Mt. Rainier National Park Announces Spring & Summer Opening Schedules

From the Mt. Rainier National Park Service May 11, 2012:  

With warmer, sunny days becoming a little more frequent in the Northwest now, it seems spring has officially arrived and summer is not far behind.  However, at Mount Rainier snow still blankets the slopes (15 feet at Paradise) and roadways.  The spring melt is beginning and park road crews are cutting their way through the snowed-in roadway at Stevens Canyon.  This is still a great time of year to visit the park, to view the amazing snowpack, to cross-country ski or snowshoe.  Be sure to check on conditions with park staff before going – spring avalanches can be deadly.  

Paradise on May 11, 2012  Photo Credit:  Janelle Walker

Current Road Status & Projected Opening Dates:

Note:  These dates are projected and may be subject to change depending on conditions.

• Stevens Canyon Road:  May 25 @ 8:00 a.m.
• SR 410 to SR 123 over Cayuse Pass:  Open
• White River Road to Campground Lot:  May 25
• Sunrise Road:  June 22 @ 8:00 a.m.
• Mowich Lake Road:  June 29 @ 8:00 a.m.
• Skate Creek Road (USFS Road 52):  Open
• Chinook Pass:  May 25
• Westside Road:  Open to Dry Creek

Road Construction Updates:

Stevens Canyon Road:  Road construction repair work will be occurring on two sections of the Stevens Canyon Road throughout the summer.  Work will be Monday through Friday until Labor Day - 20-minute delays should be anticipated at each section.  After Labor Day the road will be closed to all traffic from just east of the intersection with the Paradise Valley Road to east end of the tunnel at Box Canyon for the remainder of the season,  Visitors will still be able to access Box Canyon via the East Entrance.  During closure period, the road will be closed to through traffic for both vehicles and cyclists.

SR 123:  A micro-surfacing  treatment will be applied on the roadway from MP 6.8 to MP 13.8 (Cayuse Pass) from August 6 to August 17, 2012 with 20-minute delays anticipated.    In addition, replacement of a failed deep culvert at MP 10.6 will take place in mid- to late September.  It is anticipated that the work will take 2-days to accomplish and due to the depth of the culvert a road closure will be necessary.  A press release will be issued prior to the closure.

Park Facility Hours

Longmire:

Longmire Museum

Through June 30:  open daily 9am - 4:30pm

July 1 - Sept 3:  9am - 5pm

Longmire Wilderness Information Center:  open daily 7:30am - 5pm

National Park Inn:  open daily year-round

Cougar Rock:

Cougar Rock Campground: open May 25

Cougar Rock Picnic Area:  open May 25

Paradise:

Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center:  open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. through May 17

May 18 - Sept 3:  10am -6pm

Paradise Inn 

May 18 to June 15:  10am - 6pm

June 16 to Sept 2:  10am - 7pm

Ohanapecosh:

Ohanapecosh Campground:  open May 25

Ohanapecosh Visitor Center 

May 25 – May 28 & June 2 - 3 :  10am - 5pm

June 9 - Sept 2:  9am - 6pm

White River:

White River Road to Campground lot:  open May 25

White River Campground:  open June 29

Sunrise:

Sunrise Lodge (snack bar & gift shop):  open June 29

Sunrise Visitor Center:  open June 29

Carbon River:

Ranger Station:  open year round - call for hours - 360-829-9639

Visit Rainier is a not-for-profit, non-membership destination marketing  organization that promotes tourism in the gateway communities around Mt.  Rainier.

For information on visiting Mt. Rainier, go to www.visitrainier.com. 

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