At 14,410 ft. the highest peak in the Cascade Range is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice exceeds that of any other mountain in the United States.  Together with perennial snow patches, glaciers cover about 36 square miles of the surface.  It dominates the Seattle-Tacoma area, where more than 1.5 million know it fondly as 'The Mountain'.  The mountain is surrounded by old growth forest and stunning wildflower meadows.  Mount Rainier is the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade range, owing to the large population and to the huge area and volume of ice and snow on the cone.