Mount Rainier | National Park, History, Eruptions, & Map | Britannica
Summary
The mountain is geologically young, formed by successive lava flows from eruptions that began about one million years ago. The mountain has three major peaks: Liberty Cap, Point Success, and Columbia Crest (the latter is the summit, located on the rim of the caldera). Rainier is noted for dense stands of coniferous trees on its lower slopes, scenic subalpine and alpine meadows—with a profusion of wildflowers during the warmer months—waterfalls and lakes, and an abundance of wildlife. The English explorer George Vancouver sighted the summit on May 8, 1792, and named it for fellow navigator Peter Rainier. Each year several thousand people attempt the climb to the summit, many of them on a guided two-day trip from the Paradise area on the mountain’s southern slope.