Your Guide to "The Mountain"

The fifth national park established, this park in Washington is home to over 280 species of wildlife and hosts nearly two million visitors every year in Paradise, Sunrise, and beyond. Find everything you need to know:

Webcams & Weather  |  About the Park  |  Fees & Passes  |  What to Do  |  Support the Park  |  Mount Rainier Blogs

Peek Into the Park

Camera icon Check out weather conditions and take in the view from Mount Rainier National Park’s live webcams:

Longmire

Webcam view looking east from the Jackson Visitor Center in Paradise

Paradise

Webcam view from Paradise

Jackson Visitor Center in Paradise

Webcam view looking east from the Jackson Visitor Center in Paradise

Sunrise

Webcam view at Sunrise

(not active during winter)

For snow depth at Paradise and other current conditions, check the park’s weather page.

Mount Rainier at a Glance

    Est. 1899
  368 sq. miles
1,622,395 visitors (2022)

Planning a Park Visit

Home to Washington’s tallest mountain, extending 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier National Park offers plenty of options for recreation. Whatever strikes your fancy — camping, hiking, fishing, biking, sight seeing, animal viewing, and more — you’ll find it here.

Please note: visitors will need a reservation to enter the park through the Nisqually, Stevens Canyon, and Sunrise/White River entrance stations during peak hours during Summer 2024. Learn more.

A hiker explores a trail at Sunrise

Fee-Free Days

On fee-free days, the National Park Service (NPS) at Mount Rainier opens the gates and welcomes visitors at no cost.

2023 Fee Free Days:

  • Monday, January 16:  Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • Saturday, April 22: First Day of National Park Week
  • Friday, August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
  • Saturday, September 23: National Public Lands Day
  • Saturday, November 11: Veterans Day

Get a Park Pass

park pass is a great option to save costs. If you’re planning a trip that includes multiple national parks, consider the $80 annual pass that provides entrance to all national parks, national wildlife refuges, national forests, and many other federal lands – more than 2,000 in all.

Just interested in Mount Rainier? You can purchase an annual pass for $55, or a single-day pass for $30. Find fees and pass options here.

And remember: when you buy your pass inside the park, Mount Rainier receives a greater share of the funds compared to when you purchase online! Just keep in mind that as of May 26, 2023, Mount Rainier is moving to cashless fee collection; you can learn more here.

There are a number of special passes you can look into. For example, the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is offered free to all active-duty military members and their dependents. Passes are also available for people with permanent disabilities and volunteers with 250 service hours with federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. And fourth-graders can access the parks for free all year by obtaining an Annual 4th Grade Pass through Every Kid Outdoors.

To learn more about all of these passes, go to nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.

 

What to Do in Mount Rainier

Find helpful information about the parks, historical sites, national landmarks, and other federally owned areas at the National Park Service WA Index.

The park offers plenty of resources to get you started on trip planning on their Things to Do page. Looking to hit the trails? Check out Mount Rainier’s Camping & Hiking guide to get started. Our friends at the Washington Trails Association also have tons of great resources, interactive maps, guides, and more to help you find the perfect trail.

Interested in wilderness camping or backpacking? Start with our guide to reserving a backcountry site in Mount Rainier. Prefer frontcountry over backcountry, or not sure about the difference? Start with our “Backcountry Beginners: Backcountry, Frontcountry, and How To Decide” article.

Or if you prefer to stay indoors, consider a historic national park lodge like the National Park Inn or Paradise Inn, which support the park through a guest donation program.

More interested in mountaineering and learning how to summit The Mountain? Consider participating in one of our fundraising climbs through Climb for a Cause, like Kacee. She shared her story in our blog.

Kacee smiles with ice axe in hand
Kacee’s experience on The Mountain left her craving more mountaineering opportunities.

 ON THE BLOG

Lessons from Climbing Mount Rainier

As soon as we arrived at Paradise, a thousand thoughts occupied my mind: Did I pack too much? What if an avalanche happens and I get caught? After months of reflecting on my time on “The Mountain,” it became clear that the mental aspect was, indeed, the most difficult part.

Read On

 

Give Back to Mount Rainier

Climbing a peak isn’t the only way to give back to the park. You can volunteer your time, purchase a national park license plate, donate to support priority park projects — the options are practically endless! Explore all the ways to give.

 

Come Rain, Shine, or Even Snow

No matter the season, Mount Rainier has a lot to offer. Find our top recommendations for visiting the park in summer, fall, winter, or spring, or check out our blog for more inspiration:

Park photos: Hiking at Sunrise by Kristen Oliphant and views from a distance by Parker Tikson 📷

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