Marine Memorial

The Marine Memorial at Round Pass.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

3.8 miles along Westside Road from Dry Creek, which is closed to vehicles.

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Season: Summer Only (May - November)

The Marine Memorial is located along Westside Road and can only be reached by hiking or biking. The first three miles of Westside Road is open to vehicles during the summer season, with parking at Dry Creek. During the winter, snowshoers and crosscountry skiers can still use the closed road.

The Marine Memorial is a large boulder inset with a bronze plaque. It is located on the east side of Round Pass, 3.8 miles from Dry Creek, overlooking a view of the South Tahoma Glacier on Mount Rainier. It remembers 32 U.S. Marines that died when their plane crashed into the South Tahoma Glacier on December 10, 1946. Due to the hazardous conditions of the crash location, their remains were never recovered. In 1946, it was the worst accident, in numbers killed aboard an aircraft, in United States aviation history and remains Mount Rainier’s greatest tragedy. The bronze plaque bears the names of the Marines. In the mid 1990s, the road to Round Pass washed out, making the area inaccessible to vehicles. In 1999, a duplicate of the Marine Memorial was placed in Veterans Memorial Park in Enumclaw, WA.