Spring Opening

Two plows remove snow on partially snow covered road.

NPS/Caroline Meleedy

 

At 14,410 feet, Mount Rainier is the most prominent peak in the Cascade Range. It dominates the landscape of western Washington, standing nearly three miles higher than the lowlands to the west. This majestic glacier-covered volcano has been called “an arctic island in a temperate sea.”

This extreme mountain creates extreme weather with an annual average snowfall of 643 inches at Paradise. Snow closes the majority of park roads and facilities in winter. In spring, park and state road crews begin the work to clear the roads of snow while utilities, campgrounds, visitor centers, and other facilities are prepared for the busy summer season. Detailed park access updates are posted on the Alerts & Conditions webpage.

 

Current Conditions - Spring 2025

Last Updated: 11/424
Check back in spring of 2025 for updates! All roads, except for the Longmire-Paradise Road in the southwest corner of the park, have closed for the winter. Check the Winter Travel page for more information about winter road access to the Longmire-Paradise area. The Carbon River area in the northwest corner of the park is also open with normal winter operations.

Facility Seasons & Hours

Check predicted opening dates and current status of park facilities on the Operating Hours & Seasons page.

Spring Road Opening Status

View the following map and text for the road status updates (click on any section of road or notification symbol for more information). Additional information can be found on the Roads Status page.

 

 

For the best viewing experience, click on the "View full screen" link in the lower left corner of the map. 

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For images of spring opening operations in past years, check out the Spring Opening albums on Flickr: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021