Mount Rainier National Park
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Mount Rainier National Park |
Contact Information:
Mount Rainier National Park
Tahoma Woods, Star Route
Ashford, WA 98304
360-569-2211
360-569-2177 - TDD
http://www.nps.gov/mora/
Size: 235,625 acres.
Location: Mount Rainier National Park is located in west-central Washington. Year-round access is via SR 706 to the Nisqually entrance in the SW corner of the park. Limited winter access is available via Hwy. 123 in the SE corner of the park. The Carbon River/Mowich Lake area (NW corner) is accessed via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access is available via Highway 410 on the north and east sides of the park.
Description: This greatest single-peak glacial system in the United States radiates from the summit and slopes of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, an ancient volcano, with dense forests and subalpine flowered meadows below. Park was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1997 as a showcase for the "NPS Rustic" style architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.
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Alpine
Trail at Mount Rainier National Park |
- Longmire (southwest corner)
- Paradise (south side)
- Ohanapecosh (southeast corner)
- Sunrise/White River (east side)
- Carbon River/Mowich Lake (northwest corner).
A good place to begin your visit is by stopping at one of the many visitor centers or wilderness information centers located throughout the park.
Lodging and Camping: There are two lodges inside Mount Rainier National Park. The National Park Inn (open year round) is located in the Longmire Historic District in the SW corner of the park at an elevation of 2,700 feet. It features 25 guest rooms, a full service restaurant, gift shop, and post office. The historic Paradise Inn (open from mid-May to mid-October) is located in Paradise at an elevation of 5,400 feet and includes 117 guest rooms, a full service restaurant, snack bar, lounge, gift shop, post office. Call 360-569-2275 for further information or to make reservations at either inn.
Accommodations are also available in communities outside of the park. Resort-style accommodations, country inns, private cabins, and RV campgrounds can be found in the Nisqually River Valley, near the southwest corner of the park in the communities of Ashford, Elbe, Alder and Mineral. For further information contact the Mount Rainier Visitors Association online or by calling 1-877-617-9950.
Cougar Rock & Ohanapecosh
campgrounds take reservations up to five months in advance. Contact the National
Park Reservation Service online or
call 1-800-365-2267 to book reservations. Other campgrounds are open on a
first-come, first-served basis, including Ipsut Creek (open year-round depending on snow and road
conditions), Mowich Lake (July - mid-October), Sunshine Point (open year round),
and White River (late June - mid-September). Large group camping (12+ people) is
available at Cougar Rock, Ohanapecosh, and Ipsut Creek campgrounds.
Operating
Hours: Mount Rainier National Park is open all year, but access is limited in winter.
Facilities at Longmire are open daily year-round. Facilities at Paradise and Ohanapecosh are open daily from late-May to mid-October. Facilities at Sunrise are open July to early-October.
In winter, access is by the Nisqually Entrance in the southwest corner of the park only. The Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise is open weekends and holidays in winter.
History: Established on March 2, 1899. Wilderness designated on November 16, 1988.
Other useful
information resources:
Maps -
park and area maps in PDF format
Mount
Rainier Visitors Association - (List of available maps of the park and surrounding area)
Mount Rainier History -
entitled Wonderland: An Administrative History of Mount Rainier National Park
Washington Office of Tourism
Washington State Parks
Weather
Forecasts - includes current and historical weather data, as well as road
conditions.
See other National
Parks
See other Washington National Parks
