It is the highest trail in Paradise. It is quite strenuous but a very rewarding experience. The trailhead is near the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center in Paradise. The trail starts off with a steep gradient and quickly branches into two, the Alta Vista ridge separating them. To the east it leads to Myrtle and Sluiskin Falls and connects with another trail toward the Paradise Glacier.
Glacial streams run down the rocky, lava terrain.
This region is wetter and colder than the lowland forests near Longmire. Stormy winds have shaped the trees here as they get twisted into weird formations. Alaskan yellow cedar and hemlocks can be seen rising from the slopes. A little higher is the subalpine terrain with trees amidst vast open meadows. Nisqually Glacier Views of the Nisqually Glacier are spectacular from Glacier Vista.