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Mount Rainier National Park
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Orientation
One of the world’s most massive volcanoes, Mt. Rainier can dominate the skyline for 100 miles [160.9 kilometers] before you reach the park named after it. At nearly 3 miles [5 kilometers] in height, Mt. Rainier is the tallest peak in the Cascade Range; it dwarfs 6,000-foot [1,828.8-meter] surrounding summits, appearing to float alone among the clouds.
Mt. Rainier may be the centerpiece of the park, but it is hardly the only attraction. Here, less than 3 hours’ drive from Seattle, you can stroll through seemingly endless fields of wildflowers, listen to a glacier flow, wander among trees nearly a thousand years old. The park’s convenient location, however, also leads to weekend traffic jams, both summer and winter, and guarantees you company on popular trails.
Mt. Rainier is the offspring of fire and ice. Now dormant, it was probably born more than a half million years ago, on a base of lava spewed out by previous volcanoes. Lava and ash surged out of the young volcano’s vent thousands of times, filling the neighboring canyons and building up a summit cone, layer by layer, to a height of some 16,000 feet [4,877 meters].
Even while Mt. Rainier was growing, glaciers carved valleys on and around the mountain. The 25 major glaciers here form the largest collection of permanent ice on a single US peak south of Alaska.
Mt. Rainier’s summit deteriorated over time, but eruptions in the last 2,000 years rebuilt it to its current height of 14,410 feet [4,392.2 meters]. The mountain last erupted about a century ago.
When to Go
All seasons. Wildflowers are at their best in July and August. High trails may remain snow covered until mid-July. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular in winter. Summer and winter, to miss the crowds, time your visit to midweek.
Statistics
- Area: 235,404 acres [95,264.6 hectares]
- Date Established: March 2, 1899
- State: Washington
Getting There
By Plane
- Seattle/Tacoma International (SEA) 10 miles [16.1 kilometers] south of city
- Official Airline Guide: Seattle Information
By Car
- From Seattle (95 miles; 152.9 kilometers) or Tacoma (70 miles; 112.7 kilometers) to the Nisqually Entrance, take I-5 to Washington Hwy. 7, then to Washington Hwy. 706. From Yakima, take Washington Hwy. 12 west to Washington Hwy. 123 or 410, and enter from the east (Stevens Canyon or White River Entrances). For the northwest entrances (Carbon River and Mowich Lake), take Washington Hwy. 410 to 169 to 165, then follow the signs. Airports: Seattle and Portland, Oregon
By Train (Nearest Station)
How to Visit
If you have only a day, drive from Nisqually Entrance in the southwest to the flowered fields of Paradise, then on to Sunrise, the highest point accessible by car. If you have 2 days, take the same route but do it more leisurely: Plan to explore as far as Paradise the first day, then tour Stevens Canyon Road and the route to Sunrise the next; arrive before 10 a.m. to catch the early light and wend your way back. For a longer stay, drive out and reenter the less known northwest corner at Carbon River for a look at a temperate rain forest and a hike to a dark, shiny glacier. Because Mt. Rainier creates its own clouds and can hide for days or weeks at a time, come prepared to focus on delights close at hand: waterfalls, woods, and wildflowers.
Activities
Free naturalist-led activities: nature and history walks, hikes, campfire and children's programs, talks, films, slide shows. Also available, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing (license not needed), cross-country skiing, snowshoeing.
Park Information
Headquarters Tahoma Woods, Star Route, Ashford, Washington 98304. Phone
+1 360 569 2211. Fax +1 360 569 2187.
Seasons & Accessibility Park open year-round. Many roads closed by snow from mid-October through May or June. Call +1 360 569 2211 for recorded weather, road, and
trail information, or in the Nisqually area tune in to 1610 AM.
Visitor & Information Centers Longmire Wilderness Information Center open daily mid-June
to Sept. 30. Longmire Museum open daily. Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center,
at Paradise, open daily from early May to mid-October, weekends and holidays the rest of the year.
Ohanapecosh Visitor Center, at park’s southeast entrance, open daily Memorial Day
through mid-Oct. Sunrise Visitor Center open daily, July to mid-Sept.
Entrance Fee $10 per car per week; $20 annual.
Pets Permitted leashed on roads, on the Pacific Crest Trail. There’s a pet exercise trail at Sunrise.
Facilities for Disabled Most public buildings and some rest rooms are wheelchair
accessible. Portions of some trails may be accessible (assistance may be needed).
Inquire at park for details.
Special Advisories
Overnight Backpacking Call ahead for reservations. Permit required; available
from visitor centers, ranger stations, and wilderness centers, where you can also
get help with your trip planning. For information write to Wilderness Desk c/o park
headquarters or call +1 360 569 2211.
Campgrounds Five campgrounds, all with 14-day limit. Sunshine Point
open all year. Others open late spring to early fall. All campgrounds first come,
first served. Fees $10-$14 per night. Showers available in the visit or center at Paradise.
Both tent and RV sites; no hookups. Two group campgrounds; must reserve; contact headquarters. Food services in park.
Lodging
Hotels, Motels, & Inns (unless otherwise noted, rates are for 2 persons in
a double room, high season)
INSIDE THE PARK:
National Park Inn (at 2,700-foot [829-meter] level of Mt. Rainier) Mt.
Rainier Guest Services, P.O. Box 108, Ashford, Washington 98304. +1 360 569 2275. 25 units,
18 with private baths. $71-$99. Restaurant.Paradise Inn (at 5,400-foot [1,645.9-meter] level
of Mt. Rainier) Mt. Rainier Guest Services, see above. 126 units, 96 with private
baths. $72-$108. Restaurant. Open late May to early October.
OUTSIDE THE PARK:
Alexander’s Country Inn (1 mile [1.6 kilometers] from park’s main entrance)
37515 SR 706 East, Ashford, Washington 98304.
800 654 7615 or +1 360 569 2300. 14 units, 9 with private baths. $104-$141. Hot-tub,
restaurant.Mountain View Lodge Motel (13163 US Hwy. 12) P.O. Box 525, Packwood, Washington 98361. +1 360 494 5555. 23 units,
8 with kitchens. $37-$80. AC, pool. Woodland
Motel (10 miles [16.1 kilometers] from park entrance) 11890 US Hwy. 12, Randle, Washington 98377. +1 360 494 6766. 8 units, 6 with kitchens.
$38-$42.
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