Mt. Rainier Area. Washing Mt Rainier Park Information

Washington's Mt. Rainier lies at the heart of a vibrant vacation region beckoning your exploration for a weekend, a week and longer. The Northwest's premier mountain destination for Hiking, relaxation, recreation and discovery, the Mt. Rainier region offers incredible sights and vacation activities. This website will help you uncover the wonders of Mt. Rainier and design your own Rainier vacation adventure. Please enjoy your Mt. Rainier visit.

Mt. Rainier was designated as a national park in 1899. The park consists of 235,625 acres and 97 percent of that is designated as wilderness. In 1997 the park was designated a National Historic Landmark District as a showpiece for the "rustic" architecture of the 1920s and 30s.

Mt. Rainier -- at a lofty 14,411 feet -- may appear to visitors as off-limits and only accessible to climbers but that is not the case. Mount Rainier National Park has something to offer anyone, whether a regular visitor, a seasoned mountaineer or a tourist.

Though Mt. Rainier is still an active volcano and is encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice, there are 147 miles of roads within the park and 240 miles of maintained trails ranging from easy nature walks to strenuous hikes.

There is no public transportation to Mount Rainier National Park. Private carriers that provide bus service include Gray Line Tours (800-426-7532 or 206-262-5208) with daily trips from Seattle to Paradise from early May through September 30.

20 of the most popular attractions in Mount Rainier National Park
Sunrise, the highest drivable point in the park.
Narada Falls (168ft) & Reflection Lake hike.
Pebble creek & Camp Muir.
Tipsoo Lake on Chinook Pass Scenic Byway & Naches Loop Trail.
Wildflower display Mowich Lake.
Silver Falls on the Ohanapecosh River.
1,000 year old trees in the Grove of the Patriarchs.
Box Canyon.
90 mile Wonderland Trail encircling the mountain - Carter Falls, Madcap Falls & Paradise River via the Wonderland trail.

National Park Inn at Longmire and mineral springs founded in 1883 by James Longmire.
26 glacier system on 35 square miles, with Carbon Glacier the thickest ice (700ft) Nisqually Glacier the most accessible, Emmons Glacier is the largest in the continental US.
Rainforest in the Carbon River area.
Martha Falls on Snow and Bench Lakes trail.
Pinnacle Peak to see the Autumn Colors in meadows above Paradise and Stevens Canyon Rd.
Gobblers Knob & Lake George.
Indian Henrys Hunting Ground trail via 1947 Kautz Creek Mudflow.
Comet Falls & Van Trump Park.
Wildflowers at Nisqually Vista Trail and Skyline trails at Paradise (Paradise Glacier) & Paradise Inn Built in 1917 using Alaskan Cedar salvaged from a fire in nearby Silver Forest, (currently under renovation). Trail head to summit climb.

Rampart Ridge & Mirror Lakes.
Ohanapecosh Campgrounds, hot springs and nature trails

For current road status within the Mt. Rainier National Park: Call (360) 569-2211 x1

Department of Transportation website
Call 1-800-695-ROAD (7623) toll-free statewide
Call 206-DOT-HIWY (368-4499) in the Greater Seattle area

REVISED 2008 ROAD OPENING DATES:
Chinook Pass/Hwy 410: tentative opening date is June 5th.
Cayuse Pass/Hwy 123: tentatively scheduled for the week of May 26th.
NOTE: Chinook and Cayuse Pass will have 20 minute delays due to resurfacing of the road.
Stevens Canyon Road: target opening date is mid-June.
Sunrise Road: opens July 3rd and remains open until Columbus Day or the first significant snow fall.

OTHER OPENINGS - CAMPGROUNDS/VISITOR CENTERS:
Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise will open daily for the summer season: May 3rd.
In October, the New Visitor Center at Paradise will open.
Ohanapecosh campground opens: May 23th
Cougar Rock campground opens: June 6th
The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center opens June 13th.

OTHER ROADS OF INTEREST:
Westside Road at Nisqually Entrance is open for foot/ski traffic only.
Carbon River Road (open to hikers and bicyclists only).
The road to Windy Ridge (FS 99) at Mt. St. Helens from Randle on US Hwy 12 is closed.

OPEN DAILY:
Nisqually Entrance to Longmire.
Longmire to Paradise