News Release

Mount Rainier National Park announces Stevens Canyon Road Rehabilitation project schedule

Date: July 14, 2022
Contact: Mount Rainier Press Information Line, 360-569-6510

ASHFORD, Wash. – Rehabilitation of Stevens Canyon Road began on July 5, 2022. Stevens Canyon Road is the only east-west route through the park and connects the popular Paradise area with State Route (SR) 123 near the park’s eastern boundary. During the summer 2022 construction period, contractors will be repairing the section of road between Stevens Creek and Box Canyon. Work will include replacement of guard walls, repair of avalanche chutes, and repair of the road surface.

The portions of Stevens Canyon Road that have been closed will reopen on July 15, 2022 at 8 am. It will remain open to through traffic until 6 am on Monday, July 18. The park recommends visitors check the road status page on the park’s website before planning a visit to the park.

Stevens Canyon Road between Stevens Creek and Box Canyon will be closed every Monday at 6 am through every Thursday at 8 pm each week. Box Canyon will be accessible during this time, but only from the Stevens Canyon Entrance, via SR-123. The Monday through Thursday closure will last until Monday, September 5, 2022 (Labor Day). Through traffic will be allowed beginning each Thursday at 8 pm through each Monday at 6 am every week. Although the road will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, visitors should expect 20–30 minute delays due to a single-lane closure through a damaged section of road. Traffic lights will manage access through this area.

Construction will continue after September 5, 2022; details of road access after September 5 will be released pending confirmation of the contractor’s traffic management plans for the fall construction period. This is a multiyear project that will last through mid-summer 2024.

Christine Falls, on the road to Paradise, will be closed Monday-Friday between July 18, 2022 and July 28, 2022. The road will be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. During this two-week period, contractors will work on repairing the Christine Falls bridge. The parking areas east and west of Christine Falls will be closed and there will be no access to Christine Falls. Visitors can expect 20–30 minute delays in this area during the week as flaggers direct one-way traffic through the area.

The project is being funded by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), passed in 2020, improves infrastructure and expands recreation opportunities in national parks and other public lands. This project is being managed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Stevens Canyon Rehabilitation Project will be a multiyear effort, expected to last until mid-summer 2024.

For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, please visit www.nps.gov/mora.