A message from Mount Rainier National Park:
Mount Rainier National Park
Superintendent Randy King announces that entrance fees into Mount Rainier National
Park will be waived for all visitors to the park from Saturday, November 9,
through Monday, November 11 in honor of U.S. Veterans and current members of
the U.S. Armed Forces. This is the final fee free weekend for 2013.
November 11 was declared Armistice
Day in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson to honor the soldiers who fought in
World War I. The name was changed to Veterans Day on June 1, 1954 to honor all
those who have served.
Entrance fee waivers on the
Veterans Day holiday have been observed since 2006 and apply to all public
lands managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture.
Facilities open within the park
during this holiday include the National Park Inn at Longmire (lodging and
meals) and the Longmire General Store (gifts and food items). Visitor
information is available at the Longmire Information Center. The Henry M.
Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise will be open on Saturday and Sunday
only. The visitor center offers exhibits, visitor information, food
service, a gift shop and book store. In addition, many businesses in the gateway communities surrounding the park
remain open throughout the winter for park visitors to enjoy. They offer
accommodations, food services, and many other visitor amenities.
As weather and road conditions
warrant, the road between Longmire and Paradise will close nightly for visitor
safety, reopening each morning after the road has been cleared of snow/ice and
is ready for the public. The Stevens Canyon Road, connecting the west and
east side of the park is closed for the season as of this date. The White
River/Sunrise Road is closed for the season at its junction with State Route
410. However, these roads do remain open to hikers, bicyclists, skiers,
and snowshoers. On the east side of the park,
State Routes 123 and 410 remain open, but are subject to closure at any time
due to inclement weather.
AN IMPORTANT REMINDER TO ALL PARK VISITORS:
From November 1 through May 1, all vehicles must carry tire chains on the Nisqually Road to Paradise when
traveling above the Nisqually Entrance. Law Enforcement Rangers may
prohibit any vehicle from driving above the Nisqually Entrance (State Route
706) when it is determined that the vehicle may have difficulty safely
traveling the area.This
requirement applies to all vehicles (including four-wheel drive), regardless of
tire type or weather conditions. Weather
in the mountains can change rapidly at this time of year, and visitors are
reminded to be prepared for possible sudden storms. Roads may close at
any time due to weather changes.
Information on current park road
and weather conditions can be obtained by calling the park at 360-569-2211 for
recorded information that is updated regularly. Additional park
information is available on the park's web site www.nps.gov/mora.
For more information on visiting Mt. Rainier, go to www.visitrainier.com.
Visit Rainier is a not-for-profit, non-membership destination marketing organization that promotes tourism in the gateway communities around Mt. Rainier.
No comments:
Post a Comment