Diann is amazing! She is very knowledgeable about the mountain & environment, she is also super friendly. Her tour has a small group of tourists (around 5 people ) and it is well - organized & interactive. Diann is truly an excellent guide and has great eyes spotting wild animals. She drives safely. I highly recommend her Mt. Rainier tour. read more

Everything was really top notch. Admittedly I was a tourist and not exactly an outdoorsy person, so this was just the perfect day trip to experience Mt. Rainier. The tour included multiple stops filled with many opportunities to ask questions and gain insights from Diann about the history involving the area. The highlights were many, but for me, I enjoyed seeing the bald eagles nest and snow shoeing for the first (and probably last) time in my life. I definitely gained a greater appreciation of the area as a result of the tour and really want to visit the Olympic National Forest! Next time! read more

I must say that this is the first time I have been compelled to make a yelp account account so that I could post this review. Diane's tour was just simply amazing! It was very intimate (just the bf and me). Her style is very laid back yet professional but very funny at times. I must admit that going on the tour was my boyfriend's idea, so I came with very little expectations. After getting off the bus, Diane was right there ready to meet us. She allowed us to get our morning Starbucks fix, stop at a local grocery store to pick up some lunch, and we then proceeded to go to the park. As the tour went on, she pointed out all the hidden gems of Mt. Rainier, the different types of moss and trees, the local ecology and wildlife, the history behind it, and several details that I would have silly glanced over had it not been for her. As we stopped and tried to located the wood pecker that echoed through the trees, she explained everything with such enthusiasm and love for the park. We, of course, made numerous stops along the way to pose for numerous pictures, and she was kind enough to take several of our pictures. Once we got up the mountain, Diane was ready with snow shoes, shoe covers, and all the equipment that we needed. Being from Southern California and having only seen snow once before, I was so grateful that she was so prepared with all her gear. Diane's tour rekindled my long lost love for nature, and my only regret is that I wish she was available for tours at all the other parks that I now wish to visit. This is simply the best tour that you could book, it is very worth your money, and there is no one better than Diane! read more