By: Kacee Saturay, Donor Stewardship & Social Media Manager
Mount Rainier National Park attracts adventurers and nature enthusiasts from around the world and in 2023, over 1.6 million visitors came to experience the grandeur of the park. Like many national parks, visitors can expect to have little to no cellphone service once they enter the roads of Mount Rainier.
If you’ve ever planned a national park road trip, you’ve probably wondered, “What happens if my car doesn’t start, I run out of gas, or get locked out of my car?”
To address these car conundrums, the Roadside Assistance Volunteer Network at Mount Rainier is there to help! This program has been vital in providing essential support and enhancing visitors’ overall park experience.
The Roadside Assistance Volunteer Network (RAVN) – also known as “ravens” amongst park staff and volunteers – is an essential resource that all Mount Rainier visitors should know about.
As an ongoing program that WNPF supports, the park recruits and trains volunteers to assist visitors with a variety of vehicle and travel-related issues.
Ravens support traffic and parking management, provide trailhead transports, unlock vehicles, jump-start dead batteries, supply fuel, attend to minor medical issues, and work on mechanical breakdowns.
Without these volunteers, the common alternative for visitors would involve paying for a private tow service to support them, along with adding hours of delay to their trip. Ravens play an important role in the park, often serving as first line of support for visitors in need and helping ensure that their park experience remains positive and safe.
???? Note: Starting on May 24, 2024, the Paradise Corridor will require a timed entry reservation and the Sunrise Corridor timed entry reservations will start on July 4, 2024. If you’re driving into the park, reservations are required until September 2, 2024. Learn more about timed entry here.
RAVN has been a long-term volunteer program at Mount Rainier, and thanks to WNPF donors, it continues to be invaluable in addressing basic visitor needs.
In 2023, funds were able to station one summer and one winter RAVN position in the White River/Sunrise area of the park and two summer positions at Paradise. These positions are strategically placed in the park’s most popular areas that expect a high volume of visitors, especially in the busy summer months
On the east side of the park, from May to October of 2023, two volunteers contributed over 480 work hours.
On the west side, the contribution was even more substantial; three volunteers collectively contributed nearly 1500 hours of service during their assignments, which spanned from July to September and December to April.
According to Brett Hergert, Chief of Operations at Mount Rainier National Park, “this program has assisted with hundreds, if not thousands of incidents, helping visitors and staff with emergencies, traffic control, Search and Rescue events, and so much more.”
Many volunteers have enjoyed their assignments so much that they return year after year to continue their service. This continuity not only brings experienced and knowledgeable individuals back to the program but also fosters a sense of community, dedication to the National Park Service’s mission, and a shared purpose among the volunteers.
This program’s impact on the overall park experience stands as a testament to the power of volunteerism and stewardship at Mount Rainier National Park.
It’s no secret that volunteers are crucial to the park’s operations and our donors make it clear through their gifts that volunteer programs like this one are worth investing in.
Donors help make the RAVN and other park volunteer projects possible through contributions to Washington’s National Park Fund. Your gifts help cover the cost of supplies, housing, uniforms, and vehicles, as well as the staffing integral to coordinating the park’s key volunteer programs.
Together, we can invest in the crucial work of dedicated volunteers at Mount Rainier National Park.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner to Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Donations fund scientific research, youth and family experiences, and projects that will keep these parks strong and vital now and forever, for everyone.
We are grateful to our friend Peter Briglia, as well as the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the William E Wockner Foundation, and Matson for their generous support of the RAVN program.
Cover photo of a raven helping a visitor with gas. Photo by Kristen Oliphant, WNPF.