By Kacee Saturay, Donor Stewardship & Social Media Manager

“The mountain’s out!”

This colloquial phrase that you hear around Washington is referring to Mount Rainier. Pilots will point it out on flights to and from Sea-Tac. Local businesses incorporate the peak on beer cans or t-shirts. Many aspire to reach the top one day. Whether you are from Washington or not, it is no secret that Mount Rainier National Park is an icon of the Pacific Northwest.

On March 2nd, 1899, President Mckinley signed a bill that designated and created what is known today as Mount Rainier National Park. Long before 1899, people have relied on the area’s resources and have taken care of the beautiful landscape that convinced Congress that it was worth protecting. 2024 marks the park’s 125^th birthday and we invite you to celebrate this remarkable place that we know and love!

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“The land administered as Mount Rainier National Park has been since time immemorial the Ancestral homeland of the Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin Island, Yakama, and Coast Salish people. By following Elders’ instructions passed through generations, these Indigenous Peoples remain dedicated caretakers of this landscape. Their Traditional Knowledge and Management of this Sacred Land will endure in perpetuity, and we honor each nation’s traditions of landscape stewardship in our endeavors to care for, protect, and preserve the features and values of the mountain.”

Read more about the associated tribes of Mount Rainier

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Since 2021, over 1.6 million visitors have flocked to Mount Rainier National Park each year and if you are one of those lucky visitors, you know why the park is so special. From the picturesque meadows and diverse wildlife to the jaw-dropping views and charming “parkitecture“, there is so much to love about this place.

But with a park that is well-loved, and with visitation numbers increasing every year, caring for Mount Rainier National Park is critical, now more than ever. This is where Washington’s National Park Fund steps in.

We Fill In The Gaps

Washington’s National Park Fund is on a mission to raise funds to preserve and enhance the natural beauty, cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks so that they remain vibrant, thriving ecosystems and cherished destinations for future generations.

Recognizing that the budget given to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks isn’t keeping pace with the parks’ needs for maintaining infrastructure, maintenance in the parks, salaries for park rangers, and more, groups like ours exist to fill gaps in much-needed funding for priority projects in the parks.

Your Gifts In Action

WNPF supporters are making a real difference in helping preserve and protect Mount Rainier for future generations. Check out our recent stories highlighting projects made possible by gifts from our donors!

• When Nature Calls: “Restoring Paradise”
  • Investing in the visitor experience at Mount Rainier’s most cherished – and most visited – location is a critical project in our multi-year Together for the Parks campaign. See the work that is underway for the essential restroom facilities in the Paradise area.
• Astronomy Interns Share the Stars and Start a Park Service Career
  • Internships offer a critical “foot in the door” that sometimes leads to full-time employment. This has proven especially true for the Night Skies internship program, which provides college students with experience presenting Mount Rainier’s astronomy program, helping visitors peer beyond our planet during summers at Paradise.
• The Power of Poop: Researching Rare Carnivores in Washington’s National Parks
  • Donors are playing an important role in unraveling the mysteries of the rare carnivores that call the Cascade Range home through Mount Rainier’s Science for All project in collaboration with Cascades Carnivore Project.

You Can Make a Difference for the Next 125

As we celebrate Mount Rainier’s 125th birthday, we encourage everyone to give back to a place that has given us all so much. There are many ways to give, so you can give in the way that makes the most sense for you.

Looking to celebrate with us in person? We have several community events this year that celebrate the park’s birthday. Keep tabs on our events page for the next pint night, Mount Rainier climb, or local race supporting WNPF.

Cheers to 125 years of Mount Rainier National Park!

Cover photo taken by Jayson Moorman, WNPF Creative Partner