Natural Features

Mount Rainier towers over the meadows and buildings of Sunrise.
The Sunrise Visitor Center and Day Lodge with Mount Rainier and the Emmons Glacier in the background.

NPS Photo

 

The protection, study and management of the park's natural resources and processes is essential for achieving the park's purpose and mission goals. The park includes outstanding geologic and hydrologic resources that represent key physical elements in the park ecosystem, including glaciers and snowfields, geomorphic features such as watersheds and landforms, soils, and paleoecologic deposits. Glaciers, snowfields, watersheds, and soils are especially sensitive to air pollution and climatic change.

 
A glacier curves over the summit of Mount Rainier

Glaciers

Glaciers carve through the landscape of Mount Rainier, fuel the park rivers, and are a measuring stick for climate conditions.

Two snowy volcanic peaks, one with the top cratered, rise above the landscape.

Volcanoes

Mount Rainier is a active volcano. Lava flows and eruptions have shaped the landscape in the past, and evidence can still be seen today.

A man stands next to equipment set up on the rocky upper slope of a mountain.

Seismicity

Seismicity is the study of earthquakes. Earthquakes are monitored on Mount Rainier as one way to track volcanic activity.

Rocky debris fills up a river valley and wraps around some dead trees.

Aggradation

Aggradation, the process of rivers filling with rocky debris, can play a big role in flooding and other river behavior.

Last updated: February 28, 2020

Contact the Park

Mailing Address:

55210 238th Avenue East
Ashford, WA 98304

Phone:

(360) 569-2211

Contact Us

Tools

Stay Connected