News Release
NPS Photo
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
Contact: Patti Wold, 360-569-6563
Ashford, WA –Thanks to the hard work and dedication by park staff, Paradise will open for regular winter access as of Saturday, February 2nd. We are happy to welcome visitors back to Paradise. “We really appreciate the support and patience from everyone as we worked to restore operations after the shutdown," stated Superintendent Chip Jenkins.
The Paradise sledding area will remain closed due to a warmer and drier season that has resulted in a lower than average snowpack. Sufficient snowpack is needed throughout the area to create safe sled runs, and to prevent resource damage from the grooming equipment and sledding activity. The Paradise sledding area is the only location in the park where sledding is allowed. For safety purposes, only soft-sided sliding devices, such as 100% plastic sleds, saucers, or disks are permitted.
Visitors are reminded that all vehicles (including 4WD) are required to carry tire chains or other state-approved traction devices when traveling in the park from November 1 – May 1. Road conditions can deteriorate quickly at any time and mandatory chain use may be required even for 4WD vehicles. Tire chains are available for rent or for sale in Ashford, and for sale at the National Park Inn gift shop in Longmire.
The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise has resumed winter hours, Fridays through Sundays and holidays, from 10:00 am to 4:15 pm. Gift shop and snack bar services are available. However, while we continue to return to our normal winter operations, some ranger-led programs may not yet be available.
The Longmire area remains open seven days a week, unless major storm events require closure. Open daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, the Longmire Museum provides general park information, winter activity guidance, backcountry permits, and books and maps for sale. The historic National Park Inn, restaurant, and gift shop are also open daily and providing lodging, food, gifts, and snowshoe/ski rentals. For reservations, call 360-569-2275 or visit mtrainierguestservices.com.
Consult the park website for information on ranger-led snowshoe walks, winter recreation and camping, as well as winter hours. Seasonal road status is available on the website with daily road updates posted on Twitter.
The main gate at the southwest entrance to the park will remain open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week unless conditions require a temporary closure. The higher elevation gate, located on the road between Longmire and Paradise is closed nightly to ensure visitor and staff safety, with uphill access closing at 4:00 pm to allow for visitors and staff to exit safely. Each morning, rangers and road crew staff evaluate road, weather, avalanche, and equipment conditions to determine when it is safe to open the road above Longmire. Standard open hours of this road are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, weather and conditions dependent. Road opening updates are posted to Twitter by 7:30 am daily. Visitors are expected to make their way downhill to Longmire by the gate closure time of 5:00 pm.
Information on current park road closures and weather conditions can be obtained by calling the park at 360-569-2211 for recorded information that is updated regularly. Park information, announcements, and the Mount Rainier webcams are available on the park’s official website, nps.gov/mora.
Get additional information and updates by joining the Mount Rainier Facebook community. Find out breaking news and road status updates through Mount Rainier’s Twitter feed. Explore the park and behind-the-scenes operations with our videos on YouTube. Share your own photos of Mount Rainier on Instagram or Flickr: instagram.com/MountRainierNPS or flickr.com/groups/MountRainierNPS.
Communities in the local area provide great getaway experiences throughout the year. More information on the range of services available in and around the Mount Rainier area can be found on their websites: mtrainierguestservices.com, visitrainier.com, mt-rainier.com, minerallake.com, destinationpackwood.com, discoverlewiscounty.com, stayrainier.com and whitepassbyway.com.
Last updated: February 1, 2019