Plan under consideration to create timed reservations to visit Mount Rainier National Park

ASHFORD, Wash. - The National Parks Service (NPS) is looking for ways to cut down on congestion at Mount Rainier National Park to enhance visitor experience and protect wildlife. One of the suggested plans would be to create timed reservations to enter and enjoy the park. 

For the last 10 years, the park has consistently welcomed between 1.1 and 1.5 million visitors each year, with the most visits occurring during the summer months between June and September, according to NPS. With record visitors in the summer months in 2021, NPS is looking at options to address transportation congestion and traffic management in parking areas and railheads during peak summer months. 

To help combat this, NPS released a 200+ page draft of what they call "Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Draft Management Plan and environmental assessment." 

The plan evaluates three action alternatives which "include actions that would proactively manage and pace the entry of vehicles into key areas of the park (including but not limited to Paradise and Sunrise)," NPS said. 

Some of the proposals include timed-entry reservation systems, parking permits and shuttles. 

The first proposed alternative would essentially keep everything the same as it currently is. 

The second proposed alternative is the preferred course of action by NPS. Under this alternative:

• The Nisqually to Paradise Corridor would be actively managed by a reservation system at the Nisqually and Stevens Canyon entrances and also at the White River entrance.
• The frequency, timing, and seasonality of the reservation system would be adaptively managed based on observed conditions and the effectiveness of the system to meet desired conditions. Other transportation corridors may be added to the system per the monitoring of indicators.
• Visitor parking would be within designated lots, and overflow parking would be allowed on Upper Valley Road, which is anticipated to accommodate approximately 70 vehicles as needed for the reservation system.
• Parking would be prohibited on Lower Valley Road except at trailheads.
• No shuttles under this plan.

If this was implemented, it would go into effect during peak season (July 1 through Labor Day).

How the reservations would work, according to the drafted plan: 

• Visitors with wilderness use permits and/or overnight reservations within the corridor (e.g., Paradise Inn, Cougar Rock Campground, Backcountry Permit Reservations) would not be required to obtain a separate reservation to access the corridor.
• A percentage of reservations would be held aside for short-term purchase in addition to long-term, or advance, purchases. The time frame definitions for short-term and longterm would be identified during the design of the reservation system.
• Reservations would only be valid when accompanied by an entrance pass, which could be purchased in conjunction with a reservation, online, or at any of the entrance stations to the park.
• The park would evaluate how to effectively manage road-based commercial tours within transportation corridors.

The third alternative primarily focuses on shuttles and reservations at lots: 

• Reservations would be required to access the Paradise lots.
• Shuttle service would be provided from the Cougar Rock picnic area parking lot to Paradise. Paradise and other key destinations.
• Visitors without a Paradise reservation would be able to park at the Cougar Rock picnic area parking lot and ride toParadise via the new shuttle.
• The shuttle would initially be available on a first-come, first-served basis. If parking demand at Cougar Rock exceeds supply, the park would expand the parking reservation system to include the shuttle parking lot or may require a reservation for the shuttle.
• Parking would be within designated lots only.
• The shuttle would operate from approximately 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days per week from July 1 to Labor Day.
• Two shuttles would depart every 30 minutes.

To monitor the parking situation, NPS proposed increasing enforcement of endorsed parking, post signs that a parking lot is at capacity, and create a parking forecast so guests can plan their trip.

NPS is holding a public commentary period on the proposal until June 11. You can weigh in here. 

You can read the entire drafted plan here.