General Information
Below, you will find short answers and resources for the most frequently asked questions we receive over the phone or through email.
Weather
Weather can be unpredictable at the top of a 10,000 foot mountain surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. The links below are tools that can help you determine how long you might want to spend exploring the park. If there is a chance of precipitation in the forecast, come prepared with rain gear and warm clothes.
- FORECAST: View the National Weather Service forecast for the Summit.
- LIVE WEATHER WEBCAM: View current visibility in the crater before you drive up. Check out our webcam.
- CURRENT TEMPERATURE: The Institute for Astronomy updates temperature with wind chill factored in.
Sunrise Reservations
Please visit the pages below to find information on how to make reservations 60 days in advance, or get last-minute tickets. Park rangers are unable to make reservations for you over the phone or in-person. Reservations are never sold in the park, and will not be available if you drive to the park for sunrise without one.
Sunset
Reservations for sunset are not necessary at this time. The Summit parking lot, the most popular location for sunset, fills up 1-2 hours before sunset. The drive time from the entrance station to the top is about 30 minutes. Please adjust your arrival time accordingly.
Wilderness Camping
Each campground in the Wilderness Area can have up to 25 campers per night. While the campgrounds usually do not fill up, you can stop by Headquarters Visitor Center up to one day before to secure a permit.
Brochures
Find information for your next trip or school project on our Publications page. If you need a PDF of the publications, please provide an email address when you contact us so we can quickly email you the documents to print at home!
Email us.
Fill out a Lost and Found form.
