Mount Rainier National Park timed entry reservations for visits to the Paradise or Sunrise corridors during the month of July will become available on Monday, April 1.
Visitors who wish to plan ahead for a July visit can visit recreation.gov any time after 8 a.m. starting Monday, April 1, and select their preferred dates and time blocks. Timed entry reservations for the Paradise corridor starting on Friday, May 24, are also available.
Visitors who prefer a more spontaneous visit can enter the park without a timed entry reservation before 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m., or they may choose to wait for a second block of timed entry reservations to be released at 7 p.m. every summer evening for visits on the following day.
Entrance passes are required for all visitors accessing any area in the park, regardless of the day and time.
The 2024 pilot timed entry reservation system seeks to spread out visitation in the most heavily impacted corridors throughout the day, according to a news release from the National Park Service.
The system will be in effect from Friday, May 24, through Monday, Sept. 2.
“We believe the timed entry system will not only reduce overcrowding but will also help protect special places like the wildflower meadows at Paradise and Sunrise that so many folks enjoy.” Park Superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in the news release.
Park visitors will need a reservation between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. to:
• Visitors can enter the Paradise corridor from either the Nisqually entrance via state Route 706 or Stevens Canyon entrance via state Route 123 from May 24 through Sept. 2. Starting April 1, timed entry reservations for May 24 through July 31 will be available.
•Visitors can enter the Sunrise Corridor at the White River entrance via state Route 410 from July 4 through Sept. 2. Starting April 1, timed entry reservations for July 4 through July 31 will be available.
Each reservation is for one personal vehicle and will cost $2. The reservation will provide a two-hour entry window. For instance, visitors with a 9 a.m. reservation could enter the park between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. There is no required departure time.
Visitors with in-park reservations for lodging or camping in one of the two corridors will not require an additional timed entry reservation and can enter that corridor any time after 1 p.m. the first day of their reservation and throughout their stay. Other permit holders may enter the park without reservations as outlined in their wilderness permit, special use permit, research permit or commercial use authorization.
The park has grown in popularity in recent years, with visitation growing from just over 1.1 million in 2013 to about 1.6 million in 2022. Most of those visits occur between July and September and are concentrated in a small number of destinations, including Paradise.
The National Park Service has been engaged in a visitor use management planning effort focused on the Nisqually-Paradise corridor. During the planning process, the public also raised concerns about congestion in the Sunrise corridor. A draft environmental assessment was shared with the public in April 2023 and identified reservation systems as a strategy to address the overall visitor experience, according to the release.
“This pilot reservation system is a key part of evaluating what type of system will provide a more enjoyable experience for visitors,” the National Park Service stated. “The system is not expected to reduce overall visitation, but rather spread it out throughout the day and season to reduce crowding.”
Detailed information the pilot reservation system can be found online at https://go.nps.gov/MORATimedEntry.
Visitors with questions about the park’s timed entry reservation system can contact the park via email at mora_timed_entry@nps.gov.
Timed entry reservations can only be made online at recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777 between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.
For more information on Mount Rainier National Park, visit https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm.
