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Park Management
Designation dates, park regulations and policies, visitor statistics, and management documents available on the Management page.
Commercial Services
Approximately 80 companies provide a variety of commercial services in Mount Rainier National Park. These services are limited to those companies that have specific commercial authorizations. Learn more about our Concessioners and Commercial Use Authorizations on the Commercial Services page.
Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan
The National Park Service (NPS) is developing a Nisqually Corridor Management Plan at Mount Rainier National Park. There will be several opportunities to help identify key issues and potential management strategies. The information gathered through this planning process will inform decision-making and priority-setting for public investments over the next decade.
The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking public feedback on a plan to implement a timed-entry reservation system at three park entrances during peak visitation hours during the summer months: News Release, 4/26/23.
- From April 26 to June 26, 2023, the public and local communities were invited to comment on the Draft Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA), which is still available on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/NisquallyCorridorPlanEA.
- From July 16 to September 14, 2021, the public and local communties were invited to comment and share ideas on the preliminary strategies developed based on feedback from 2020.
- From August 10 to October 5, 2020, the public and local communties were invited to participate in the planning process.
Learn more about the project on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website.
Go to the Meeting Notices page for details on past and future public meetings. A recording of past public meetings are below.
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Recording of the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan Public Meeting held virtually on September 1, 2020.
- Duration:
- 54 minutes, 55 seconds
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Recording of the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan Public Meeting held virtually on August 5, 2021.
- Duration:
- 1 hour, 19 minutes, 45 seconds
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Recording of the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan Public Meeting held virtually on May 3, 2023.
- Duration:
- 1 hour, 33 minutes, 55 seconds
Draft Accessibility Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan (SETP)
The Draft SETP documents existing barriers to accessibility, provides recommendations for improving in-park access and proposes timeframes to implement changes. Suggested improvements include upgrades to park structures, programs and services. The document was available for public review and comment from Monday, October 16, 2023, through Thursday, November 30, 2023. For more information: News Release, 10/16/23
Air Tour Management Plan
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS) developed this Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) pursuant to the National Parks Air Tour Management Act of 2000. The objective of the ATMP is to develop acceptable and effective measures to mitigate or prevent the significant adverse impacts, if any, of commercial air tour operations upon the natural resources, cultural resources, and visitor experiences of a national park unit and any tribal lands within or abutting the park. The National Park Service (NPS) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) completed the air tour management plan for Mount Rainier National Park on July 18, 2022 (News Release, 7/19/22).
Environmental Assessments
- Environmental Assessment Review and Comment Opportunity for replacement of the historic Fryingpan Creek Bridge (News Release 4/5/2023)
The National Park Service (NPS), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is seeking public input on replacement of the historic Fryingpan Creek Bridge. The environmental assessment (EA) evaluates the impacts of replacing the existing bridge located in the northeast portion of the park along Sunrise Road. The bridge provides the only vehicular access from Mather Memorial Parkway (Highway 410) to the Sunrise Developed Area and White River Campground and needs to be replaced to provide for safe and sustainable public and administrative access. The EA is available for review and comment through May 7, 2023, on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website.
- Environmental Assessment Review and Comment Opportunity for Lahar Detection and Seismic Monitoring System (News Release, 05/27/21)
The National Park Service (NPS) has released an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Lahar Detection and Seismic Monitoring System at Mount Rainier for public review. The EA is available for review and comment through June 25, 2021 at the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website.
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Proposed Expansion of Lahar Detection System Environmental Assessment (News Release, 10/5/20)
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) Cascades Volcano Observatory has proposed changes to the existing volcano monitoring system inside Mount Rainier National Park as part of a broader effort to implement an expanded lahar detection system. Public input was accepted during the scoping period from October 5 - 30, 2020, to assist the National Park Service (NPS) in identifying concerns, potential alternatives, and suggested mitigations. More information can be found on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website.
- Fish Management Plan Environmental Assessment (News Release, 9/20/18)
The National Park Service (NPS), has issued its decision and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Mount Rainier National Park’s Fish Management Plan Environmental Assessment (EA). The EA analyzed three alternatives. The selected alternative will update fishing regulations emphasizing catch and release of native fish species and retention or harvest of nonnative fish species, implement nonnative fish suppression and/or eradication from selected streams and rivers in bull trout habitat, include fish removal from up to 10 lakes, expand research and monitoring, and allow adaptive management. A no action alternative (status quo management) and a more expansive action alternative were also considered. More information can be found on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at: http://parkplanning.nps.gov/morafishmgtplan.
- Nisqually River Levee Retrofit Environmental Assessment
The National Park Service has completed its environmental review and issued its decision to permit Pierce County Public Works to retrofit the upper Nisqually River levee in Mount Rainier National Park with deflectors. The decision, detailed in the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Upper Nisqually River Retrofit Environmental Assessment (EA), authorizes Pierce County to move forward with plans to construct deflectors within the park once all permits are secured (News Release, 3/7/19).
The National Park Service previously sought public comments in November 2018 () and in July 2018 () regarding this proposal. More information on the project can be found on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/nisquallylevee.
- Paradise Cellular Plan Environmental Assessment (News Release, 5/22/18)
The National Park Service (NPS) has completed its environmental review and issued its decision to permit the installation of limited-range cellular equipment in the attic of Mount Rainier’s Jackson Memorial Visitor Center. The decision, detailed in the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Paradise Cellular Environmental Assessment (EA), authorizes the issuance of right-of-way permits to two wireless carriers, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile. The permits will allow co-location of limited range wireless communications facilities in the attic of the Jackson Memorial Visitor Center (JVC), located in Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park. As part of this decision, AT&T may be added pending final review and approval of their proposal, which was submitted in January 2016 prior to completion of the EA.
The FONSI, its appendices, and the EA are available on the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ParadiseCellular by selecting Document List from the left navigation bar.
- Paradise Inn Annex Rehabilitation Plan Environmental Assessment
The National Park Service has prepared an Environmental Assessment for a proposed plan to rehabilitate the Paradise Inn Annex and Snow Bridge, which is located in the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park. The project would complete the last major building rehabilitation project within the Paradise Historic District. The proposed project is being considered because of the need to protect cultural resources and reduce the risk for potential damage to the Annex and Snow Bridge from excessive snow loads, or collapse as the result of a seismic event. The proposed project would close the Annex from August 2017 through October 2018, and temporarily reduce parking in the Paradise area. Public comments on the proposed plan were collected in June-July, 2016. More information is available at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/piannex.
- Fisher Restoration Plan Environmental Assessment
On May 19, 2015, the Regional Director of the Pacific West Region of the National Park Service approved a proposal from North Cascades National Park Service Complex and Mount Rainier National Park to collaborate with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to restore the fisher (Pekania pennanti) to these units of the national park system. This proposal was evaluated and assessed through the completion of the Fisher Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment (Plan/EA) that was released for public review in September 2014. To see the full plan go to www.parkplanning.nps.gov/RestoreFisher. Fisher reintroductions at North Cascades National Park Service Complex will not occur until all planned reintroductions in the Southwestern Cascades are completed, but could occur as early as fall 2017. More information on the fisher, this planing effort, and recent decision is available via the plan process, meeting notices, links, and documents section of the project website.
- Camp Muir Rehabilitation Plan Environmental Assessment
Chris Lehnertz, Pacific West Region Director, National Park Service, has issued a decision and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Camp Muir Rehabilitation Plan Environmental Assessment (EA). The Camp Muir Rehabilitation Plan EA is available at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/muirea.
Documents Open for Public Review
There are currently no projects with documents open for public review for Mount Rainier National Park.
Other Plans and Projects
An archive of completed projects as well as projects without documents open for comment may be found on the PEPC website.
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