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VISITOR INFORMATION
Weather
Climate
Elevation
Land Area
Location
Getting There
Number of Visitors
Visitor Centers

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Westwood Chalet Cozy Cabin Near Nisqually Entrance to Mount Rainier NP.  Hot Tub, Decks, Amenities. www.westwoodchalet.com 800-820-9962

Mount Rainier National Park
Visitor Information

Mount Rainier National Park is a landscape born of fire and ice, the park encompasses the magnificent volcano with its mantle of snowfields and glaciers, sub-alpine areas and dense forests. Read more about the park, the volcano, and the scenic highlights.

Weather
Current Mount Rainier Recreational Forecast
From the National Weather Service in Seattle. Not a glamorous page, but good information including temperatures for three elevations.

Climate
Mount Rainier wrings a prodigious amount of snow from the air currents that flow incessantly off the Pacific Ocean. Snowfall is heaviest from Paradise (often enough to bury the three-story Inn up to its roof) up to the 9,500-foot level. At that height, the mountain rears above the wet maritime air masses and the amount of snowfall decreases. The result of all this snow, is that you can take advantage of one of the longest skiing seasons in the United States.

Elevation
Mount Rainier is the highest peak in the Cascades and highest point in Washington state. Just how high depends on who is taking the measurements. The US Geological Survey measurement from 1956 of 14,410 feet (4,392 meters), was recently surpassed by the satellite measurement of 14,411.1 feet taken by the Land Surveyors Association of Washington. The mountain looms nearly 8,000 feet (2,500 meters) higher than anything nearby. Lowest point in the park is in the Carbon River rainforest at 1,800 feet.

Annual number of visits
More than 2 million.

Land Area
235,612 acres

Location
Mount Rainier National Park lies in the Cascade chain of mountains 68 miles (108 kilometers) south-southeast of Seattle and 95 miles (150 kilometers) north-northeast of Portland, Oregon.

Getting to Mt. Rainier National Park
Road
Nisqually, the park's south entrance up to Paradise is open year round and accessible from US 12, WA 7 and WA 706. Chains might be required for winter driving. The northeast entrance is accessible on a seasonal basis via WA 410. The Steven's CanyonEntrance on the east, is accessible on a seasonal basis via WA 123. The White River Entrance on the northeast, is accessible on a seasonal basis via WA 412. The Carbon River Entrance on the northwest, is accessible on a seasonal basis via WA 123.
Air
Seatac International Airport is about 65 miles north of the park. Services include Big Sky Airlines, Delta Airlines, Horizon Airlines, Northwest Airlines.
Bus
Daily service from SeaTac International Airport. (360-569-0851)

Buses and Shuttles

Grayline runs buses from Seattle or Tacoma to the park from mid-spring to mid-fall. (800-426-7532)

Ashford Mountain Center Shuttle. 30416 SR 706, P.O. Box T,
Ashford, WA 98304. Phone: 360-569-2604; Fax: 360-569-0824. E-mail

Rainier Shuttle. Daily service from SeaTac International Airport to Paradise, May to October. (360-569-2331)

Rail

The Amtrak passenger services the Coast Starlight and the Cascades run on a north-south route past the west side of the park. Nearby depots is in Centralia.

Visitor Centers

Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center
Located at Paradise. Exhibits on geology, glaciers, flora, fauna, and mountain climbing.

Longmire Wilderness Information Center
Trail information.

Ohanapecosh Visitor Center
Located at Ohanapecosh within the lowland forest area, exhibits tell the story of the old-growth forest and local history.

Paradise Visitor Center
When Elaine Longmire's wife first saw the sub-alpine meadow at Longmire, she exclaimed "This must be what Paradise is like!" The name remains today. Many trails radiate from here, including access to the Wonderland Trail.

Sunrise Day Lodge & Visitor Center
Located at the highest point (6,400 feet) in the park accessible by car. Offers perhaps the most sweeping road views of the mountain, and the string of volcanic peaks towering above the Cascade Range. It lies in the rain shadow of Rainier, and is thus drier than Paradise. Exhibits focus on the sub-alpine and alpine environments. Viewing telescopes for looking at the slopes and glaciers. Operated by concessionaire Guest Services.

White River Wilderness Information Center
Trail information.

Tahoma News
The park's newspaper. Information on naturalist walks and other activities.

Go Northwest! Bookstore 
Best selection of books on the Northwest.
Click here!

Mount Rainier National Park: Tales, Trails, & Auto Tours
by Jerry Rohde, Gisela Rohde (Contributor), Larry Eifert (Illustrator)
December 1996, Paperback, 310 pages, (non-fiction)
Order now...

Road Guide To Mount Rainier National Park
by Barbara Decker, Robert Decker
April 1996, Paperback, 48 pages, (guidebook)
A guided tour of the major sights and features. Order now...

Climbing Mount Rainier: The Essential Guide
by Fred Beckey, Alex Van Steen
May 1999, Paperback, 1st edition, 160 pages, (guidebook). Written for experienced mountain climbers, this book offers detailed information on nearly fifty routes to the summit of Washington state's Mount Rainier. Includes 75 photos showing climbers progressing toward the summit. Order now...

Mt. Rainier Climbing Guide SM10097
The Ingraham Glacier-Disappointment Cleaver Route, plus two variations: The Fuhrer Finger Route, The Kautz Glacier Route. Order now...

Mt. Rainier Climbing Guide SM20100 
The Emmons-Winthrop Glacier Route, The Liberty Ridge Route
by Stanley Friedman
These comprehensive, lightweight (weighs less than one ounce) climbing guides are designed to be carried with you on your summit attempts. Each route is clearly shown with 40-foot contours (1:24,000 scale) on a single waterproof and nearly-indestructible sheet that you can fold down and carry in your pocket. Order now...

The Big Fact Book About Mount Rainier
by Bette E. Filley, Rachel French (Illustrator)
April 1996, Paperback or Hardcover, (non-fiction)
Well-researched, must-have reference for anyone who loves The Mountain.
Order now...

Mountain Fever: Historic Conquests of Rainier (Columbia Classics) by Aubrey L. Haines, Ruth Kirk. October 1999, Paperback, 278 pages, (non-fiction). Order now...

Washington's Mount Rainier National Park: A Centennial Celebration
by Tim McNulty, Pat O'Hara. March 2000, Mountaineers Books,  Paperback or Hardcover, 144 pages, (non-fiction). In this, the official book of the centennial, Pat O'Hara and Tim McNulty view the mountain through all its facets: from the geologic and climatic forces that continue to shape it, to the rich legacy of humans' relationship with it, to its delicate ecosystems and what will be needed to protect them for the future. Order now...

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Revised: September 30, 2009.