I'm Ian - from Seattle, and at Rainier Hat Co. we're dedicated to giving back to the places that inspire us every day. From the glaciers of Mount Rainier to the grand prismatic springs of Yellowstone, our national parks are treasures that deserve our support.
That's why we've made a commitment that goes beyond the norm: donating all our profits to these natural sanctuaries. It's not just about creating high-quality (and awesome) hats inspired by the beauty of the outdoors, it's about contributing to the preservation of these areas for future generations to enjoy.
This design was inspired by the view from the end of the trail that passes beneath Middle North Falls, turning back to face 106 feet of water falling off a columnar basalt ledge. The Columbia River Basalt that forms this canyon is roughly 15 million years old and the waterfall continues to cut upstream through softer rock layers beneath the harder cap, slowly deepening the alcove behind it. Mist settles on everything and the sound of the falls fills the canyon so completely that you feel it as much as hear it.
At midday in fall, Silver Creek runs cold and clear across the canyon floor moving from right to left while Douglas Firs rise from the bank and big leaf Maples on the far shore hold yellowing leaves that drop into the current. A Belted Kingfisher perches on a branch above the waterline just to the right of the falls, pointed downstream in the motionless posture it uses when scanning for fish. The light at this time of year is low even at noon and the yellow maple leaves catch enough of it to glow faintly against dark fir trunks and wet basalt.
Design Process
Creating these National Park hats with their panoramic embroidery is a detailed process going beyond simply buying and reselling bulk designs.
The first step is a deep dive into what makes each park unique. From the Bison of Yellowstone and the Roseated Spoonbills of the Everglades to the panoramic views of Angels Landing in Zion, our goal is to highlight the beauty of each park. We try to find a specific viewpoint in the park to show off and what we need to do to capture the feeling of being there. While sometimes we ad-lib a bit of the design to include other elements to capture the feeling of the park as a whole, we try hard to find an actual place in the park you can visit even giving you an exact Google maps QR code with every hat.
Then we get to designing! Embroidery is naturally limited in colors and we use a 15 color (the most you'll find) edgeless embroidery process which takes upwards of 90 minutes and over 60,000 stitches per hat, but allows us to show off every detail from that epic mountain range to the colorful flowers in your favorite park.
Finally the design get digitized for embroidery, a sample is made for any final tweaks, and we go to production getting these fantastic hats on your heads.
Silver Falls State Park sits about 26 miles east of Salem, Oregon on OR 214. The park charges a day use fee, and an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport or Oregon State Parks annual pass covers entry if you visit frequently.
Middle North Falls sits along the Trail of Ten Falls, a 7.2 mile loop that passes behind or beneath several of the park's waterfalls. From the main South Falls trailhead, Middle North Falls is roughly 3 miles in, though you can also access it from the North Falls trailhead to shorten the approach.
The trail that passes through the alcove behind Middle North Falls is well maintained but can be slippery when wet, which is most of the year. Waterproof footwear and layers are worth bringing regardless of the forecast since the mist from the falls reaches well down the trail.
Fall is a particularly good time to visit if you want to see big leaf maple color against the dark basalt and fir. Weekends in October fill the parking lots early so arriving before 9am gives you a quieter experience on the trail.
