Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park ( ray-NEER) is a national park of the United States located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in the U.S. state of Washington. Its setting is 13 mi north of Packwood. It comes under the National Park Service. Footfall in 2025 was 1.6M.
A national park, 13 mi north of Packwood
78% of visits come in Jun–Sep
July is the busiest month, with about 413,786 visitors. February sees about 17,441. When to go ↓
You can sleep inside the park
5 places to stay are inside the park: Sunrise Day Lodge and Discover Mount Rainier. The nearest town with more is Packwood. Where to stay ↓
Best month: May
May is mild and quieter than average, with a high of 66°. When to go ↓
A day trip from Portland
Portland is about 97 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1899
Mount Rainier National Park dates from 1899 and is run by National Park Service. About ↓
Written from National Park Service visitor counts, NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia. Updated when the Park Service posts a new month.
The busy season and the weather
Here are the months at Mount Rainier, with visitors and weather.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park ( ray-NEER) is a national park of the United States located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in the U.S. state of Washington. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preserving 236,381 acres (369.3 sq mi; 956.6 km2) including all of Mount Rainier, a 14,406-foot (4,391 m) stratovolcano. The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet (490–4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range, Mount Rainier is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and 91,000 acres (142.2 sq mi; 368.3 km2) of old-growth forest. More than 25 glaciers descend the flanks of the volcano, which is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow.
- Type
- National Park
- Established
- 1899
- Area
- 368 square miles
- Run by
- National Park Service
- Wikipedia readers
- 50K a year
- Official site
- nps.gov/mora
Before you set off
- Private Vehicle$30
- Per Person$15
- Motorcycle$25
- Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus$100
Hotels and campgrounds near Mount Rainier National Park
You can sleep inside the park (5 places). The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Ashford (23) and Packwood (16), and Seattle has the most rooms in the area (201).
Stay in the park
- Sunrise Day Lodge lodge or cabins
- Discover Mount Rainier hotel
- Paradise Inn inn or B&B
- White River Campground campground
- Cougar Rock Campground campground
Ashford
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
319 people
13 mi west of Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Packwood
99 people · 75% vacation homes
13 mi south of Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center · 8 mi to the park
Mineral
7 people · 100% vacation homes
22 mi west of Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center · 4 mi to the park
Seattle
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
784,777 people
64 mi northwest of Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center · 46 mi to the park
Compare 9 towns
| Town | From the visitor center | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford | 13 mi west | 20 min | 23 9 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 12 lodges & cabins | 319 | $358K | — |
| Packwood 75% vacation homes | 13 mi south | 20 min | 16 5 hotels · 1 motel · 7 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 2 RV parks | 99 | — | — |
| Mineral 100% vacation homes | 22 mi west | 35 min | 7 1 hotel · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 4 campgrounds | 7 | — | — |
| Puyallup | 38 mi northwest | 1 hr | 13 5 hotels · 2 motels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 42,682 | $552K | D |
| Elbe | 22 mi west | 35 min | 2 1 hotel · 1 campground | — | — | — |
| Fife | 42 mi northwest | 1 hr | 15 11 hotels · 3 motels · 1 RV park | 11,061 | $543K | D− |
| Clear Lake | 29 mi west | 45 min | 4 1 lodge or cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,271 | $789K | — |
| Crocker | 28 mi northwest | 40 min | 3 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,254 | $419K | — |
| Seattle | 64 mi northwest | 1.5 hr | 201 148 hotels · 8 motels · 32 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 5 hostels · 1 campground | 784,777 | $939K | D− |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service, from the visitor center
Next door to Mount Rainier
Within 61 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw50 mi MountainMount St. Helens
Big draw60 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw60 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw58 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
58 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
59 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
46 mi MountainMount Adams
144 mi LakeSpirit LakePhoto credits
Mount St. Helens: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain · Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Adams: USGS Photo by R. Iverson, USGS/CVO, Public domain · Spirit Lake: Matt Logan, Public domain
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2025: 1,635,342 visitors
The count runs from 2016 up to 2025.
Questions about Mount Rainier
What town is Mount Rainier National Park near?
Packwood, WA, about 13 miles south.
When is the best time to visit Mount Rainier National Park?
May, with a high of 66°. July is the busiest month (about 413,786 visitors).
How many people visit Mount Rainier National Park each year?
1,635,342 in 2025, according to the National Park Service. The record is 1,674,294, set in 2023.
How far is Mount Rainier National Park from Portland?
About 97 miles southwest of Portland, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Mount Rainier National Park?
Tacoma Narrows (TIW), about 52 miles away. The nearest big hub is Seattle–Tacoma (SEA), about 53 miles.
Where should I stay near Mount Rainier National Park?
Inside the park: Sunrise Day Lodge, Discover Mount Rainier and Paradise Inn. Nearby: Ashford (13 mi, 23 places to stay), Packwood (13 mi, 16 places to stay) and Mineral (22 mi, 7 places to stay).
Ask a local in Packwood
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Packwood’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · National Park Service visitor use statistics · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.