Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park, established on March 2, 1899, is located in west-central Washington, approximately 65 miles southeast of Seattle. Covering an area of 236,382 acres, it features the majestic Mount Rainier, an active volcano that rises to 14,410 feet, making it the tallest peak in the Cascade Range. The park attracts around two million visitors annually, with many drawn to the mountain for climbing and hiking, as roughly 10,000 climbers attempt to summit each year. The park is renowned for its extensive glacier system, which feeds into five major river systems in the Pacific Northwest.
Historically, the region has been inhabited for approximately 9,000 years by Native American tribes, including the Nisqually and Puyallup, who refer to the mountain as Takhoma. The park is also home to diverse wildlife, including various mammals and bird species, and offers over 275 miles of hiking trails. While Mount Rainier's last significant eruption occurred over a millennium ago, scientists monitor the volcano closely due to the potential dangers it poses, including possible lahars that could threaten nearby populated areas. The park’s rich geological history, coupled with its ecological diversity, makes it a vital natural resource and a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
Mount Rainier National Park
Park Information
- Date Established: March 2, 1899
- Location: Pierce and Lewis counties, Washington
- Area: 236,382 acres
Overview
Mount Rainier National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the United States. It is located in west-central Washington, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of Seattle. The centerpiece of the park, Mount Rainier, is an active volcano standing about 14,410 feet (4,392 meters) above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the Cascades, a mountain range that runs from southern British Columbia in Canada to northern California. About ten thousand climbers attempt to scale the mountain each year, while the park itself attracts about two million visitors annually.
Mount Rainier is covered with more glaciers than any peak in the lower forty-eight states. These glaciers feed five major river systems in the Pacific Northwest. The mountain’s status as an active volcano, combined with its glaciers, makes it one of the most dangerous peaks in the United States. Mount Rainier’s last major eruption was about one thousand years ago, but a smaller eruption is believed to have occurred in the 1890s. Scientists warn that it will erupt again in the future. An eruption could melt its glaciers, producing deadly flows of mud and rocks that could potentially threaten highly populated areas nearby.
History
Evidence suggests humans first inhabited the region around Mount Rainier about nine thousand years ago. Native American tribes such as the Nisqually, Puyallup, Cowlitz, and Yakama called the mountain Takhoma, a name thought to mean “she who gives us the waters.” European explorers first saw the mountain in 1792, when Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy encountered it on a surveying mission. Vancouver named it Mount Rainier in honor of his friend, British Admiral Peter Rainier.
Mountaineers began to challenge Mount Rainier in the late nineteenth century. Adventurers P.B. Van Trump and Hazard Stevens are the first climbers known to have successfully reached the summit in 1870. By the 1890s, Mount Rainier had gained the attention of conservationists, mountaineers, businessmen, and scientists, who all saw the potential benefits of making the area a national park.
The groups banded together in 1893 to lobby the US Congress for a national park designation. On March 2, 1899, Congress officially set aside 369 square miles (955 square kilometers) around the mountain as Mount Rainier National Park. The area had previously been declared a National Forest. The park was just the fifth national park in the United States at the time. Yellowstone in Wyoming had been designated in 1872; Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia in California were created in 1890.
The park’s location near the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, made it a popular tourist destination. Mount Rainier was the first national park to allow automobiles, and as more roads were built in the area, the number of visitors jumped. The National Park Service (NPS) estimated that 1,786 people visited in 1906; the park saw 34,816 visitors by 1915. In the 1930s and 1950s, the park underwent a series of improvements to its visitor centers, roads, and infrastructure. Coupled with an increased emphasis on accommodating visitors, attendance at the park increased in the 1960s and 1970s. According to the NPS, 1977 was the park’s busiest year, with about 2.5 million visitors. In 2022, over 2.3 million people visited the park. 9530 people attempted to climb Mount Rainier that year.
Geology and Ecology
Mount Rainier National Park has more than 275 miles (442 kilometers) of hiking and walking trails and 120 miles (193 kilometers) of roads. About 97 percent of the park was designated as protected wilderness in 1988, making it off-limits to commercial development. The park is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life. Late summer is considered the best time to view the park’s hundreds of species of wildflowers. Mammals in the park include cougars, black bear, deer, coyotes, bobcats, and mountain goats; while its birdlife includes eagles, falcons, hawks, jays, ducks, and spotted owls.
Mount Rainier is covered in 35 square miles (91 square kilometers) of glaciers, a dense pack of compacted ice and snow. At 4.3 square miles (11.1 square kilometers), Emmons Glacier is the largest in the United States outside of Alaska. Carbon Glacier is the longest and thickest, at 5.7 miles (9.2 kilometers) and 700 feet (213 meters) respectively.
In geological terms, Mount Rainier is relatively young. While other mountains in the Cascade Range were formed about twelve million years ago, Mount Rainier was created by the slow accumulation of lava over the last five hundred thousand years. The mountain is classified as an “episodically active” volcano, meaning that it is certain to erupt again in the future. Geologists have found evidence of lava flows from the mountain dating back more than two thousand years. Pyroclastic flows—a mixture of hot ash, rock, and volcanic gases—occurred on Mount Rainier about one thousand years ago. Eyewitnesses claim the mountain was rocked by a small explosion at its summit around 1894, but modern geologists have been unable to confirm that eruption.
If Mount Rainier were to erupt, any lava or pyroclastic flows it produced would stay within the boundaries of the national park. However, an eruption could melt its thick network of glaciers, producing fast-moving rivers of mud and rock called lahars. Evidence of past lahars has been found all around Mount Rainier. These lahars can potentially reach the heavily populated Puget Sound area. The US Geological Survey estimates about eighty thousand people would be at risk from lahar flows. Geologists believe an eruption strong enough to cause a lahar capable of reaching Puget Sound occurs every five hundred to one thousand years. Park officials understand the unpredictable nature of the mountain and warn visitors to be aware of the potential danger.
Bibliography
Driedger, Carolyn L., and William E. Scott. “Mount Rainier—Living Safely with a Volcano in Your Backyard.” Geology.com, geology.com/usgs/rainier/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
“Frequently Asked Questions.” National Park Service, 23 Jan. 2023, www.nps.gov/mora/faqs.htm. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
“An Icon on the Horizon.” National Park Service, www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
Johnstone, Donald M. Mount Rainier National Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2013.
“Mount Rainier National Park—Historical Perspective.” Rainier Visitor Guide, www.rainiervisitorguide.com/rainier-history-1.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.
“Mountain Majesty.” National Park Foundation, www.nationalparks.org/explore-parks/mount-rainier-national-park. Accessed 8 Dec. 2024.