Katie Hayes climbs a switchback toward Panorama Point, above the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park.
Early winter snows have opened up Mount Rainier National Park for snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding, although the snow isn’t quite deep enough to open the Paradise snow play area — where sledding is allowed.
As snow-lovers beeline for the park, rangers have announced its winter hours.
At Paradise, the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center will be open on Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. It will also be open daily from Dec. 24 to Jan. 1, Jan. 21 and Feb. 18.
On weekends and holidays, visitors can join ranger-guided snowshoe walks at Paradise, which take place at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Those will run from Dec. 22 to March 31. The walks take two hours, and the first-come, first-served sign-up begins one hour in advance at the visitor center.
The Longmire area of the park will be open seven days a week, with the Longmire Museum open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The park’s main gate will be open 24/7 unless a temporary closure is necessitated by conditions. The gate between Longmire and Paradise is closed nightly, with uphill access blocked at 4 p.m.
