Like several National Parks in America, Mount Rainier National Park will also start a reservation system to enter the park in 2024. Read all about the Timed Entry Reservations here if you want to drive into Mount Rainier NP from Seattle, the south, or east.
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier National Park is a beautiful national park southeast of Seattle. This park is entirely dedicated to the enormous volcano Mount Rainier. In the middle of the park you will find Mount Rainier with a height of 4,392 meters. Although the last eruption was over 150 years ago, the volcano has not gone extinct.
In addition to the high mountain peaks, the park also has glaciers, dense forests, tundras and beautiful mountain meadows. Most of Mount Rainier National Park consists of wilderness and has roughly 5 areas: Paradise, Sunrise, Longmire, Ohanapecosh and Carbon River/Mowich Lake.
Mount Rainier National Park is very extensive and once inside you will hardly notice large numbers of visitors. Despite the fact that the park is so extensive, it has decided to start a trial with a so-called Timed Entry Reservation during a large part of the year. In short, you must reserve an arrival time for some entrances to the park. The park reports a 40% increase in visitors in recent years and is suffering from high numbers of visitors and although the park is very extensive there are only a few roads that are very full.
The Nisqually Entrance in the southwest part of the Park is the most common entrance to the park. If you are visiting the park from Seattle, this is most likely the entrance you will enter. This is also one of the entrances where a reservation is required from 2024.
Mount Rainier Reservations
Where reservations required
Where do you need a reservation for Mount Rainier National Park? There are two areas within the park where you need a reservation. These are the Paradise and Sunrise areas. If you want to enter Mount Rainier National Park via Nisqually Entrance or Stevens Canyon Entrance and drive the Paradise Corridor, you will need a reservation. The same applies to the White River Entrance in the east of the park, which is the Sunrise Corridor.
When reservation necessary
The two areas where Mount Rainier National Park will be piloting are Paradise and Sunrise. The two areas have different periods for which a reservation is required.
Paradise Corridor
For the Paradise Corridor in the south of the park, between Nisqually Entrance and Stevens Entrance, you need a reservation between May 24, 2024 and September 2, 2024. You do not need a reservation all day, but only from 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM o’clock.
What to see and do along Paradise Corridor:
- Westside Road incl. Gobblers Knob Fire Lookout
- Kautz Creek
- Longmire and National Park Inn
- Cougar Rock Campground
- Christine Falls
- Ricksecker Point
- Narada Falls
- Paradise with Jackson Visitor Center and Paradise Inn.
- Box Canyon
- Reflection Lakes
- Diverse Trailheads
Sunrise Corridor
For the Sunrise Corridor in the northeast of the park, from White River Entrance, you need a reservation between July 3, 2024 and September 2, 2024. You do not need a reservation all day, but only from 7:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
What to see and do along Sunrise Corridor:
- White River Wilderness Information Center
- White River Campground
- Sunrise Point
- Sunrise with Sunrise Visitor Center and Sunrise Day Lodge
- Diverse Trailheads
Do you want to visit both areas? Then you also need a reservation for both areas.
Do you want to go to Mount Rainier National Park for several days? Then he will have to make a separate reservation for each day.
When to reserve
There are some periods when you can make reservations for the Paradise Corridor and the Sunrise Corridor. In all cases, reservations can be made starting at 8:00 AM Pacific Time (PT). Reservations can be made 90 days in advance.
You can also try it the evening before you want to enter the park. Remaining or vacated reservations will become available starting at 7:00 PM (PT) the night before.
Paradise Corridor
| Reservation from | Reservation Period |
| February 21, 2024 | May 24, – June 30 2024 |
| April 1, 2024 | July 1 – July 31, 2024 |
| May 1, 2024 | August 1, – September 2, 2024 |
Sunrise Corridor
| Reservation from | Reservation Period |
| April 1, 2024 | July 3 – July 31, 2024 |
| May 1, 2024 | August 1, – September 2, 2024 |
When no reservation necessary
You don’t always need a reservation to visit Mount Rainier National Park. In the following cases you can enter the park if you do not have a reservation.
- If you want to visit the park before May 24, 2024 (Paradise Corridor) or after September 2, 2024.
- If you enter the park before 7:00 am.
- If you enter the park after 3:00 PM.
- If you enter the park on foot or by bike.
- If you have a Wilderness Permit or another special Permit.
- If you have a reservation for a Lodge or Campground. This concerns National Park Inn, Paradise Inn, Cougar Rock Campground or White River Campground. Do you have a reservation? Then you can enter the park after 1:00 PM on the day of your reservation.
How long is a reservation valid?
Your reservation is valid for 2 hours, but you cannot enter the park earlier than your reserved time. So if you have a reservation for 8:00 AM, you can enter the park between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM.
How much does a reservation cost?
A reservation for Mount Rainier National Park costs $2. You need a reservation for a car or motorcycle. You cannot request a refund after booking. You are also not allowed to transfer the reservation.
Please note: you still need to pay admission or be in possession of a National Park Pass.
Where to reserve Mount Rainier
You can only make a reservation for Mount Rainier on the official Recreation.gov website.
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