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 2020

Last Updated: 6/1/20

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. This year, spring opening updates will be limited due to restrictions to protect park staff and the public from the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Some roads that are usually open, like the road from the Nisqually Entrance to Longmire/Paradise, are also closed due to COVID-19. Detailed park access updates are posted on the Alerts & Conditions webpage.

View the following map and text for the road status updates (click on any section of road or notification symbol for more information). Additional information can be found on the Roads Status page.

 

 

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For images of spring opening operations in past years, check out the Spring Opening 2019 album on Flickr.