Resources & Articles

Recognizing the superlative, unique, and inspiring features of the glacial landscape and subalpine wildflower meadows, in 1899 Congress created the nation’s fifth national park, Mount Rainier National Park, “to provide for the preservation from injury or spoilation of all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders... and their retention in their natural condition... for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”

John Muir and his efforts to preserve Mount Rainier As president of the newly formed Sierra Club, John Muir gave numerous lectures and wrote various articles advocating for the preservation of Mount Rainier from the years 1893 to 1899. Muir also made efforts to unite other organizations across the nation who were pursuing the same cause.

Hired as a guide for the Rainier National Park Company, Alma Wagen was the first female mountain guide in North America.

Fay Fuller was the first known woman to summit Mount Rainie. Fuller advocated for women in mountaineering and was a key founder of the Washington Alpine Club and Mazamas, two organizations still in existence today. She was memorialized for her significant achievements to the park and larger community by the naming of Fay Peak near Mowich Lake in her honor.

C. Frank Brockman became Mount Rainier National Park’s second full-time naturalist in November 1928. During his time at the park, he established several museums in busy areas, conducted indoor and outdoor naturalist programs, and compiled an encyclopedia of the natural and cultural history of Mount Rainier.

Floyd Schmoe, born in Kansas in 1895, became Mount Rainier National Park’s first full-time naturalist in 1924. While working at the park, he began the newsletter Nature Notes, a tradition that was continued from 1923 through 1939, then revived between 1984 and 1985. In 1928, he left the park and accepted a teaching position at the University of Washington. A lifelong Quaker and pacifist, he contributed to aid efforts around the world for people affected by conflict.

The Paradise Inn celebrates 100 years of service having survived the challenges of snowy Mount Rainier.

The northeast corner of the park, made up of the White River and Sunrise areas, have drawn in and captivated people for millennia. A short history presents some of the key developments of this area.

Climate change is making the glaciers at Mount Rainier recede, leading to effects downstream in the waterways alongside the park's historic roads. Find out about techniques used by park staff to adapt to climate change, and preserve the cultural landscape in the process.

Over the course of World War II, Mount Rainier National Park served as a winter training and testing ground the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division and other military units. The ‘old 10th’s’ cold weather equipment testing and training prepared its soldiers for their march through the Apennine Mountains to capture German strongholds.