Spring Opening

Two plows remove snow on partially snow covered road.

NPS/Caroline Meleedy

 

At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Range. It dominates the landscape of western Washington, standing nearly three miles higher than the lowlands to the west. This majestic glacier-covered volcano has been called “an arctic island in a temperate sea.”

This extreme mountain creates extreme weather with an annual average snowfall of 643 inches at Paradise. Snow closes the majority of park roads and facilities in winter. In spring, park and state road crews begin the work to clear the roads of snow while utilities, campgrounds, visitor centers, and other facilities are prepared for the busy summer season.

 

Current Conditions - Spring 2019

Every year, park crews work for many weeks to clear roads and provide access to areas of the park that are closed during the winter season. View the following map and text for the latest updates. Additional information can be found on the Roads Status page.

Last Updated: June 14, 2019

• Opened for the season:
  • Stevens Canyon Road
  • SR410 (Chinook Pass) and SR123 (Cayuse Pass)
  • White River Road from SR410 to the White River Campground (the campground is expected to open June 21).
  • Ricksecker Point Road
  • Westside Road

 

Mount Rainier National Park Service employees use a tractor to remove snow from buildings in Sunrise to gain access to utilities.

NPS/B.Burnett

• Sunrise Road Still Closed, Current Status:
  • Cleaning ditches
  • Clearing snow from buildings
  • Working to gain access to buildings to turn on utilities
  • Removing brush from drainage
  • Bicycling/hiking is allowed on the Sunrise Road on weekends. On weekdays, active road work can make it unsafe for recreational use. Work is typically in the mornings, but road may be open for recreation on weekday afternoons. Before proceeding up the road, check the sign on the gate to make sure recreational use is permitted. Administrative vehicles may still be using the road at any time, so proceed with caution. Sunrise Road is scheduled to open for the season on June 28.

For more images of past spring opening operations, check out the Spring Opening 2018 album on Flickr.

 

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