Overview

Mount Rainier National Park offers dramatic scenery and diverse ecosystems -- one area, called Paradise, is also considered the snowiest place on Earth where snowfall is regularly measured (630 inches per year) -- yet much of it is relatively accessible to visitors. Alpine meadows, snow fields, rainforests with 1,000-year-old trees, and a mountain with more glaciers than any other peak in the continental United States all are within 55 miles of a major metropolitan city, Seattle. Mount Rainier National Park covers 368 square miles, 97 percent of which has been designated wilderness. The park contains more than 260 miles of hiking trails, including the 100-mile Wonderland Trail, which circumnavigates majestic Mount Rainier. The national park has three visitor centers, a small museum, and several ranger stations located in five developed areas: Sunrise, Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh, and Mowich/Carbon. It also has two inns, one of which is open year-round, and three drive-up campgrounds, one up north and two on the southern side of the park. Mount Rainier National Park became the country's fifth national park when it was established in 1899, after Yellowstone, Yosemite, General Grant (now part of Kings Canyon National Park), and Sequoia. Mount Rainier rises 14,410 feet above sea level and lays claim to being the most glaciated peak in the Lower 48 states. Six major rivers emanate from the slopes of this active volcano, which last erupted in the 1800s. Dense forests of old-growth cedar, hemlock, and other coniferous trees can be found in low-lying areas, and bears, mountain goats, marmots, and many other creatures make their homes in this rugged landscape.