The timed-entry reservation test program at Mount Rainier National Park is almost at an end, and park staff want to know your thoughts / Rebecca Latson file

It’s no secret Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state is extremely popular. Annual visitation has grown from just over 1.1 million in 2013 to almost 1.7 million in 2023, with peak visitation numbers occurring between the end of June and the beginning of September. The downside to this popularity was seen in long lines of idling cars waiting to enter through park’s Nisqually, Stevens Canyon, and Sunrise entrances. Time that could have been spent on the trail was instead spent looking for an open parking space. Fragile areas were overrun with large crowds. Infrastructure and resources were strained at the seams from visitor congestion.

A very long line of cars waiting to pass through the Sunrise entrance booth, Mount Rainier National Park / Rebecca Latson file

In an effort to reduce these issues, the park initiated a timed-entry reservation pilot program for visits to the Paradise and Sunrise corridors in an effort to ease congestion during the busiest times of day during peak summer season. The pilot system currently required for visitors coming into the park between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. is intended to distribute visits more evenly during the busiest times of day, with the goal of reducing crowds, providing a better visitor experience, improving safety, and reducing impacts to park resources as visitation to the park continues to increase.

With the pilot program almost at an end, park staff would like your input regarding your experience. If you visited Mount Rainier after May 24, did you notice a difference in crowds? Were you able to find a parking spot easier? Was it problematic or easy to make a reservation for the desired area and time on recreation.gov? Or, did you bypass the reservation system completely by arriving in the park prior to 7 a.m. or after 3 p.m.? What are your thoughts on this pilot program?

“We are eager to learn what visitors think of the pilot timed entry system we are testing out this summer,” said Superintendent Greg Dudgeon. “We want to hear how the pilot did or did not work for people before we finalize our long-term visitor use management plan for the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor at Mount Rainier National Park.”

If you intend to visit Mount Rainier National Park up to September 2, you’ll still need a timed-entry reservation. To learn more about this, you can find detailed information at https://go.nps.gov/MORATimedEntry.

Let the park know what your thoughts are. Starting today, you can submit your comments online at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ MountRainier2024 until 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on Sept. 15, 2024.