Mount Rainier National Park

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Mount Rainier National Park

Established in 1899. 235,625 acres (97% is designated Wilderness). Includes Mount Rainier (14,410'), an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. The park contains outstanding examples of old growth forests and subalpine meadows. Designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1997 as a showcase for the "NPS Rustic" style architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. Whether hiking on its flanks, climbing its summit, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on its slopes, camping along its glacier-fed rivers, photographing wildflower displays in subalpine meadows, or just admiring the view, nearly two million people come to enjoy the grandeur and beauty of Mount Rainier each year.

IN DEPTH

Just For Kids MOUNT RAINIER A Walk in the Woods Walk the Trail of the Shadows at Longmire or the Hot Springs Trail at Ohanapecosh. These and other short nature trails have self-guiding booklets...read more

Land of Ice Volcanic activity built Mount Rainier, but it is glaciers that shape it. True glaciers consist of at least three layers: snow, mixed snow and ice, and pure ice. They...read more

Lodging & Dining Due to a two-summer, planned rehabilitation, the Paradise Inn will be closed, but the National Park Inn is open year-round. Because of limited space, book as far in advance...read more

Oh, Ranger! "Do you get to just hike around the park everyday?" That is the question visitors often ask me on the park's trails. My quick answer is "yes" and then...read more

Preserving the Park Old-growth forest is defined as having stands of trees more than 200 years old, but they may be much older. In Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks, many trees...read more

Sights to See "Of all the fire mountains which, like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest." — John Muir The following sights are a sampling of the...read more

Walking at Hiking at Rainier With more than 260 miles of trails, Mount Rainier is a hiker's paradise. The floods in November 2006 altered the entire landscape of the park, making hiking a little...read more

Welcome to Mount Rainier Welcome to Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades National Parks! Congress gave these spectacular mountain reserves their common mission when it established the National Park Service in 1916. All...read more

Who's Who National Park Service (NPS) Since its founding in 1916, the NPS has endeavored to preserve America's parklands for generations to come. It is responsible for preserving and protecting the environmental...read more

Activities & Programs Throughout the year, you can enjoy numerous activities, from nature walks and fishing to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Certain activities and programs may have been affected by the flood....read more