Time reservation slots for Mount Rainier now open

Additionally, a plan to replace Fryingpan Creek Bridge has been approved.

By Ray Miller-Still • April 5, 2024 10:15 am
Mount Rainier visitors will soon need to reserve a time to enter the park if they want to go to Paradise or Sunrise. Image courtesy Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier visitors will soon need to reserve a time to enter the park if they want to go to Paradise or Sunrise. Image courtesy Mount Rainier National Park

If you’re looking to enjoy Mount Rainier this summer, remember to reserve your spot as the national park’s timed entry system comes online.

The new timed entry system was announced last January as a way for the park to reduce congestion. According to the park, visitation has increased to more than 1.6 million people; 70% of them come between July and September, and most flock to the Sunrise and Paradise areas.

“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,” Superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a press release.

Monday, April 1, was the first day to-be-park-goers could reserve their date and time slots; reservations for Paradise can be made from May 24 through July, and reservations for Sunrise just in July. (This means if you want to visit Sunrise before July, use the SR 410 North entrance, as opposed to the SR 123 South entrance, where you will need a reservation to enter the park.)

Reservations for September visits will become available later this year.

You only need to make a reservation if you want to visit the park between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Additionally, time slots for more impromptu trips will become available at 7 p.m. for next-day visits only.

Reservations are $2 and cover one vehicle. Additionally, there is a two-hour entry window, just in case visitors hit some difficulty on the roads while making their way to one of Washington’s wonders. There is no exit time requirement, so you can stay all day if you wish.

If you’re lodging or camping at Mount Rainier, you do not need a time entry reservation, and you can enter the park at any time after 1 p.m. on the first day of your reservation. Other permit holders (special use, research, and commercial use permits) also do not need to reserve an entry time.

You do not need to make a reservation to visit the east side of the park, the Ohanapecosh, Tipsee Lake, Carbon River, and Mowich Lake areas.

Entrance passes are still required to enter the park, regardless of the day or time or if you have a reservation.

Head to nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm to reserve your time slot.

FRYINGPAN BRIDGE REPLACEMENT

Mount Rainier National Park’s Fryingpan Creek Bridge is scheduled to be replaced — though not for a few years yet at least.

While the 1930s-era bridge, located about three miles west of the White River Entrance and is the only way to access Sunrise and the White River Campground, remains safe to use (at reduced loads and increased inspections), it is of “major” concern to the Federal Highway Administration.

“Fryingpan Creek Bridge must be replaced to ensure that visitors to the park can continue to enjoy access to Sunrise and White River for decades to come,” Superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a press release.

The bridge replacement is expected to occur anywhere between 2026 and 2029, depending on funding, and when construction does start, it’ll typically only happen during the short, snow-free summer days (mid-June through September), since that’s the only time construction is possible.

Seasonal access to the area will remain open, as one lane of Sunrise Road will be open during construction; traffic delays of up to 30 minutes can be expected.

Short-term closures may also be necessary, so make sure to check Mount Rainier National Park’s website about closures before you head down.

While the bridge will be mostly accessible to drivers, the nearby parking area and the Summerland trail access area close to the bridge will be closed to meet safety requirements.

The new bridge will be about 220 feet long, longer than the current structure, in order for it to be less of an impediment to Fryingpan Creek.

Fryingpan Creek Bridge will be replaced in the next few years; the original was built in 2930-1931. (Image taken in 1992 by photographer John “Jet” Lowe, accessed via the Library of Congress)

Fryingpan Creek Bridge will be replaced in the next few years; the original was built in 2930-1931. (Image taken in 1992 by photographer John “Jet” Lowe, accessed via the Library of Congress)