Slopes of Mount Rainier

Okay, so your're interested in visiting the highest peak in the Cascade Mountains--great! I currently work as a biologist and live in Mount Rainier National Park and would love to share the most updated information you may need to enjoy your visit.

Quick Tips:

Tip** After you make the drive up to Paradise Visitor Center, keep on driving over to the eastern side of the park and get out for the best hikes you can do in one day--and get away from the summer crowd.

**If you're more adventurous (like myself) and visiting for more than one day, hit the Northern Park trails for breathtaking views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Glacier.

Peak Wilderness--at the same spot!!

Best Way To Get Around:

The National Park Inn at Longmire offers 25 rooms, a full service restaurant, and gift shop. A cozy lounge for overnight guests features an oversized stone fireplace.

This rustic year-round lodge is a great spot for a cozy casual getaway or as a base for more strenuous outdoor activity such as hiking or cross country skiing in winter. The verandah has a stunning view of Mount Rainier. The wooded surroundings are resplendent with local flora and fauna. A vintage 1911 log cabin near the Inn houses a general store. In winter, cross-country skis and snowshoe rentals are available. There are guided tours on weekends and holidays (seasonal). The Inn is operated as a Bed and Breakfast from late October through late April.

This inviting, family-style dining room offers hearty meal selections in a casual setting. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. During the summer, you can enjoy beverages and ice cream from a take-out window. I thoroughly enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the Inn. My choice - omelete and hashbrowns after a long day of hiking!

So the nightlife and dining around Mount Rainier is, well, minimal. However, for the weary hiker or climber you can get that hot almost home-cooked meal at the Highlanders Restaurant. Half bar, with pull-tabs, pool table, and your assorted locals, and half restaurant always decorated for the nearest holiday and the Christmas lights stay up year round. The food is actually great! Beers on tap are cheap, and the atmosphere is friendly. Although, around 7 - 9pm, the place gets smoky and slightly drunk.

Here's the best part: you can do your laundry while sitting at the bar or having dinner! Yes, outside Highlanders is the Princess Coin Laundry. Be sure to check your clothes often. And, if interested there are two tanning beds. Sounds luxurious? Nope - only to the backpacker who’s been camping for four days.

Sullivers General Store and the Post Office are across the street. The General Store is the preferred shopping place - I do not recommend the Shell Station! For coffee, walk down to Whittaker’s Place - he has cool mountain climbing stuff to look at!

Mount Rainier National Park has six developed campgrounds providing almost 600 sites. These campgrounds open by the end of June through mid-September. Only one campground, Sunshine Point, is open for auto camping all year round. The other five campgrounds close in September and October, depending upon location and weather. Backcountry camping is permitted all year round by permit only.

Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh campgrounds operate on a reservation only basis from July 1 through Labor Day. A 14-day camping limitation applies to all camping. Laundry facilities are located outside the park at Ashford and Packwood. Showers are located in the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise. Limited camper supplies are available at the National Park Inn at Longmire. Gasoline and automobile repairs are available outside the park.

Mount Rainier National Park offers excellent opportunities for scenic drives, hiking, and mountain climbing. Most roads are open from late May to early October, and all provide stunning views and access to a variety of hiking trails and other sites.

While many visitors attempt to "see the park in day," you may wish to concentrate on one or two areas of the park and explore them in detail. Keep in mind that parking is limited on sunny, summer weekends and holidays.

I recommend having your binoculars and camera ready, but please, never stop on the main road to view wildlife. Pull over and drive carefully!

Getting There
PLANE - Closest airports served by major airlines are Seattle, WA (85 miles), Yakima, WA (115 miles), and Portland, OR (168 miles).

CAR - Year-round access to the park is via SR 706 to the Nisqually Entrance. Limited winter access is available via Hwy.123, the Carbon River/Mowich Lake area is accessed via SR 165 through Wilkeson. Summer access is available via Hwy.410.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - NONE

Private carriers provide bus and van service. Gray Line Tours (800/426-7532 or 206/626-5208) offers daily trips from Seattle to Paradise from May 1 to September 30. Rainier Shuttle (360/569-2331) offers daily shuttle service from SeaTac Airport to Ashford or Paradise from May 3 to October 10. Ashford Mountain Center (360/569-2604) offers shuttle services from June through September to/from Sea-Tac airport and destinations within the park.

Weather and Climate
Weather patterns at Mount Rainier are strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean. The climate is generally cool and rainy, with summer highs in the 60s and 70s. Rain is possible any day, and very likely in spring, fall, and winter. Approximately 630" of snow falls in an average winter at Paradise.

Entrance Fee:
Vehicle $10 for seven days OR Mount Rainier Annual Pass for $30. Annual National Parks Pass $50.

Activity Fee
Climbing Cost Recovery Fee $15 (one time)
Climbing Annual Pass $25 (annual)