Visitors’ Experiences

The Power of Partnerships: Restoring Treasured Trails at Mount Rainier

Millions visit Mount Rainier each year, and many of them experience it from one of the park’s many trails. Paths wind through wildflower meadows and across log bridges over glacier-fed rivers. Keeping these trails safe and passable takes an extraordinary amount of work, and partnerships are what makes it possible.

Opening Doors: A Scientists in Parks Summer at Olympic National Park

Meet Ben Dubin and James Jackson, two Scientists in Parks interns who have spent their summer with the interpretation team at Olympic. Asked about their seasons and both describe an experience that reshapes their sense of the natural world, of public lands, and of what comes next for them.

Meet the Meadow Rovers: Mount Rainier's Award-Winning Volunteer Stewards

In a single foot of subalpine meadow, as many as 80 plants grow in some of the harshest conditions imaginable on the flank of an active volcano. One step off trail can crush 20 of them, causing damage that takes decades to undo. That’s where the Meadow Rovers come in.

From Activity Book to Lifelong Impact: Reimagining the Junior Ranger Experience at Olympic

Millions of children have raised their right hand and taken the Junior Ranger pledge, walking away with far more than a badge. They also gain an understanding of the importance of caring for national parks. At Olympic, we're funding a project to take that experience to new heights.

Bear Essentials: How Donor Support Keeps Wildlife Wild and Visitors Safe

In North Cascades National Park, every visitor steps into a landscape where humans are guests in a thriving ecosystem. Thanks to donor support, the Bear Essentials program is helping ensure those visits are memorable and safe for both people and wildlife.

Summer 2026 in Washington’s National Parks: See Projects in Action

It's no secret that WNPF donors make a huge, lasting impact on Washington's national parks. Shadow a meadow rover, see glaciers up close, capture the night sky with a pro, and so much more! This summer, join us for a fun variety of park outings.

Science on the Slopes: Volunteers Help Study Pikas at Mount Rainier

Go behind the scenes of a donor-funded community science effort to survey Mount Rainier’s pika populations, led by Washington State University PhD student Allie Stift in partnership with National Park Service staff.

Restoring Paradise: Why Skyline Trail Needs Us Now

For first-time visitors and lifelong hikers alike, the Skyline Trail is often their first step into the alpine — a front-row introduction to wildflower meadows, glaciers, and sweeping views that define this iconic place. But that popularity comes at a cost. Today, the trail we love is under visible strain.

Ashes to Action: Rebuilding Hurricane Ridge at Olympic National Park

When fire destroyed Hurricane Ridge’s iconic lodge, the Olympic National Park community answered. See how donors turned loss into action — restoring access, funding recovery, and shaping what comes next for one of the park’s most beloved places, together.