Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park, scenic area of the Cascade Range in west-central Washington, U.S., about 35 miles (56 km) southeast of Tacoma and some 30 miles (48 km) northeast of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. The park was created in 1899 to preserve Mount Rainier, a dormant volcano 14,410 feet (4,392 meters) high, and the surrounding area. It covers 369 square miles (957 square km).
The peak of Mount Rainier was sculpted by ice, and some two dozen named glaciers and a number of smaller patches of permanent ice and snow remain around the summit area. The largest of these is Emmons Glacier along the northeast face. The park’s climate is cool montane, with warm summers and cold winters; elevation considerably affects temperatures. The park region receives large quantities of precipitation annually, especially on the western slope of Mount Rainier. Much of this falls as snow in winter and at higher elevations; snow can occur at any time of year in the summit area. Winter snowfall totals are substantial on the mountain: the ranger station at the Paradise area, on the southern slope, has recorded some of the world’s highest annual totals, which occasionally exceed 80 feet (24 meters).
Nearly three-fifths of the park is forested, with coniferous trees predominating. The lower elevations have dense forests of giant Douglas firs, western red cedars (giant arborvitae), and mountain hemlocks. Other firs and western white pines are among the species at higher elevations up to about 6,000 feet (1,830 meters). Subalpine meadows appear at about 4,500 feet (1,370 meters) and grow more extensive with rising elevation as the trees thin out, until they give way to alpine meadows above the timberline at about 7,000 feet (2,130 meters). During the warm months the subalpine and alpine meadows are covered with wildflowers that bloom progressively higher up the slopes as the summer passes.
The park’s wildlife is abundant and varied. Black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, black bears, and mountain goats are the largest animals; raccoons, squirrels, and marmots are among the more common small mammals. More than 220 species of birds have been observed in the park, but many of them are migrants or rare visitors. Among the most common birds are gray and Steller’s jays, Clark’s nutcrackers, hairy woodpeckers, and a variety of warblers.
The park, with its close proximity to the nearby Puget Sound urban area, is a popular destination for visitors. It is one of the country’s premier areas for hiking and mountain climbing. In addition to an extensive system of hiking trails within the park, the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail skirts portions of the park’s eastern boundary. There are several paved-road access points on the eastern and southern sides of the park. Three visitor’s centers—east on Sunrise Ridge, southeast on the Ohanapecosh River, and at the Paradise area—are open during the warmer months, as is the Paradise Inn (built 1916), one of the most renowned of the U.S. national park lodges. Park headquarters are located at Ashford, just southwest of the park.