Available Resource Guides for Exploring Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State

Glaciated stratovolcano sanctuary in the Washington Cascades

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park represents a landmark achievement in American conservation history, established after years of advocacy by John Muir and other preservationists who recognized the unique value of this glaciated volcano. The park preserves not only the physical icon of Mount Rainier but an entire ecological system that ranges from lowland old-growth forests through subalpine meadows to permanent ice and rock. The mountain itself is a stratovolcano that has built itself through successive eruptions over approximately 500,000 years, and its glaciers continue to shape the landscape through erosion and hydrological processes. The park contains several distinct areas accessible through different entrances: Paradise on the south side offers the most developed visitor infrastructure and spectacular meadow views; Sunrise in the northeast provides access to high subalpine terrain and the Emmons Glacier; the Carbon River area in the northwest preserves the park’s only true rainforest environment; and Mowich Lake serves as the largest and deepest lake within the park boundaries. Ninety-seven percent of the park is designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System, preserving primitive recreation opportunities and natural processes.