Mount Rainier National Park 46°51′10″ n. w. 121°45′37″ W d. HGIOL

The area of ​​the park is 953.5 km². Within the park is the stratovolcano Rainier, whose height is 4392 m. The volcano rises sharply above the surrounding areas; The park's altitude ranges from 490 to more than 1430 m above sea level. Rainier is the most high point in the Cascade Mountains, it is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine flowering meadows, relict forests and more than 25 glaciers. The volcano is often covered by clouds that pour out huge amounts of precipitation, often causing devastating floods.

The park contains beautiful alpine meadows and about 370 km² of relict forests.

Story

Indigenous people

The first evidence of human presence on the territory of the modern park dates back to about 4000-5800 years old. They were found along the Bench Lake Hiking Trail (the first part of the Snow Lake Trail). A more significant archaeological find is a rock shelter found near Fryingpan Creek, east of Goat Island Mountain. Items related to hunting were found in the shelter. It can also be assumed that the shelter was not used throughout the year. The site was probably used by the tribes of the Columbia Plateau about 1000-300 years ago.

Creation of the park

On March 2, 1899, US President William McKinley signed a bill issued by Congress approving the creation national park Mount Rainier. At that time, Mount Rainier became the country's fifth national park. It was also the first US national park to be formed from a national forest. In 1893, the Pacific Forest Reserve was established to include Mount Rainier. In 1897, the reserve's area was expanded and it was renamed Mount Rainier Reserve. In 1898, the reserve was visited by the famous American writer and conservationist, John Muir. Muir and a group of nine others climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier, marking the fifth recorded ascent of it. The trip to Mount Rainier did much to convince Muir to dedicate his life to conservation and creating national parks. By that time, many national forests had been created in the American West (at that time they were called “forest preserves”), but Muir wanted to upgrade the status of these environmental areas to national parks, which, however, did not meet with much public support in those years. During the 1890s, he managed to achieve the creation of only one national park. When the Pacific Forest Reserve was created in 1893, Muir approached the newly formed conservation organization the Sierra Club to support the drive for education at Mount Rainier National Park. The movement was soon joined by the National Geographic Society and a number of scientific associations, which, among other things, were interested in preserving the territory as a site for the study of volcanism and glaciology. The initiative was also supported by a number of companies in Seattle and Tacoma, as well as Northern Pacific Railway. The movement to create the park lasted more than 5 years and included 6 attempts to push legislation through Congress. Ultimately, Congress agreed to the park's creation on the condition that the land would be unsuitable for agriculture or mining, and that no federal funds would be required to maintain the park.

Flood 2006

National Park Mount Rainier was closed following severe flooding caused by heavy rains that hit the area on November 6, 2006. 460 mm of precipitation fell in 36 hours. Most of the roads and campgrounds were washed away. It was not until May 5, 2007 that the park was reopened to motorists traveling on State Route 706 and entering the area through the Nisqually Gate.

Infrastructure and attractions

On February 18, 1997, the entire park area was designated a National Historic Landmark District in recognition of the preservation and excellence of park architecture. The park includes 42 properties on the US National Register of Historic Places, including 4 National Historic Landmarks.

The park's most popular attraction is the area known as Paradise. The area is located on the southern slope of Mount Rainier, at an altitude of about 1600 m above sea level. 62% of the park's 1.3 million visitors in 2000 came to Paradise. In this part of the park there is a tourist information center named after. Henry M. Jackson (built in 1966; demolished and rebuilt in 2008), as well as the historic Paradise Inn, built in 1916. The US National Park Service calls Paradise the snowiest place on Earth. In the winter of 1971-72, 28.5 meters of snow fell in this area, which was a world record for that winter.

10.5 km east of the Nisqually Gate is the Longmire Visitor Center. The center is located in the Nisqually River valley, at an altitude of 842 m, between the Ramparts and Tatoosh mountain ranges. Longmire is surrounded by relict forests of Menzies pseudo-hemlock, folded arborvita and western hemlock. Longmire is the second most popular destination among park guests (38% of the 1.3 million visitors visited in 2000).

The Sunrise Visitor Center is located in the northeastern part of the park, at an altitude of 1950 m. This is the highest point in the park that can be reached by car. The Sunrise area offers many hiking trails.

In 2013, a rare relict species of dipterous insects was found here. Plesioaxymyia vespertina .

Notes

1. Bolsinger, Charles L. Area of ​​old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington / Charles L. Bolsinger, Karen L. Waddell. - United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 1993. - ISBN Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-197.
2. Part One: The Cultural Setting. I. Historical Overview Of Indians And Mount Rainier (undefined) (unavailable link). Mount Rainier Administrative History. National Park Service (July 24, 2000). Retrieved June 5, 2007. Archived June 24, 2013.
3. Burtchard, Greg C.; with contributions by Stephen C. Hamilton and Richard H. McClure, Jr. Chapter 4: The 1995 Mount Rainier Archaeological Reconnaissance (undefined) (unavailable link). Environment, Prehistory & Archeology of Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. National Park Service, Seattle, Washington; International Archaeological Research Institute, Inc. (originally published February 1998, last updated November 17, 2004.). Retrieved June 5, 2007. Archived June 24, 2013.
4. Carson, Rob; Craig Hill. Rainier Timeline (undefined) (unavailable link). The News Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Archived June 24, 2013.
5. Chronology of Climbs on Mt. Rainier (undefined) . Tacoma Public Library. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Archived July 1, 2013.
6. Transcribed from "John Muir"s Ascent of Mt. Rainier" (undefined) . University of Washington. Retrieved July 24, 2010. Archived June 24, 2013.
7. Duncan, Dayton.

All objects in the world, large and small, can cast a shadow. Mountains can do the same. But there is one unusual mountain - it casts its shadow not on the ground, but on the sky. Scientists have recognized this phenomenon as one of the rarest.

Rainier or Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in the state of Washington, with an altitude of 4392 m. It is the highest point of the Cascade Mountains (a large mountain range in western North America, originating in the southern part of the Canadian province of British Columbia and extending further through the US states of Washington and Oregon to northern California).

The mountain is named after the British Admiral P. Rainier (British sailor, Royal Navy officer, later admiral).

Rainier or Mount Rainier

The dormant stratovolcano Mount Rainier is located 88 km southeast of Seattle in Pierce County, small eruptions of which were recorded in 1820-1854. There is also evidence of its volcanic activity: in 1858, 1870, 1879, 1882 and 1894. At the moment, according to the USGS, in the event of a strong eruption, about 150 thousand people nearby could be in danger settlements.

Mount Rainier is considered the most famous mountain in the United States. On sunny days, the peak is clearly visible on the horizon so that it can be seen from even Portland, Oregon, Victoria and British Columbia, which are located quite far from the mountain. And in the early morning during sunrise, or in the evening at sunset, when there are many clouds, the sun illuminates the mountain from below, thus forming a long shadow in the sky.

This amazing and rare phenomenon occurs only during the fall and winter, when the sun rises in the place where Mount Rainier “captures” the first rays of sunlight.

Mount Rainier in Washington State is a major attraction for both visitors to the state and local residents. This is the highest peak of the Cascade Mountains, ski resort and a place for trekking in the mountains and picnic in the summer. Mount Rainier can be seen from afar and absolutely dominates the landscape of the southeastern part of the state. And how beautiful he is! We didn’t even doubt this. Continuing our journey by car across the USA, we left the state of California and arrived at Mount Rainier National Park at the foot of the most dangerous volcano in the USA in the evening, in complete darkness. And in the morning, in the same darkness, we woke up and went on a date with the sun rising over the snow-capped volcano mountain.

Mount Rainier is the most dangerous volcano in the United States

Mount Rainier- the most high peak Cascade Mountains, its height is 4392 meters. She happens to be business card Washington State and its most recognizable symbol. But besides all this, Mount Rainier is also a stratovolcano! Just 87 km from Seattle sleeps the most dangerous volcano America and 17th in terms of threat in the world. Of course, the Yellowstone supervolcano should be called more dangerous, which if it decides to explode, it will be bad for everyone, not just North America. But it’s not exactly a volcano in the usual sense. But Mount Rainier - here it is, standing under a snow-white glacier in the mountains. You can see it from everywhere. And it is unknown whether His Majesty will deign to bother people.

The park around Mount Rainier attracts visitors with the opportunity to see:

• The most dangerous volcano in the United States is Mount Rainier;
• 25 mountain glaciers;
• Waterfalls with melted glacial water in the mountains;
• River valleys;
• Blooming alpine meadows;
• Ancient forests.

The Cascade Mountains are largely composed of active or extinct volcanoes. We wrote about some of them on our website, for example, those located in Oregon. And Rainier is no exception here. And even though the Rainier volcano raged and poured lava around before (at the beginning of the 18th century), now it remains only a source fresh water. it is called “Tacoma”, the source of water. And all because a huge glacier has accumulated on the top of the mountain, which supplies water to the residents of Washington state.

Mount Rainier is both beautiful and dangerous. But while he sleeps, people walk safely through the neighboring mountains and valleys, admiring the desperately terrible beauty. While it is a source of life and fresh water, it can also become a cause of destruction. They say that nature has no bad weather. Nature just is.

Watching the sunrise on Mount Rainier

To be honest, we didn’t make it quite a bit before dawn, but Mount Rainier still captivated us with its majestic appearance. Autumn was already in full swing, and we unwisely spent the night in a campsite at the foot of the volcano, on the river bank. And by morning they were terribly frozen. Therefore, at 4 o’clock we got up, folded the tent and drove in the dark along the mountain road up to Mount Rainier to meet the dawn. But by half past five in the morning, in a warm car, we realized that we wanted to sleep. So we decided to be more prudent, stopped our beloved Cruise in the parking lot, and dozed off for about ten minutes. But we slept for about half an hour, waking up when the sun began to rise. This is precisely the time we probably did not have enough. But there is no point in regretting, because we did not plan to find ourselves here at dawn, but set off so early just so as not to freeze.

But still, meeting the sunrise in such a magical place as Mount Rainier is expensive, and we still managed to see the last flickers of the creeping sun.

Surprisingly, we didn't notice large quantity photo-hunters in the trump spot at such an early hour

The sun has already risen quite high

Scary dormant volcano

The sun illuminated every blade of grass, every berry with its presence

The sun comes through the hills

To get to the Sunrise Center, you need to drive through a tunnel cut into the rock.

Mount Rainier National Park | Mount Rainier National Park

In the evergreen state of Washington in the northwestern United States, Mount Rainier National Park is located, which covers the entire Mount Rainier volcano and the area around it with an area of ​​956 thousand sq. km. The elevation difference in the park is from 490 meters to 4300. Most of the attractions available to the average tourist are located at an altitude of up to 2000 meters. For example, a visitor center Sunrise (Sunrise visitor center) is located at the highest point that can be reached by car - it is 950 meters. And this is not so difficult for a person who does not live in the mountains permanently, because acclimatization is not required. That's why Rainier Park receives so many tourists.

basic information

Name	Mount Rainier National Park
Where is	In the northwestern United States in Washington state - in the southeastern part of Pierce County and the northwestern part of Lewis County
Address	55210 238th Avenue East Ashford, WA 98304, USA
Nearest city	Tacoma
GPS coordinates	46° 51′ 10″ N, 121° 45′ 37″ W 46.852778°, -121.760278°
What is	The dormant stratovolcano Rainier is the highest point of the Cascade Mountains, surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, alpine meadows, relict forests and ancient glaciers
Park foundation date	March 2, 1899
Park area	953.5 sq. km
Working hours	Open 24 hours a day, except Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving Day. Some services close at night and are sometimes unavailable during winter
Attendance	About 1 million 200 thousand people per year
Cost of visit	Weekly ticket - $25 per car Weekly ticket - $20 per motorcycle Weekly ticket - $10 per pedestrian or cyclist Annual subscription – $50 Annual pass to all US national parks – $80
Visitor centers	Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, Ohanapecosh Visitor Center, Sunrise Visitor Center, carbon river ranger station Longmire Museum
Official website of the park	https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm

How to get there, opening hours, ticket prices

• To see Mount Rainier, you need to visit Mount Reinier national park. There are three entrances to it - Nisqually entrance in the southwest, Stevens canyon entrance in the southeast and White river entrance in the north. And all three will be quite difficult to access, as you'll either have to drive around the mountain or drive through Seattle's notorious traffic jams. Either way, allow three hours to get to the Sunrise visitor center, where many trails begin. And, as the name suggests, this is the best spot to photograph Mount Rainier at sunrise.
• Mount Rainier National Park is open throughout the year. But not all roads and visitor centers are accessible all year round. In winter, the park is accessible only through the Nisqually entrance, and the Carbon River entrance is open to pedestrians and cyclists, not cars. The Sunrise Visitor Center is usually open from July 1st to mid-September. The Longmire & White river Wilderness information center, where you need to obtain a permit for trekking in the mountains in the wild part of the park, is also open only in the summer months.
• Entrance to Mount Rainier National Park costs $25 for a car with all passengers, $20 for a tourist on a motorcycle, $10 for a bicycle or on foot. This ticket is valid for 7 days. Annual Mount Rainier Pass is $50. And an annual pass to all national parks in America, America the beautiful, costs $80. Read why such an annual subscription is useful and beneficial here - in our post about.
• Campsites (Cougar Rock, Ohanapecosh and White River) within the park cost $20 per night for one tent, per group – $60.
• When should you come to see the alpine meadows in bloom on the slopes of Mount Rainier? It is impossible to accurately predict the beginning of flowering each year and it depends on weather conditions. But if you focus on approximate signs, then flowers begin to appear by mid-July and are pleasing to the eye until early August. If there were frosts, then the date may move even to the end of August. In any case, it is better to monitor the condition of the glades on the official website of Mount Rainier Park, which provides the most accurate and up-to-date information about the park.

Park map

Map of Mount Rainier National Park (clickable) - click for details

Mount Rainier on a map of the USA

Trekking around Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier is, of course, a trekker's paradise. Here are collected different hiking routes in the mountains - from simple to difficult. Here you can not only walk, but also climb rocks and glaciers. We will not write about this, since we do not have the relevant experience. But we went on a trek.

Each visitor center has its own walking routes. Some of them are very long, and go from one center to another, such as the famous Wonderland trail - a trek to Wonderland - a trek around Mount Rainier for 150 km.

We went on the trail ourselves ( Mt. Fremont lookout), which starts at the Sunrise Visitor Center. From here you can go to other routes to the mountains, we will tell you about them in more detail.

What to take with you on a hiking trip to the mountains?

You need to prepare for a trip to the mountains in advance and take it seriously, even if it falls into the easy category. You must have the following necessary things with you:

• first aid kit with first aid supplies;
• map of the route to the mountains;
• compass;
• supply of food and water;
• a change of clothes in case of rain or weather changes during the day;
• flashlight with spare batteries;
• sun cream and sunglasses;
• folding pocket knife
• matches in case of emergency (fires cannot be lit on the territory of the national park);

Do not forget that Rainier is a dangerous volcano that can awaken, and that the areas on its slopes are wild.

However, our route up Mount Fremont was relatively easy and not scary. Since Sunrise is located at an altitude of 950 meters, adding to it 275 meters of elevation gain on our trail, we get 1225 m. Not so much.

Hiking routes from the Sunrise Visitor Center

Map and list of trails in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State:

• Nature Sunrise trail— circular route of 2.5 km, elevation gain of 90 meters — sightseeing tour with views of Rainier and the Cascade Mountains.
• Silver forest trail- 3.2 km, elevation gain of 45 meters - first you need to walk along the Sunrise Rim trail, then the trail through the burnt forest will lead to the observation point on Emmons.
• Sourdour Ridge trail. To the west to Frozen lake - 4.8 km with an elevation gain of 150 meters. Near the lake you need to be careful about the vegetation on the shore. You can return along the Wonderland trail. To the east to Dege peak - 7.7 km, elevation gain 240 meters.
• Emmons Moraine Trail— 4.8 km, elevation gain 215 meters. You need to walk 1.6 km along the Glacier Basin trail and then walk along the glacier.
• Sunrise rim trail- 8.8 km, elevation gain of 300 meters - the trail goes to Shadow lake, and then continues to the glacier viewpoint and to First Burroughs Mountain.
• Burroughs mountain trail— 7.7 km, elevation gain of 275 meters to the First Mountain and 9.6 km, elevation gain of 365 meters to the Second Mountain. First go to Frozen lake, then climb to Mount Burroughs, and return along Sunrise Rim.
• Mount Fremont lookout trail— 9 km, elevation gain 275 meters. Walk to Frozen lake, then to the old fire station.
• Upper Palisades lake trail— 11 km, elevation gain 550 meters. Mount Rainier is not visible on this trail.
• Glacier Basin trail— 10.5 km, elevation gain 520 meters.
• Berkeley park— 11 km, elevation gain 365 meters.

As I already said, many different trails start from each visitor center. Information about them can be seen on the official website. Choose the most suitable ones yourself. You should definitely check the status of the routes (information is on the official website of the national park) before you decide to go to Mount Rainier.

Trail map at Sunrise Visitor Center

Trekking up the Mountain Fremont lookout trail

As we drove around the mountain from west to east, we saw many trails starting at other stations, as well as right on the road, including the famous Wonderland trail and Summerland trail. In my opinion, the names were chosen extremely well! If Rainier Park didn't have a name, it should be called Wonderland!

We chose a hiking route to the mountains from among the difficult, but easier ones - climbing Mount Fremont (Mt. Fremont lookout), which starts right at the Dawn Center. This walk is 9 km long and has an elevation gain of 300 meters, and the return is downhill. Usually the trail takes three hours, and we finished it around that time. But we were in no hurry at all, took pictures of everything around, breathed fresh air and enjoyed the beauty.

Everything was really wonderful. One regret: we missed the blooming period of the local alpine meadows, when Mount Rainier National Park is besieged by crowds of tourists. We were told that the flowers were about to open, but at the time of our trip (the first half of September) this had not yet happened.

Unlike the walk along the mountain pass in the Olympic National Park, we did not encounter many wild animals. Only the chipmunks ran past, not afraid of anyone at all.

Mountain landscapes in the park on the way to Mount Fremont - our photos

Building at the Sunrise Visitor Center. Very romantic and beautiful!

And here is the path, along which we will go up!

Covered with snow, even in late summer, Mount Rainier is immediately visible!

Beautiful mountain landscape

We walk and we are surrounded by greenery

We walk along a narrow path on which stones sometimes fall. but even such an uninvited guest can make a good photo

Beautiful lake in the valley

The Cascade Mountains delight with their blue color

The stream made its way through the valley

And now we have reached the Frozen lake. In the fall it turned out to be defrosted

There are several trails near the lake, and here you can change direction, but we are going to observation deck Fremont Mountains

The target is visible from afar as usual

Another stream

But then the landscape changes, the greenery disappears and now we are walking along loose stones along a thin path, clinging to a high mountain

Similar to medieval castle, Truth?

At Fremont Mountain Overlook

Trekking in the mountains always gives a lot of positive emotions. And the joy is not only that we reached the goal - the observation point of Mount Fremont. As always, the hike itself was more exciting than the finale. Although it’s so nice to sit and relax, admire the beautiful volcano and regain strength for the return trip. In the photo, the glaciers look strange: as if you could touch them with your hand. But we’re not on Rainier itself, we’re just next to Mount Fremont, where the beautiful view. Our mountain hiking route took us through the wild beauty of Washington State. And now we just enjoy.

Ranger lookout tower atop Fremont Mountain

And down there everything is still beautiful and green!

Here is the most dangerous volcano in America

And the Indians called Rainier Tacoma, which means “source of water.”

The most important thing is to be one with nature!

And it's time for us to head back. Walk another 4.5 km to the parking lot. But isn't such beauty worth the effort?

So we are back in Sunrise Valley. She looks like a picture from a fairy tale book

Our video at Mount Rainier Park

And we, continuing our journey across the USA by car, having walked around the dangerous volcano, went to spend the night in the city of Mount Vernon (after a couple of nights in a tent you can stay in a motel), and in the morning - to the next point of our route. We continue to study the Cascade Mountains, and now we will go to get acquainted with their northern part, and visit the amazingly beautiful Lake Diablo.

Recommendation:
It is better to book a car for traveling around the USA in advance on the website rentalcars.com →

Mount Rainier National Park is a US national park located in southeastern Pierce County and northwestern Lewis County in Washington State. The area of ​​the park is 953.5 km².

Within the park there is the stratovolcano Rainier, whose height is 4392 m.

The volcano rises sharply above its surrounding areas; The park's altitude varies from 490 to more than 1430 m above sea level.

Rainier is the highest point in the Cascade Mountains, surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine flowering meadows, relict forests and more than 25 glaciers. The volcano is often covered by clouds that pour out huge amounts of precipitation, often causing devastating floods. The park contains beautiful alpine meadows and about 370 km² of relict forests.

The first evidence of human presence on the territory of the modern park dates back to about 4000-5800 years old. They were found along the Bench Lake Hiking Trail (the first part of the Snow Lake Trail).

A more significant archaeological find is a rock shelter found near Fryingpan Creek, east of Goat Island Mountain. Items related to hunting were found in the shelter.
It can also be assumed that the shelter was not used throughout the year. The site was probably used by the tribes of the Columbia Plateau about 1,000 to 300 years ago.

In 1963, the US National Park Service entered into an agreement with the University of Washington to study the use of the park by the indigenous population of these places. Richard Dougherty conducted an archaeological survey of the area and concluded that the area was most heavily used between 8,000 and 4,500 years ago.
As a result of interviews with elderly indigenous peoples and the study of ethnographic literature, another scientist, Allan H. Smith, did not find any evidence of permanent residence in the park.
However, this area was actively used for hunting and gathering, as well as for various rituals. In addition, Smith came to preliminary conclusions that the park was divided along river watersheds between 5 tribes: Nisqually, Puyalup, Muckleshoot, Yakama and Cowlitz.
However, subsequent research has cast doubt on Smith's theory that the tribes agreed upon boundaries before they entered into treaties with the United States in 1854-55.

Creation of the park

On March 2, 1899, US President William McKinley signed a bill issued by Congress authorizing the creation of Mount Rainier National Park. At that time, Mount Rainier became the country's fifth national park. It was also the first US national park to be formed from a national forest.
In 1893, the Pacific Forest Reserve was established to include Mount Rainier.

In 1897, the reserve's area was expanded and it was renamed Mount Rainier Reserve. In 1898, the famous American writer and conservationist John Muir visited the reserve. Muir and a group of nine others climbed to the summit of Mount Rainier, marking the fifth recorded ascent of it.
The trip to Mount Rainier largely convinced Muir to devote his life to conservation and the creation of national parks. By that time, many national forests had been created in the American West (at that time they were called “forest preserves”), but Muir wanted to upgrade the status of these environmental areas to national parks, which, however, did not meet with much public support in those years.

During the 1890s, he managed to achieve the creation of only one national park. When the Pacific Forest Reserve was created in 1893, Muir approached the newly formed conservation organization the Sierra Club to support the movement for education at Mount Rainier National Park.
The movement was soon joined by the National Geographic Society and a number of scientific associations, which, among other things, were interested in preserving the territory as a site for the study of volcanism and glaciology. The initiative was also supported by a number of companies in Seattle and Tacoma, as well as the Northern Pacific Railway. The movement to create the park lasted more than 5 years and included 6 attempts to push legislation through Congress.

Ultimately, Congress agreed to the park's creation on the condition that the land would be unsuitable for agriculture or mining, and that no federal funds would be required to maintain the park.

Flood 2006

Mount Rainier National Park was closed following severe flooding caused by heavy rains that hit the area on November 6, 2006. 460 mm of precipitation fell in 36 hours. Most of the roads and campgrounds were washed out. It was not until May 5, 2007 that the park was reopened to motorists traveling on State Route 706 and entering the area through the Nisqually Gate.

Infrastructure and attractions

On February 18, 1997, the entire park area was designated a National Historic Landmark District in recognition of the preservation and quality of park architecture. The park includes 42 properties on the US National Register of Historic Places, including 4 National Historic Landmarks.

The park's most popular attraction is the area known as Paradise. The area is located on the southern slope of Mount Rainier, at an altitude of about 1600 m above sea level. 62% of the park's 1.3 million visitors in 2000 came to Paradise.
In this part of the park there is a tourist information center named after. Henry M. Jackson (built 1966; demolished and rebuilt 2008), and the historic Paradise Inn, built 1916.
The US National Park Service calls Paradise the snowiest place on Earth. In the winter of 1971-72, 28.5 meters of snow fell in this area, which was a world record for that winter.

10.5 km east of the Nisqually Gate is the Longmire Visitor Center. The center is located in the Nisqually River valley, at an altitude of 842 m, between the Ramparts and Tatoosh mountain ranges.
Longmire is surrounded by relict forests of Menzies pseudo-hemlock, folded arborvita and western hemlock. Longmire is the second most popular destination among park guests (38% of the 1.3 million visitors visited in 2000).

The Sunrise Visitor Center is located in the northeastern part of the park, at an altitude of 1950 m. This is the highest point in the park that can be reached by car. The Sunrise area offers many hiking trails.

In 2013, a rare relict species of dipteran insects, Plesioaxymyia vespertina, was found here.

Mount Rainier is the most famous mountain in the United States. Amazing a natural phenomenon, which can be observed in these parts only in autumn and winter, it is at this time that the shadow of the mountain, breaking all our ideas, rushes into the sky. On sunny days, the summit of Mount Rainier can be clearly seen from great distances, even from Oregon, Portland, Victoria and British Columbia. But during cloudy weather, during sunrise, or at sunset, the sun illuminates the mountain in such a way that the long shadow cast by the mountain can be observed in the sky. Such a rare and amazing natural phenomenon occurs thanks to the rays of sunlight, which magically “ takes Mount Rainier into its arms.

The area of ​​the park is 953.5 km². Within the park there is the stratovolcano Rainier, whose height is 4392 m. The volcano rises sharply above the surrounding areas; The park's altitude varies from 490 to more than 1430 m above sea level. Rainier is the highest point in the Cascade Mountains, surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine flowering meadows, relict forests and more than 25 glaciers. The volcano is often covered by clouds that pour out huge amounts of precipitation, often causing devastating floods. The park contains beautiful alpine meadows and about 370 km² of relict forests

Every year, about two million people visit Mount Rainier. Said to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, Rainier is a huge, almost five-kilometre mountain, covered on all sides by glaciers, towering over three million inhabitants Seattle and its surroundings. In terms of relative height, the volcano is even higher than Chogori, the second peak of the world. The volcano’s 40 glaciers cover 91 sq. km. Seismologists are already warning about an imminent repetition of the eruption. The glaciers of the volcano are literally riddled with visible and invisible cracks.

The last time the volcano was active was more than 150 years, but seismologists are already warning of an imminent repetition of the eruption. The glaciers of the volcano are literally riddled with visible and invisible cracks, perhaps this is the result of the warm air that the volcano emits. And at the very top, under the thickness of the glaciers, there is even a small lake.

Mount Rainier National Park is a United States national park located in southeastern Pierce County and northwestern Lewis County in Washington State. The park was founded on March 2, 1899, the fifth in the United States. The area of ​​the park is 953.5 sq. km.

Mount Rainier or Mount Rainier, named after the British admiral P. Rainier, having a height of 4392 meters, is a stratovolcano. It is the highest point in the Cascade Mountains, a large mountain range that rises in the southern part of the Canadian province of British Columbia and extends through the US states of Washington and Oregon to northern California.

By the way, this is a dormant volcano, small eruptions of which were recorded in 1820-1854, and there is evidence of its volcanic activity in 1858, 1870, 1879 and 1894. According to the USGS, if it erupts, about 150 thousand people could be in danger.

Mount Rainier is considered the most famous mountain in the United States. On sunny days, the peak is clearly visible on the horizon so that it can be seen from even Portland, Oregon, Victoria and British Columbia, which are located quite far from the mountain.

The main part of Mount Rainier is covered with untouched relict forests and picturesque alpine meadows. In the center of the park is located active volcano Rainier. Belonging to the type of stratovolcanoes (conical rock formations composed of numerous layers of solidified lava), it rises above the park to a height of more than four thousand meters. Rainier is part of the Cascade Mountains and is their highest point.

We all know that any object on our planet, be it large or small, casts a shadow. All that is needed for this is a light source directed at this object. Can a shadow go into the sky? Maybe! And this amazing natural phenomenon can be observed in Washington state, 88 kilometers southeast of Seattle. It is there that Mount Reyer casts its shadow not, as is customary, on the ground, but high in the sky...

National parks in the USA are organized in such a way that you can find knowledge for three hours or a week, it all depends on the amount of free time.

The mountain is named after the British admiral P. Rainier.

If we consider Mount Rainier by zone, then up to an altitude of 2500 meters there are dense coniferous forests, then alpine meadows and above 2800 meters eternal snow and glaciers, numbering at least forty and with an area of ​​87 square kilometers. The largest Emmons glacier has an area of ​​14 square kilometers.

By the way, this is a dormant volcano, small eruptions of which were recorded in 1820-1854, and there is evidence of its volcanic activity in 1858, 1870, 1879 and 1894. According to the USGS, if it erupts, about 150 thousand people could be in danger. Mount Rainier National Park was closed following severe flooding caused by heavy rains that hit the area on November 6, 2006. 460 mm of precipitation fell in 36 hours. Very densely populated area near this mountain: Seattle and many other populated areas, Microsoft, Boeing and other large companies.

The Mount Rainer glaciers are the source of many rivers: the Columbia, White River, Puyallup and many others. This is how the river bed became shallow for last years This is a big problem.

The park is home to the 4,392 m high stratovolcano Rainier. The mountain is the highest point in the Cascade Mountains and is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, sub-alpine flowering meadows, old-growth forests and more than 26 glaciers. The volcano is often covered by clouds that pour out enormous amounts of precipitation, often causing devastating floods.