Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [276]
Finally, you might try reversing this advice, hitting Sunrise at sundown. Most park visitors are leaving through the Nisqually Entrance in the park's southwest corner late in the day; you'll be heading in the opposite direction.
Just the Facts
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 only accessible 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 only the Sunrise area. The town closest to this entrance is Greenwater, which also provides some overnight options.
In the northwest corner, the Carbon River Entrance is off Wash. 165. 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.
The Nearest Airport. The nearest airport is the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (☎ 206/433-5388; www.port seattle.org/seatac), 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; their toll-free numbers are in the appendix (p. 660).
INFORMATION
Contact Mount Rainier National Park, Tahoma Woods, Star Route, Ashford, WA 98304-9751 (☎ 360/569-2211; www. nps.gov/mora). The park publishes a free newspaper, the Tahoma, that's available at all visitor centers and gives current information about park activities.
VISITOR CENTERS
When you arrive, stop at one of the park's four visitor centers. The Longmire Museum (☎ 360/569-2211, ext. 3314) is just inside the park beyond the Nisqually Entrance and is the welcoming center for the park. The Jackson Visitor Center (☎ 360/569-6036), near Paradise Meadows, is the park's main visitor center.
The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center (☎ 360/569-6046), off Wash. 123 in the southeast corner of the park, is near the Stevens Canyon Entrance. This center is open in the summer only. The Sunrise Visitor Center, off Wash. 410, past the White River Entrance (☎ 360/663-2425), is in the northeast section of the park. It's open in the 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 $10 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 of the 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