Getting the Most What You Need to Know: From Your Visit • There are five areas which serve as bases for exploration: If you're like most people, you will probably • Narada Falls, 8 miles from Longmire (southwest corner) be eager to get out of the car and start exploring Longmire. Walk the steep but Paradise (south side) the park by the time you drive in the entrance short trail for the best view. Ohanapecosh (southeast corner) gates. To make the most of your visit, read the Parking is limited. Sunrise/White River (northeast corner) "What You Need to Know" box at right and then Parad ise, 12 miles from Carbon River/Mowich Lake (northwest corner). match the following suggestions with your time Longmire, is the most popular • Parking can be difficult or impossible to find on sunny and interests. destination in the park and is summer weekends at Paradise, Sunrise, Grove of the FROM THE SOUTHWEST, you'll entervia famous for its wildflower meadows. Patriarchs, and at trailheads between Longmire and the Nisqually gate. A hike here is Paradise. Try to visit these areas on weekdays, arrive early The arch of rewarding, but can in the day, and carpool to the park. giant cedar logs, be crowded. • Park roads are winding, road shoulders are narrow, and first erected in Services at the maximum speed limitis 35 m.p.h. in most areas. Watch 1911, and the 1908 Paradise include: for pedestrians, sightseers, and wildlife. Use pull-outs to Oscar Brown • The Jackson allow faster drivers to pass you safely. cabin, south of Memorial Visitor • Keep wildlife wild. Feeding park animals and birds is the road, are Center- open daily, exhibits, unhealthy for them and dangerous to you. examples of the rustic style of park architecture films, guided interpretive that became popular at Mount Rainier and other programs, book store, food national parks. service, gift shop, and restrooms. damage to the vegetation and soils. Please stay The Longmire Historic District, 7 miles • The Paradise Inn-lodging, dining room, gift on the trail and leave the flowers for others to from the park entrance, was the site of James shop, restrooms. enjoy. Longmire's homestead, lodging, and mineral •The Guide House-information about summit The section of road between Chinook Pass springs .resort. The first park headquarters was climbs with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. and the north park boundary is part of the established here in 1916. Services at Longmire • The Paradise Ranger Station- open daily, Mather Memorial Parkway, named for Stephen include: climbing and wilderness permits and hiking Mather, the first director of the National Park •Longmire Museum-open daily. information. Service. •Wilderness Information Center-open The White River/Sunrise area is easy to visit daily, wilderness permits and hiking The p lon-t5 o~ -the 51/ba Ip ine meotlow5 ore m05-t if you enter from the east side, but requires quite information. a bit of driving from the southwest entrance. If ~rog i re and v11 lnerob le o5 -the 5now me l-t5 and • National Park Inn-food, lodging, gift you are camping, consider eastside campgrounds -the 50i I i5 we-t. Pleo5e 5-toy on c.on5-trvc.-ted shop. ,.. ,.. J __ at Ohanapecosh or White River. The road between Longmire and -trai 15 or on 5now l o-t leo5-t w - ~ ~F> ! ) on ly. The road to Sunrise passes the White River Po no-t -taKe 5hortc.11-t5 ac.r055 -the meotlow5! Paradise is winding and steep, and was Entrance Station about 1 mile from the junction designed for scenery rather than speed. En with Highway 410. The White River Wilderness route, consider stopping at: If you plan to hike, remember that Paradise Information Center here is open daily for • Cougar Rock Picnic Area, 2 miles from is located at 5,400' elevation and most trails are climbing and wilderness permits and hiking Longmire. hilly. Please stay on the trails: the meadows are information. • Christine Falls, 3.5 miles from Longmire. A very fragile and heavily visited. Five miles from the junction with Highway short walk from the pullout provides a A number of additional hikes are located on 410, you'll pass the one-mile spur which leads to spectacular view of the falls through the bridge the road between Paradise and Ohanapecosh. the White River campground and trailhead. opening. Parking is limited. See page 6 for details. Services at White River include a ranger station, • Glacier Bridge, 5 miles from Longmire, is worth FROM THE SOUTHEAST, your first stop campground, and picnic area. a stop for the view, but do not stop your car on will be Ohanapecosh. The east side of the park Eleven miles from White River, the road the bridge! Park in a paved pullout and use the is somewhat drier and sunnier than the west side, reaches Sunrise, also called Yakima Park. At an walkway. The lower end of the making it a good destination elevation of 6,400', this is the when Paradise and Longmire Nisqually Glacier is just above the Pe -t-5 are on 1 errrr 1 highest point to rocky cliff on the left side as you are wet and foggy. Services . YI!I¥ F> •ffea 0!1 road5 and which you can ft! parKrng area5 an 1 m p a 115-t be lea5hed. drive in the park. look up the valley. include: 5 • Ricksecker Point, 6 miles Ohanapecosh Visitor og are no-tallowed on parK -tra;r5 . Summer is short from Longmire, offers Center-open daily, exhibits, here, but the excellent views of the guided interpretive programs, restrooms. views and excellent trail system make this Mountain and the Nisqually • Ohanapecosh Campground and picnic area. the second most visited location in the park. Valley. Between Ohanapecosh and White River, Parking can be a problem on sunny weekends; a short detour from try to arrive early or visit on weekdays. Services Cayuse Pass east on include: Highway 410 will take • Sunrise Visitor Center-open daily, exhibits, Longmire to Paradise you to Tipsoo Lake, guided interpretive programs, picnic area. Paradise to Ohanapecosh which is surrounded • Sunrise Day Lodge-food service, gifts (no Ohanapecoshtothe by subalpine overnight lodging). SunriseNv'hite River turnoff 17 miles 30 minutes wildflower • Public restrooms and telephones. The SunriseNv'hite River turnoff meadows. A short FROM THE NORTHWEST, you can visit to Sunrise 14 miles 45 minutes and pleasant trail the Carbon River area. A short trail near the Seattle to Paradise via Highway 706 99 miles 2 1/2 hours circles the lake. This Carbon River entrance station takes you into a Seattle to Paradise via area is heavily visited fine example of a temperate rain forest. The Highway 410 and Enumclaw 109 miles 3 hours and you'll see signs of gravelled Carbon River road ends approximately Yakima to Paradise 99 miles 2 hours Continued on pg 2... \r) Welcome For Your Information ... WeictJm,e; ... A ••shake Up" Call: The Nisqually Earthquake ... to Mount Rainier Chances are if you live hour after the initial National Park, a crown in the Northwest, you can earthquake, but scientists do jewel of the northwest recall exactly what you In case of earthquake not believe that it was a result and of the National were doing at 10:54 a.m. on (or a prolonged rumbling noise I of the Nisqually quake. Small Park System. Behind Wednesday, February 28, earthquakes occur within the beautiful scenes of when a major earthquake the volcano every month or this great park are an rocked this area. The 6.8 two. exceptional group of magnitude Nisqually One reason the women and men who Superintendent]on]arv~ earthquake was centered 11 Nisqually earthquake did are at work around miles northeast of Olympia, ,,..!!!!!............................. _................ .... not result in greater losses the clock to preserve and protect park resources at a depth of 32 miles. was the investment made in and provide for a quality experience for you. The Pacific Northwest is a tectonically active preparedness before the event. You, too, can Road crews are up early to clear rock fall or area and earthquakes are common. But it's been minimize your risks by being knowledgeable to patch holes in our mountain highways, trail nearly 40 years since an earthquake of similar about, and prepared for, geological events while crews are out for days repairing bridges for safe size jolted this area. The Seattle earthquake in you're at Mount Rainier as well as at home (see stream crossings, climbing rangers patrol the April 1965 had a magnitude of 6.7. The Puget tips below). For a comprehensive web site on the high mountain to educate and assist climbers, Sound earthquake in April 1949 registered 7.1 Nisqually quake, check out: and protection rangers work the front country (nearly three times as powerful as the Nisqually http://maximus.ce.washington.edu/ and wilderness to ensure your visit is a safe one. earthquake). -nisqually/ Biologists sample the air, water and wildlife to While there was great concern about the keep a pulse of the sensitive environment of the injuries (over 400) and damage (an estimated $2 park, and interpreters work the information billion) resulting from the quake, scientists and Geologic Hazards desks and lead walks that inform us all about the local residents were also concerned about the Recent research has improved our wonders of Mount Rainier. Electricians, earthquake's effect on Mount Rainier. In other understanding of this active volcano. Although plumbers, carpenters, water treatment operators areas of the world, regional earthquakes have eruptive events are usually preceded by an keep the infrastructure operational and restore triggered small earthquakes within volcanoes, set increase in earthquake activity, other geologic the great historic structures of the park, and off large landslides, and in a few cases upset hazards such as mudflows (also known as administrators keep the supplies in stock, the magmatic systems, prompting eruptions.