Mount Rainier National Park

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Mount Rainier National Park

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The Official Mount Rainier National Park page. In addition to keeping it family friendly, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here.

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11/03/2026

Can you name this peak? Here’s a clue: Little _ Peak**.

Built by lava between 160,000 and 40,000 years ago, this peak took shape as Mount Rainier’s eruptions slowed. Meanwhile, erosion wore away the mountain’s upper slopes and lowered its summit.

But the shaping of this peak was not as gradual. After thousands of years of slow erosion, a sudden collapse transformed it in seconds.

On December 14, 1963, 12-14 million cubic yards of rock broke loose from this peak and thundered onto Emmons Glacier below changing the landscape in moments. No one witnessed the collapse, but its roar was certainly heard.

The rock debris covered the glacier as an insulating blanket. Two or three years later, scientists observed that Emmons Glacier had advanced significantly—a reminder that rock, ice, and volcanic activity are connected in a landscape that is always changing.

What geologic changes come to mind when you think of Mount Rainier?

**This is Little Tahoma Peak, elevation 11,138 feet (3,395 meters). Located east of Mount Rainier’s summit, it is the third-highest peak in Washington.

NPS/RBall photo

10/30/2026

Bat Week Act II: WNS

An American horror story is quietly gripping bats in North America. The villain? Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), the fungus behind white-nose syndrome (WNS).

The fungus likely originated in Europe or Asia. European bats have lived alongside it much longer and appear to have evolved some resistance to its effects. For North American bats? It’s a tragedy: they’re just trying to knock out through winter, but the fungus keeps them wide awake, dehydrated, and burning through the fat reserves they need to survive. Some may even find themselves out in freezing temperatures, searching for insects when dinner has all but disappeared for the season. Many ultimately starve.

Unfortunately, WNS has made its way into the Pacific Northwest, including Mount Rainier National Park. Fortunately, bats here roost in smaller numbers, tucked into snag trees, cliffs, and talus (rock piles) rather than packed by the thousands into large caves. Fewer bats hibernating together means fewer opportunities for the fungus to spread. That gives researchers something precious: time. Field teams across North America are monitoring bats, tracking the disease, and researching ways to protect them—including vaccine research. Whether that extra time will be enough? Time will tell.

Learn more about WNS and more during BatWeek at: go.nps.gov/1sy4bw

NPS Video / Filo Merid.
NPS Photos / H. Galloway, S. Hammerle, K. Popek, M. McGrath.
USGS Photos / M. Hansen.
USFWS Photos / M. Moriarty.
For an audio-described version, visit: youtube.com/shorts/ZOl_Pf7QI6o

10/29/2026

Starting this Sunday, November 1, all vehicles are required to carry tire chains when traveling in the park during the winter season (November 1 - May 1). This requirement applies to all vehicles (including four-wheel-drive), regardless of tire type or weather conditions. Practice putting on tire chains (or alternate traction devices like autosocks) and be prepared to use them if required. Questions? Check out the link in our bio.

NPS graphic

10/28/2026

Starting Thursday, October 29, 2026, the gate at Longmire to Paradise will close nightly.

Gate Schedule:
- Gate opens 9:00 am
- Uphill gate closes 3:00 pm
- Downhill gate closes 4:00 pm**

**It is recommended to leave Paradise by 3:30 pm in order to safely drive down the hill and exit the gate at Longmire before it locks for the night.

The road may have a delayed opening, close early, or remain closed the entire day due to weather or staffing conditions, as determined by the Winter Road Opening Matrix: https://go.nps.gov/WinterRoadOpeningMatrix

Learn more about winter travel in Mount Rainier National Park at https://go.nps.gov/MORAWinterTravel

NPS graphic

10/28/2026

Bat Week, Act I: Meet the Night Shift.

Big ears. Silver hair. Long legs. Tiny furry bodies. The Chiroptera order has range—and face cards you’ve been sleeping on. They may not be the park’s most obvious residents, but they’re megacute—and they work hard in the shadows. With at least 10 known species calling Mount Rainier home, we’re giving their reputation a rebrand.

Over the next couple of acts, we’ll go hibernacula hunting (that’s house hunting in bat-speak), expose the slow horror haunting bats across the park, and make the case for why you should be rooting for them. Or at least appreciating their mosquito-eating public service.

The stage is set. The cast is ready. Swipe to meet the crew.

NPS Videos / Filo Merid

Bat photos are courtesy of MerlinTuttle.org. For an audio described version, visit our YouTube channel [link in bio]

Myotis evotis, aka Western long-eared myotis
THE NOSY NEIGHBOR

Those ears aren’t just for decoration. Western long-eared myotis have ridiculously sensitive hearing that helps them pick up insects and navigate through cluttered forests.

They’re also surprisingly good at hunting in tight spaces, swooping through vegetation where a less maneuverable bat would probably decide to take the evening off.

Basically, they’re built for getting into everyone’s business, zero boundaries.

Townsend’s big-eared bat, aka Corynorhinus townsendi
THE LISTENER

Those ears are enormous. And yes, they can hear you talking dirt about bats.

Townsend’s big-eared bats use their spectacular ears to detect prey and navigate in the dark. When they’re roosting, they can even curl those ears back like tiny bat scrolls.

They’re also extremely sensitive to disturbance, especially during hibernation.

So maybe watch what you say. They’re listening.

Long-legged bat, aka Myotis volans
THE LEGGY ONE

This bat is not particularly picky about where dinner happens. Forests, meadows, wetlands, even around human structures—if there are insects, it’s on the clock.

It’s especially fond of moths and beetles, and it can forage in surprisingly different habitats depending on what’s available.

Basically: no niche? No problem. It’ll make one.

Yuma myotis, aka Myotis

10/24/2026

Look closer… what is that? It’s not an animal, or a plant, or a fungus. It is a slime mold! Slime molds are not even true “molds”. These mysterious organisms can be single cells or combine into a multi-cellular mass (a “plasmodium”). These masses can move in an amoeba-like fashion, often collecting around food sources. Slime molds eat bacteria that feed on decomposing plants, helping to cycle nutrients through forest ecosystems.

Slime molds form fruiting bodies to release spores, like these tiny orange-red orbs of the slime mold Hemitrichia decipiens, pictured here. You can see why this slime mold is also called “salmon-eggs” slime mold!

Mount Rainier is a big landscape, but when you look closer, what do you see?

Learn more about slime molds at https://go.nps.gov/SlimeMold

NPS Photo of slime mold photographed near Longmire, 10/20/26.

10/23/2026

Are you planning a visit to Mount Rainier National Park? Next Tuesday, October 27, is a fee free day in recognition of President Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday. All entrance fees are waived at National Park Service sites across the country, including Mount Rainier National Park. Plan ahead to have a safe and enjoyable visit:

- Check the weather! Snow is possible at higher elevations including along the popular Skyline Trail at Paradise. Mount Rainier Recreational Forecast: https://a.atmos.washington.edu/data/rainier_report.html

- Are you prepared for winter recreation? Plan your route, bring the 10 Essentials, and never travel alone. If weather, visibility, and conditions look poor, have a backup plan, such as a lower-elevation hike, or try again another day. Learn more about winter safety at https://go.nps.gov/MORAWinterSafety

- The Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise is closed Tues-Thurs, open Fri-Mon. The Longmire Museum and National Park Inn are open daily at Longmire. Check hours of operation at https://go.nps.gov/MORAhours

- Many park roads are closing for the season. White River, Sunrise, and Paradise Valley Road have closed for the season. Stevens Canyon Road closes for the season October 26. SR410/SR123 on the east side of the park remain open until mid-November, weather dependent. Check road status at https://go.nps.gov/MORAroads

- The Ohanapecosh Campground Area, including day parking, picnic areas, visitor center, restrooms, parking lots, trails, & amphitheater, remains closed for construction. The Silver Falls Trail is open from SR123. The Silver Falls trailhead in the Ohanapecosh Campground is closed. Learn more about Park Construction impacts at https://go.nps.gov/MountRainierConstruction

- There continues to be no public access to Carbon River & Mowich Lake from State Route 165 due to the closure of the SR165/Fairfax Bridge. Carbon River & Mowich Lake can still be reached with long-distance hiking via the Wonderland Trail inside the park.

NPS Photo of Mount Rainier from the Trail of the Shadows in Longmire, 10/16/26.

10/20/2026

𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗥 𝟳𝟬𝟲 𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟯; 𝗻𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗶𝘀𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲.

SR706 outside of the park will be fully CLOSED overnight from 9 pm this Friday 10/23 until 6 am Saturday 10/24, for road repairs to replace a second failing culvert. The closure will be from Kernahan Road East to the Nisqually Entrance.

During the closure, there will be NO ACCESS to the Nisqually Entrance, the main park entrance in the southwest corner of the park near Ashford, WA. To reach Paradise during the closure, plan to enter/exit the park through the Stevens Canyon Entrance via SR123 on the east side of the park.

WSDOT News Release: https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2026/round-2-overnight-closure-sr-706-near-mount-rainier-national-park-friday-oct-23

10/19/2026

Park Places

Not every peak in Mount Rainier National Park is Mount Rainier! Ranger Katie photographed this spired peak from Foss Peak during a recent wilderness patrol. Can you name this peak? Bonus points if you can name the volcano in the distance.

Any ideas? That’s right, it’s Unicorn Peak!

At 6,917 feet, Unicorn is the highest peak in the Tatoosh Range, located along the park’s southern boundary. Its distinctive rock formation inspired its name, officially adopted by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in 1913.

Snow Lake offers a great view of Unicorn. Water from the lake feeds Unicorn Creek and ultimately Martha Falls, linking this mountain landscape through moving water.

Mountain names can reveal what people notice, imagine, or value. What’s a place whose name has shaped how you see it?

NPS/Katie Tennis photo

Address

55210 238th Avenue East
Ashford, WA
98304

Telephone

+13605692211

Website

http://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm, https://www.nps.gov/mora/learn/management/social-media-policy.htm

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