Last updated: January 15, 2026
Thing to Do
Climbing Mount Rainier
NPS Photo
Mount Rainier, the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States, offers an exciting challenge to the mountaineer. Each year thousands of people successfully climb this 14,410-foot active volcano. There is access to over twenty different climbing routes and ski descents via four main trailheads to approach the mountain: Paradise, Westside Road, White River, and Mowich Lake.
Reaching the summit via any route requires a vertical elevation gain of more than 9,000 feet and traveling over ten miles in distance. Climbers must be in excellent physical condition and well prepared. Technical glacier-travel rope skills are also required to ascend and descend the mountain safely. Either independently or with a guide, climbing and skiing on Mount Rainier offers an unparalleled experience within the Pacific Northwest's Cascade Mountain Range.
Climbing Regulations at Mount Rainier
Climbing regulations are established in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 36, 7.5 (b) and describe three rules.
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You must have a permit to be on a glacier or above normal climbing high camps (~10,000 feet).
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You must be at least 18 years old or have permission from a guardian to apply for your permit.
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You cannot solo without being specifically authorized to do so.
Depending on your climb and when you want to do it, there are four types of permits that you may be required to obtain before your trip begins:
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Climbing Registration
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Wilderness Permit
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Wilderness Reservation
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Solo Permit
1. Climbing Registration
Register depending on the season:
- Winter Self-Registration
- Summer Walk-Up Registration
- Summer Reservation Activation
Winter Self Registration (September 15 – May 1)
Very few people try to climb Mount Rainier in the winter. During this period, there are no occupancy issues at any of our high camps or Wilderness zones. We allow “self-registration”.
There are two steps to take:
- Each person in your party must pay $82. The registration fee may be paid per party member online at Pay.gov (pay through the Mount Rainier NP Special Use Permit Application Fees form). You must pay before you come to the park.
- After you have paid your per person registration fees, you must fill out a registration card when you arrive to the park. These are obtained at a self-issuing kiosk inside the awning of the Paradise Old Station, which is the small A-framed building at the edge of the parking lot across from the large Jackson Visitor Center. In the winter, your self-registration also suffices as your Wilderness Permit.
Summer Walk-Up Registration (May 1 – September 30)
During the summer season, there is NO self-registration. You must come to a wilderness information station to register for your climb.
The park holds roughly 50% of capacity at each camp and in each Wilderness zone for walk-up registration. You may register for a walk-up permit 24-hours before your climb begins.
- Each person in your party must pay $82. The fee must be paid online at Pay.gov (pay through the Mount Rainier NP Special Use Permit Application Fees form). You must pay before you come to the park.
- You will be asked for your proof of purchase when you register at a wilderness information station in the park.
Summer Reservation Activation
You may also complete your registration when you activate your climbing reservation at a ranger station with a ranger. Read more below about Wilderness Permits and Reservations.
2. Wilderness Permit
During the high-use, summer period (May 1 – September 15), a wilderness permit will also be issued at the time of your climbing registration. The wilderness permit system works like a hotel reservation system and ensures that our camps and zones don’t overfill and there are no crowding issues on our climbing routes. A wilderness permit is $12 per person per night. Visit the Wilderness Permit page for detailed information.
Because we are managing not only our camp sites, but climbing use along the whole climbing route, even if you are not camping, or “single pushing”, you are still required to obtain a Wilderness Permit.
Once again, if occupancy on the climbing route is full when you’re online trying to obtain a reservation, you may still obtain both a Climbing Registration and a Wilderness Permit by walking up to a ranger station within 24-hours of your climb. These permits are issued “first come, first served.”
3. Wilderness Reservation
The “peak” climbing season is from May 1st to September 15th. Camps and zones fill up quickly especially on Friday nights and on weekends. Our advice is to not rely on getting a ‘walk-up’ Wilderness Permit. Obtain a reservation. They are worth the time and effort in providing you some assurance that you will be able to go on the dates you want.
Visit the Wilderness Permit page for details on how to apply for your reservation.
Reservations will be held until noon of the day your permit begins. After noon, your reservation will be cancelled, unless you email morawildernessreservations@nps.gov, or talk to a ranger at: 360-569-6650. If your reservation is held for a late pickup, it will be held until closing time at 5:00pm.
4. Solo Climbing
36 CFR 7.5 (b) (3) states that “a party must consist at least of two people” unless specific authorization is obtained by an application that considers a variety of factors such as your experience, anticipated weather and conditions, the route you’re climbing, and other factors. Roughly 200 people apply to solo climb Mount Rainier each year, but fewer than half of those receive permits to do so. Before you apply, we recommend building your resume with ample ascents of Mount Rainier participating as a team member or climbing other mountains that are heavily glaciated such as Mount Baker, Denali, or Mont Blanc.
You can apply for a solo permit via the Solo Application Form. A climbing ranger will review your application and get back to you within a week or two. We deny wilderness permits and climbing registrations in only the rarest of occasions, but solo permits receive a lot more scrutiny.
Weather and Conditions
Weather, snow, and route conditions can change rapidly, making the difference between a pleasant and rewarding experience or a tragedy. Before beginning a climb, obtain a current weather forecast. Rangers at both Camp Muir and Camp Schurman can give out updated forecasts before your summit attempt, but look for a general trend in the weather before arriving at the park.
During your climb, turn back if weather conditions deteriorate. Severe winter-like storms on the mountain are not uncommon during the summer. Poor weather often contributes to accidents and near-misses on the mountain. Here are some links to weather and avalanche resources for Mount Rainier National Park. For recent route conditions updates check out the Mount Rainier Climbing Blog.
Guide Services
Climbing instruction, multi-day summit climbs, multi-day climbing seminars, and private climbs are available through:
There are also 15 single-trip guide services authorized to perform only one guided trip per year. Check the list of current Commercial Use Authorizations for approved guide service companies.
Some guided climbs qualify as charities. This type of climb is allowed, but requires a Commercial Use Authorization. Paying the climbing fee is still required.
Engaging in any business in park areas except in accordance with the provisions of a permit, contract, or other written agreement is prohibited. Leading or participating in an unauthorized guided climb of Mount Rainier is illegal (Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations). Learn more about regulations for guiding on Mount Rainier.
Route Briefs
Route briefs are official in-depth descriptions of climbing routes on Mount Rainier. Use the Route Briefs to familiarize yourself with these four popular routes. Produced by the climbing rangers, they contain the information needed for planning your climb, including route statistics, common pitfalls, and some of the climbing history of the route.
Additional climbing resources, including information on requesting a copy of a summit register, is available on the climbing webpage.
Details
Duration
3-4 Days
Duration depends on route, current conditions, season, and other factors, and may be longer or shorter than 3-4 days.
Activity
Mountain Climbing
Age(s)
18 and Older
A climber must be at least 18 years old to climb Mount Rainier. Anyone younger than 18 years of age must have the permission of a parent or legal guardian at the time of registration.
Pets Allowed
No
Activity Fee
Yes
In addition to a park entrance fee, two things are required to climb Mount Rainier:
- Each individual must pay the Annual Climbing Fee each year (good for the entire calendar year). You can pay this BEFORE coming to the park online at Pay.gov.
- All climbing parties must obtain a Climbing Permit in-person at Mount Rainier National Park for their climb (one per party, up to 12 people per party).
About the Annual Climbing Fee:
The Annual Climbing Fee at Mount Rainier National Park helps provide for rangers to respond to search and rescue incidents, staff ranger stations and high camps to register climbers and provide up-to-date route conditions, and remove human waste from the mountain and dispose of it properly. Pay the Climbing Fee online through Pay.gov.
Physical climbing passes will NO longer be issued. Climbers need to print their confirmation email or save a copy to their device to show the rangers when registering for a Climbing Permit at a ranger station.
The Annual Climbing Fee changes with the Consumer Price Index every year. For 2022 the fee is:
- $53 for adults (26 years old and older)
- $37 for youth (25 years old and younger)
Reservations
No
Reservations for Climbing Permits can be made through the Recreation.gov website for Mount Rainier National Park Wilderness and Climbing Permits. Reservations are encouraged but not required, especially for people traveling long distances to get to the park, larger climbing parties, and those trying to climb over a holiday weekend. Only during high-use months (June through September) are reservations for Climbing Permits made available. Reservations must be made at least two days in advance of the trip start.
Only approximately 60% of the total Climbing Permits are available for reservation. The remaining permits are only issued at the ranger stations inside the park on a first-come, first-served basis.
Season
Spring, Summer
Climbing season is typically in the spring to early summer. Check the route briefs for details on seasons for specific routes.
Accessibility Information
Mount Rainier is a glaciated volcanic peak and climbers must be in excellent physical condition and well prepared. Reaching the summit via any route requires a vertical elevation gain of more than 9,000 feet and traveling over ten miles in distance. Check the route briefs for detailed descriptions of the main routes.