Mount Rainier National Park

This park covers roughly 236,400 acres (about 95,700 hectares) of protected wilderness and displays a 14,410-foot (4,390-meter) volcanic peak wrapped by deep valleys, rushing waterfalls, and thick old-growth forests. The alpine meadows bloom in vivid colors during summer, while glaciers cling to the slopes of the volcano.

President McKinley signed the law creating this park on March 2, 1899, making it the fourth national park in the country after naturalist Muir argued for its protection. Decades earlier, settlers and prospectors had carved routes through the area, but the law shielded the wilderness from commercial exploitation.

The original name of the mountain comes from the Lushootseed language of the Native American tribes who lived on this land for thousands of years before European settlers arrived. Today, visitors walk trails that once served as trade routes and hunting paths for these tribes, whose descendants still maintain connections to this place.

From November through May, all vehicles must carry tire chains because winter weather regularly closes or restricts roads at higher elevations. Most trails open fully only in late spring once snowfields melt and rangers confirm safe conditions for hiking.

This park protects Carbon Glacier and Emmons Glacier, which rank as the largest glaciers by volume and area in the contiguous states. Both are retreating slowly, but their mass remains impressive and shows how ice shapes alpine valleys over time.

Location: Pierce County

Location: Lewis County

Inception: March 2, 1899

Operator: National Park Service

Website: https://nps.gov/mora

GPS coordinates: 46.85000,-121.75000

Latest update: December 13, 2025 16:15