Indian Bar is one of the great long hikes on Mount Rainier's east side, following the Cowlitz Divide through forest, open ridge, and alpine meadows before dropping to a basin below the mountain. The payoff is a mix of big Rainier views, waterfalls, wildflowers in season, and the stone-and-timber shelter at Indian Bar.
This is not a casual leg-stretcher. The route is long, steep, and exposed enough that weather and snow conditions matter, but strong hikers get a quieter, wilder alternative to the more crowded Paradise trails.