Mount Rainier National Park: Park practicalities
Admission to the park is $10 per vehicle, $5 per person, for a one-week pass. The park has four entrances: Nisqually in the southwest corner, Stephen's Canyon in the southeast, White River in the northeast, and Carbon River in the northwest. Only the Nisqually entrance is open year-round (for cross-country skiing; the others open May-Oct). For map and trail conditions, stop by the visitor centers at Longmire, Paradise and White River ( ). During the summer, you can drive the 240 miles of roads that almost circumnavigate Mount Rainier National Park to the various entrances. The Nisqually entrance is the only part serviced by public transportation - either on a day-trip with Gray Line from Seattle (May-Sept; tel 206/624-5077 or 1-800/426-7505), or from Sea-Tac Airport to Paradise via Rainier Shuttle (tel 360/569-2331) or through Ashford Mountain Center (mid-May to Oct; tel 360/569-2604). There is no public transportation within the park.Two national park lodges provide accommodation : National Park Inn (tel 360/569-2275, ; $75-100), nestled in a forest at Longmire, is a small lodge open year-round, and further up the mountain, Paradise Inn (mid-May to early Oct; tel 360/569-2275; $75-100), is a massive 1917 wooden lodge, where the striking views, not the functional rooms, are the main draw. Make reservations well in advance. Rustic Cougar Rock and Ohanapecosh campgrounds are available by reservation only from July-Aug (tel 1-800/365-CAMP, ; $12-15), while White River, Sunshine Point and Ipsut Creek campgrounds are first-come, first-served. For overnight backpacking, pick up a required wilderness permit, free from Longmire, White River or Paradise ranger stations (tel 360/569-2211).
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