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Pacific
Northwest
VISITOR INFORMATION
Weather
Climate
Elevation
Land Area
Location
Getting There
Number of Visitors
Visitor Centers
More
Description of Park
History
of Park
Map of Area
Map of Park
Rainier the Mountain
Links
More Mount
Rainier NP
ACCOMMODATIONS
ACTIVITIES
Climbing
ATTRACTIONS
Museums
Scenic
Sites
Photo
of Mt Rainier
Nearby Cities &Towns
Ashford
Cougar
Enumclaw
Packwood
Randle
Mountain
Pass Road Reports
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Volcanoes
More Cascades
North Cascades
Central
Cascades
South Cascades
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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. (Also available
here.)
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 Canyon Entrance 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.
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To locate cities and towns near Mount Rainier National
Park go to our Map of Nearby
Cities and Towns by clicking above map image.
Click on
Mount Rainier National Park Map to locate
park features such as campgrounds, roads and visitor centers.
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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