Designations

• National Park - March 2, 1899
• Wilderness - November 16, 1988
• Butter Creek Research Natural Area October 18, 1983
• National Historic Landmark District - March 1997

Park Regulations

The 2006 Compendium details rules and regulations specific to Mount Rainier National Park.

The Code of Federal Regulations lists rules and regulations common to all National Park Service sites.

Visitor Use Statistics are available from 1967. Data available include the number of vehicles, number of visitors and year-to-year change.

Mountain climbing is a very popular activity in Mount Rainier National Park. Statistics indicate that in each of the last several years approximately 10,000 people have attempted climbing Mount Rainier. Over the last five years about 52% have been successful. Climbing Statistics are available from 1852 to 1897 and from 1950 to the most recent year. Data available include the number of climbers and the number of climbers successful.

Visitor Survey Results

In the year 2000 a visitor survey was conducted in order to learn more about park visitors, their reasons for visiting, the activities they participated in and their opinions about a variety of issues. Visitor survey results assist the park in making management decisions based on visitor trends. Some of the results are available in the Mount Rainier National Park Visitor Study Brochure.

The Record of Decision for the Final Environmental Impact Statement and General Management Plan (FEIS/GMP) for Mount Rainier National Park has been approved. Under the new General Management Plan, park managers will improve stewardship of park resources while continuing to provide a range of high-quality visitor experiences. Most of the park (97%) is designated wilderness and will continue to be managed according to the provisions of the Wilderness Act. Most of the structures within the park are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and will be preserved for public use and enjoyment in their historical character. The primary goals of the new General Management Plan are to better manage peak-period visitation so that it does not adversely affect park resources and visitor experiences.

Key elements of the plan include the following: Establish a visitor carrying capacity framework and use it to ensure the preservation of park resources and the quality of the visitor experience. Phase in shuttle services in coordination with elimination of overflow parking to reduce traffic congestion and ensure effective visitor transportation within the park; provide shuttle service to various locations in the park, such as Longmire/Paradise, Westside Road, Sunrise, Mowich Lake, and Carbon River. Provide additional opportunities for visitors to use the park in the summer and winter, including: providing shuttles on the Westside Road, providing new picnic sites, improving interpretive facilities, and establishing or improving snow-parks for winter visitors. Replace the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise with a smaller, more efficient visitor center and reconfigure the parking area for shuttles. Improve the visitor information program internally and externally; use welcome centers outside the park to provide visitors information for planning their visits to the park and region. To reduce the amount of sediments and pollutants entering Mowich Lake, close the road to vehicles 0.5 mile from the lake and convert it to a trail. After completion of the boundary adjustment and development of the new facilities, close the Carbon River Road to private vehicles when there is a major washout of the road and convert the Ipsut Creek Campground to a walk-in/bike-in camping area. Recommend a boundary adjustment west of the Carbon River Entrance, including about 1,063 acres to provide for a new campground, picnic area, and administrative facilities, and to protect the river corridor. (Congressional action would be required for this action.)

Copies of the Record of Decision are available from the Superintendent, Mount Rainier National Park, Tahoma Woods, Star Route, Ashford, Washington 98304-9751; (360)-569-2211 (ext. 2301) or via Email: donna_rahier@nps.gov . The final EIS/GMP is also available in its entirety as a PDF file:

Mount Rainier General Management Plan (PDF 3600 kb).