Washington Has Its Own Area 51 And The Stories Behind It Are Truly Bizarre
By Jessica Wick|Published June 20, 2022
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Jessica Wick
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Jessica Wick is a writer and travel enthusiast who loves exploring new places, meeting new people and, of course, beautiful Big Sky Country and every part of Washington State.
Mount Rainier National Park is one of the most popular destinations on the West Coast, and it’s certainly a beloved treasure to Washingtonians. At a height of 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier, an active volcano, is the highest volcanic peak in the contiguous United States.
Visit the park and you’ll learn all kinds of fascinating facts about the area at the Visitor Centers, explore hiking trails and waterfalls, and stroll through the famous Grove of the Patriarchs. But here’s something you probably won’t read on any sign or in any guidebook: Mount Rainier is considered a hot spot for UFOs. In fact, the term “flying saucer” was coined after one particularly famous sighting.
Washington's most famous national park sees an average of two million visitors throughout the year.
While many of those guests are from the Pacific Northwest, there are plenty of people who come from all over the country (and internationally) to see our majestic mountain.
Mount Rainier became a national park in 1899, making it the fifth national park in the United States.
When Arnold heard about a $5,000 reward for the discovery of a U.S. Marine Corps C-46 transport airplane that had crashed near Mount Rainier, he decided to make a pit stop and try his luck. We can't say we blame him -- that's the equivalent of more than $60,000 today.
And that's when he saw a bright flashing light, similar to sunlight reflecting from a mirror. Afraid he might be dangerously close to another aircraft, Arnold scanned the skies around him, but he wasn't near another aircraft.
About 30 seconds later, Arnold saw a series of bright flashes in the distance off to his left.
He ended up seeing nine flying saucers over Mount Rainier. This was the first major sighting of the era, earning national attention. Since then, UFOs, especially flying saucers, have been spotted all over the country, and many more have allegedly been seen here. Many people have tried to debunk what Arnold saw, but there are still plenty of diehard believers.
There are many theories regarding what Arnold actually saw, but he remained steadfast in his description until he died in the 80s.
YouTube has some shaky videos of UFOs in the night sky over Mount Rainier, and plenty of locals have stories of their own. Is Mount Rainier actually a hot spot for UFOs, or are they optical illusions? We may never know.
Do you think Kenneth Arnold saw flying saucers in 1947? Have you ever seen a UFO in Washington?
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