Mount Rainier National Park officials are considered a timed-entry reservation system to manage crowds/NPS file

It's no secret that the public's desire to head to the National Park System is creating logjams and congestion. So it should be no surprise that Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state is the latest unit of the system to consider implementing a timed-entry system for visitors during the busiest months of the year.

The park's popularity is growing. From 2008 to 2021 annual visitation rose from 1.1 million visits per year to more than 1.7 million visits. The park experiences extremely concentrated use, with 70 percent of the more than one million visits occurring between July and September. Visitors currently experience wait times of more than an hour to enter the park through the Nisqually and White River entrance stations on busy days, causing congestion both inside and outside of the park. Roadway congestion also occurs within the park at popular trailheads, which leads to parking in undesignated areas and pedestrian safety concerns due to limited roadway visibility. Reducing congestion will enhance visitor experience of this historic roadway and improve visitor access to recreation opportunities. 

Much of the use is concentrated in a relatively small number of popular destinations, including Paradise. The draft plan and environmental assessment prepared on the question of timed-entry include three alternatives that would proactively manage and pace the entry of vehicles into key areas of the park, including but not limited to Paradise and Sunrise. The park’s preferred alternative would implement a timed-entry reservation system during peak times at the park’s Nisqually, Stevens Canyon, and White River entrance stations. 

“After carefully considering the public feedback we received in 2020 and 2021 during this planning effort, we’ve identified a range of strategies to help our visitors have high-quality experiences while protecting park resources,” said Superintendent Greg Dudgeon. “The majority of comments that we received were related to traffic congestion, parking shortages, and crowding and that is exactly what we are hoping to address with a timed-entry reservation system.”

The Draft Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan and Environmental Assessment was prepared to provide analysis and an opportunity for public comment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act to support informed decision-making. The Draft Plan/EA can be found here, and you can leave your comments on it there, too.

Comments are being accepted through June 11. A final decision will be made in 2023 with potential implementation in summer 2024. 

The public is invited to attend a virtual public meeting to learn about the proposed action. NPS staff will answer questions about the plan and share information about how to provide comments. The virtual public meeting will be held Wednesday, May 3, from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. on Microsoft Teams. To register for this meeting, visit this site.