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Your Guide to "The Mountain"
The fifth national park established, this park in Washington is home to over 280 species of wildlife and hosts nearly two million visitors every year in Paradise, Sunrise, and beyond. Find everything you need to know: | | | | |
Peek Into the Park
Longmire:
Paradise (looking West):
Paradise (mountain view):
Paradise (looking East):
Paradise (Jackson Visitor Center):
Tatoosh Range (looking south):
Nisqually Valley (from Paradise):
Sunrise (typically live July-Sept.):
For snow depth at Paradise and other current conditions, check the park’s weather page.
Mount Rainier at a Glance
Planning a Park Visit
Home to Washington’s tallest mountain, extending 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier National Park offers plenty of options for recreation. Whatever strikes your fancy — camping, hiking, fishing, biking, sight seeing, animal viewing, and more — you’ll find it here. Please note: Visitors will need a reservation to enter the park through the Sunrise/White River entrance station during peak hours in summer 2025 (details), and several areas in the park will be inaccessible to visitors this summer. Learn more on the park’s Alerts & Conditions page.
Fee-Free Days On fee-free days, the National Park Service (NPS) at Mount Rainier opens the gates and welcomes visitors at no cost. 2025 Fee Free Days: Monday, January 20 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Saturday, April 19 – First Day of National Park Week Thursday, June 19 – Juneteenth National Independence Day Monday, August 4 – Great American Outdoors Act Signing Day Saturday, September 27 – National Public Lands Day Tuesday, November 11 – Veterans Day Get a Park Pass A park pass is a great option to save costs. If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other federal lands – more than 2,000 in all. Just interested in Mount Rainier? You can purchase an annual pass for $55, or a single-day pass for $30. Find fees and pass options here. And remember: when you buy your pass inside the park, Mount Rainier receives a greater share of the funds compared to when you purchase online! Just keep in mind that as of May 26, 2023, Mount Rainier is moving to cashless fee collection; you can learn more here. There are a number of special passes you can look into. For example, the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active-duty military members and their dependents. Passes are also available for people with permanent disabilities and volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. And fourth-graders can access the parks for free all year by obtaining an Annual 4th Grade Pass through Every Kid Outdoors. To learn more about all of these passes, go to nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.
What to Do in Mount Rainier Find helpful information about the parks, historical sites, national landmarks, and other federally owned areas at the National Park Service WA Index. The park offers plenty of resources to get you started on trip planning on their Things to Do page. Looking to hit the trails? Check out Mount Rainier’s Camping & Hiking guide to get started. Our friends at the Washington Trails Association also have tons of great resources, interactive maps, guides, and more to help you find the perfect trail. Interested in wilderness camping or backpacking? Start with our guide to reserving a backcountry site in Mount Rainier. Prefer frontcountry over backcountry, or not sure about the difference? Start with our “Backcountry Beginners: Backcountry, Frontcountry, and How To Decide” article. Or if you prefer to stay indoors, consider a historic national park lodge like the National Park Inn or Paradise Inn, which support the park through a guest donation program. More interested in mountaineering and learning how to summit The Mountain? Consider participating in one of our fundraising climbs through Climb for a Cause, like Kacee. She shared her story in our blog.
As soon as we arrived at Paradise, a thousand thoughts occupied my mind: Did I pack too much? What if an avalanche happens and I get caught? After months of reflecting on my time on “The Mountain,” it became clear that the mental aspect was, indeed, the most difficult part. Read On Give Back to Mount Rainier Climbing a peak isn’t the only way to give back to the park. You can volunteer your time, purchase a national park license plate, donate to support priority park projects — the options are practically endless! Explore all the ways to give.
Come Rain, Shine, or Even Snow No matter the season, Mount Rainier has a lot to offer. Find our top recommendations for visiting the park in summer, fall, winter, or spring, or check out our blog for more inspiration:
October 3, 2025 Pika Power: Volunteers Power Alpine Wildlife Research at Mount Rainier Thanks to donor support, Mount Rainier has launched its first-ever pika community science program, connecting trained volunteers with cutting-edge research opportunities and empowering them to collect data that will help determine how these animals are faring in our changing world. Read on
July 16, 2025 Teen and Kid-Friendly Adventures in Washington’s National Parks Here are 9 activities that are teen and kid-friendly in Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks! A few board members list recommendations of their past activities that are tried and true. Read on
July 2, 2025 Summer 2025 in Washington’s National Parks: See Projects in Action It's no secret that WNPF donors make a huge, lasting impact on Washington's national parks. Shadow a meadow rover, volunteer with us, capture the night sky with a pro, and so much more! This summer, we invite you to join us for a variety of park outings and see your... Read on
June 7, 2025 Building Trails, Building Legacy: Partnering for Trails at Mount Rainier In a virtual field trip with WTA and Mount Rainier National Park, we explored the trail work happening behind the scenes, highlighting the importance of partnership, stewardship, and the collective effort that keeps the park's trails thriving. Read on
May 27, 2025 Thank a Ranger: Notes of Gratitude for Washington’s National Parks With our Thank a Ranger page, supporters have a chance to say thank you to the dedicated park staff in return. WNPF is collecting heartfelt messages that we’ll share directly with the rangers, volunteers, maintenance workers, and other staff who help protect Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Read on
May 14, 2025 Tacoma-Fuji: A Story of Mountains and Connection As Japanese immigrants arrived in Seattle, many found comfort in Mount Rainier's striking resemblance to Mount Fuji in Japan. Learn about the connection that Japanese immigrants had with Mount Rainier in the late 19th century and how it grew into a formal, first-of-its-kind friendship. Read onMore on the Blog
Park photos: Hiking at Sunrise by Kristen Oliphant and views from a distance by Parker Tikson
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