Pinnacle Peak Trail is a compact Mount Rainier hike that earns its views quickly. Starting near Reflection Lakes, it climbs steeply toward a saddle in the Tatoosh Range, trading forest for open slopes and a broad look back toward Rainier's south side.
The trail is short enough to fit into a Paradise-area day, but it is not a casual lakeside stroll. Expect loose sections, lingering snow early in the season, and a sharp weather change if clouds roll over the ridge. On a clear day, the payoff is one of the better effort-to-view ratios in the park.