Reservations needed to enter Rainier national park at peak times this summer

TACOMA — During the peak hours of summer, visitors to the Mount Rainier National Park will need reservations to reduce crowding and parking issues, the National Park Service announced Wednesday.

As part of a new pilot system, park visitors will need to make reservations between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to enter the park through the Nisqually, Stevens Canyon and Sunrise/White River entrance stations during peak summertime, according to a news release.

Each reservation is for one personal vehicle and will cost $2 for a two-hour entry window. There is no required departure time. Reservations can be made at Recreation.gov or by calling (877) 444-6777.

No reservations are required for entry before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m., according to the National Park Service.

Visitors can enter the Paradise Corridor from either the Nisqually Entrance via State Route 706 or Stevens Canyon Entrance via State Route 123 from May 24 through Sept. 2, according to the news release. They can enter the Sunrise Corridor at the White River Entrance via State Route 410 from July 3 through Sept. 2.

The park has grown in popularity in recent years, with just more than 1.6 million visitors in 2022, the news release said.

“In recent years, it’s been too common for visitors to sit in idling cars for a couple of hours at the entrance stations and then make laps through the parking lots hoping for an empty parking space,” superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in the news release. “We are testing a system that will spread visitation out throughout the day and season to reduce crowding.”

The pilot reservation system is the result of a draft environmental assessment as well as public concerns about congestion in the Sunrise Corridor, according to the National Park Service.

“The system isn’t expected to reduce overall visitation, but rather spread it out throughout the day and season to reduce crowding,” the news release said.

Reservation dates through July will be available on Recreation.gov beginning Feb. 21 for the Paradise Corridor and April 1 for the Sunrise Corridor. Reservations for dates in August through Labor Day will open on May 1, according to the National Park Service.

“In addition to the reservations available up to three months ahead, a block of reservations will be released each day through the summer at 7 p.m. for use the following day,” the National Park Service said.

Visitors with in-park reservations for lodging or camping in one of the two corridors will not require an additional timed entry reservation and can enter that corridor any time after 1 p.m. the first day of their reservation and throughout their stay., the release said. Other permit holders may enter the park without reservations as outlined in their wilderness permit, special-use permit, research permit or commercial-use authorization, according to the National Park Service.

Visitors with questions about the park’s timed-entry reservation system can contact the park at MORA_Timed_Entry@nps.gov or by calling 360-569-6249.