Beginning May 26, Mount Rainier National Park will only accept digital payments for entry and campground fees, according to an announcement last week. Cash will still be accepted for concession-run businesses inside the park like bookstores and restaurants.
Other national parks have also started to move away from cash payments. Earlier this year, South Dakota Badlands National Park and Oregon's Crater Lake National Park both switched to a cashless system. Devil's Tower National Monument also stopped accepting cash in April 2022.
Those who can pay only with cash can purchase pre-paid passes with ticket sellers outside the park before visiting Mount Rainier, although the park service has yet to identify external partners who will sell them. More information will be shared once it's available on the park's fees and passes webpage.
Annual passes, private vehicle passes, motorcycle passes, individual passes or backcountry permits and campground reservations can be purchased at recreation.gov, the federal government's online travel planning and reservations platform. Advanced campground reservations can also be made on the park's website.
The park service said the cashless payments will save money and help them manage their revenue more efficiently. The new system is also intended to reduce transaction times and improve accountability.
The national park isn't the only entity switching over to cashless forms of payment. Research shows that Americans, especially those in younger generations, are becoming increasingly comfortable going cashless. Survey results from analytic and advising company Gallup found that a majority of Gen Z and Millennial Americans — 54% of people age 18-29 and 55% aged 30-49 — are comfortable without carrying cash. However, 73% of people age 65 and older and 64% of those aged 50-64 prefer to carry cash.
Park fees and free days
Several park passes can be purchased at recreation.gov, including annual passes, which cover the entrance fee. The cost for each pass are as follows:
Entrance passes must be printed to enter, but the park will accept a digital voucher for a single vehicle pass.
Military veterans are qualified to enter the park free annually. Since November, the National Park Service and other federal agencies have been offering lifetime and an annual Military Pass that waives entrance fees at various parks nationwide. The lifetime pass is available for Gold Star Families and U.S. military veterans, and the annual pass is for current U.S. military members and their dependents. Gold Star Families and veterans must display a voucher to park staff to claim the lifetime pass, and current military members can get the annual pass at the U.S. Geological Survey agency's website.
During a few days a year, Mount Rainier lets all visitors in for free:
Groups from educational institutions can have their fees waived if they're visiting with the intent of studying park resources. The waiver must be applied a month prior to the scheduled visit, and the group must email an education request form to mora_fee_waiver@nps.gov.
