Planning a Trip

Getting There & Gateways

Unlike its cousin across the Puget Sound, Olympic National Park, Rainier does not lie within a circle of roads; the northwest corner of the park, for example, is accessible only through one entrance.

The Nisqually Entrance (also known as the Nisqually-Longmire Rd.), in the southwest corner of the park, is the park's main access point. Just to the west on Wash. 706 is Ashford, where most of the area's accommodations and services are. A few miles farther west is Elbe, with a few more choices.

At the park's northeast corner, the White River Entrance, off Wash. 410, provides easier access from Seattle and points north if your goal is the Sunrise area. The town closest to this entrance is Greenwater, which has some overnight options.

In the northwest corner, the Carbon River Entrance is off Wash. 165 but is closed to vehicular traffic inside the park because of flooding in 2006. Enumclaw offers motels, restaurants, and fuel.

At the southeast corner, the Stevens Canyon Entrance, off Wash. 123 from U.S. 12, provides access from Yakima. Packwood and Randle, both south of the park on U.S. 12, are two of the larger towns in the nearby area. You'll find some accommodations in Packwood.

During the summer, it is also possible to enter the park from the east on Wash. 410, which also leads to Yakima by way of Chinook Pass. Entering this way gives you the option of heading north to the White River Entrance and Sunrise, or south to Stevens Canyon.

In winter, only the Nisqually Entrance is open. Severe winter road damage often closes roads during summer; contact the park for current information.

The Nearest Airport -- The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (tel. 206/787-5388; www.portseattle.org/seatac), is 70 miles northwest of the park. Allow about 2 hours for the drive on I-5, Wash. 7, and Wash. 706 to the Nisqually Entrance. The airport is served by practically all major airlines and car-rental companies.

Information

Contact Mount Rainier National Park, 55210 238th Ave. E., Ashford, WA 98304 (tel. 360/569-2211; www.nps.gov/mora). The park publishes a free newspaper, the Tahoma, available at visitor centers with information about park activities.

Visitor Centers

When you arrive, stop at one of the park's four visitor centers. The Longmire Museum (tel. 360/569-2211, ext. 3314) is inside the park beyond the Nisqually Entrance and is the welcoming center for the park. The Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center (tel. 360/569-2211, ext. 6036), near Paradise Meadows, is the park's main visitor center. The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center (tel. 360/569-2211, ext. 6046), off Wash. 123 in the southeast corner of the park, is near the Stevens Canyon Entrance. It's open in summer only. The Sunrise Visitor Center, off Wash. 410, past the White River Entrance (tel. 360/663-2425), is in the northeast section of the park. It's open in summer only.

Fees

Entry to the park for up to 7 days costs $15 per vehicle, $5 for individuals on foot, bike, or motorcycle. Camping costs $12 to $15 per night, depending on the campground and season.

Special Regulations & Warnings

The main thing to remember in the heavily visited spots in the subalpine portions of the park is to stay on the trails and stay off the wildflowers. Off-trail trampling erodes the thin loam topsoil that supports the fragile vegetation.

Be sure to boil any water taken from the park's rivers, as it has been known to carry Giardia, the little bug that causes mighty intestinal disorder.

Don't even think about heading for a day climb anywhere near the upper altitudes of Rainier without checking in at a ranger station or employing a guide. Steep snowfields can become slippery in the sun or contain unstable ice bridges. Remember, people die in the high altitudes every year.

Additionally, the National Park Service wants visitors to be aware of some other risks: Mud flows, glacial outburst floods, and falling rocks are hazards that may be encountered here.

The 2006 and 2009 Floods -- A massive rainstorm on November 2006 dumped nearly 18 inches of rain in 36 hours on Mount Rainier National Park, turning every river into a raging torrent and burying trails and roads under landslides all over the park. Afterwards, a violent windstorm uprooted trees, causing further damage. Much of Wash. 123 on the east side of the park and Carbon River Road in the northwest corner were damaged, as were numerous trails and backcountry bridges. Another flood in January 2009 destroyed sections of Stevens Canyon and Nisqually roads. Contact the park for current information.