ASHFORD, WASH. • A thin layer of clouds hung over Mount Rainier on a bright sunny day in late April, serving a reminder to onlookers that the surrounding park isn’t ready to be seen in full.

Sunday drivers and tourists packed on shuttle buses might have been disappointed by the peak’s veil. They’re among more than 2 million annual visitors to Mount Rainier National Park who will be greeted by a different experience depending on the time of year.

Springtime at the park can be best enjoyed off a paved trail.

Snow is melting and life awakening around the dormant volcano — known as Tahoma to the region’s Indigenous peoples. Glacial rivers rush past icy mountainsides, giving hikers a chance to see them at their fullest.

The southwestern Nisqually entrance and nearby town of Ashford will be bustling when the mountain’s wildflowers bloom in late July to early August. There was a different scene April 30.

With little wait, drivers passed through the entrance on a quiet, cloud-covered Sunday with mild temperatures.

The drive on Paradise Road to the Henry Jackson Visitor Center takes 40 minutes. That’s where the road ends early in the year and towering walls of snow remain for snowshoe hikers at the Vista Trailhead.

Along the ascent, visitors can find several trails fit for hiking boots.

First stop on Paradise Road is Kautz Creek and the accompanying trailhead.

It’s a short walk to a scenic viewpoint of the peak. On this day, a nearby Stellar’s jay knows better. He mocked those who wandered over for a glimpse of the mountain, only to be met with cloudy skies.

Kautz Creek is a 12-mile, out-and-back trail to Mirror Lakes and passes Indian Henry’s Patrol Cabin — a one-story structure built in the early 1900s and used by the Cowlitz and Nisqually tribes.

“Indian Henry” was a guide for James Longmire in his expedition of the area, and his cabin serves as one of several historical landmarks in the area.

Hiking Kautz Creek will take more than seven hours and is considered challenging, according to Alltrails, a popular online outdoors recreation guide. There are no waterfalls on this trail, a main feature of the park in spring and summer.

Another well-traveled trail checks that box a short distance away. Wonderland Trailhead has multiple entry points, but the full length of the out-and-back hike is 5 miles. It is considered moderately challenging and will take about two hours, according to Alltrails.

Hikers cross the river over a log bridge and continue along Paradise River to Carter and Madcap Falls. The falls are separated by about 100 yards and flow steadily with meltwater. The clear water glistens as it drops 50 feet at Carter Falls and 34 feet at Madcap. The trail arrives at Reflection Lake — a popular spot in the summer months where Mout Rainier is reflected on the water.

The park also offers other falls to sightsee from a vehicle. Both Christine and Narada Falls can be viewed from Paradise Road on the winding ascent.