The Carbon River Ranger Station is housed in a remodeled farmhouse with an angled roof and a covered porch. There is angled parking along the main road on either side of the ranger station driveway, which curves down a short hill to reach the building. The interior of the building consists of one large room, with a long wooden desk directly across from the front door. A fire place is on the right side wall, flanked by two iPad kiosks, which play videos and interactive exhibits about the natural and cultural history of the Carbon River area. Various informational signs are attached to the walls in between large windows. A small table in front of one of the windows to the right of the door holds books, maps and other merchandise.

Located in the northwest corner of the park, the ranger station is staffed by rangers or volunteers. Building hours may vary so call ahead for hours 360-829-9639. When open, rangers and volunteers provide park information, wilderness camping, and climbing permits. Wilderness camping permits available by self-registration when closed.

A green building with brown trim and a pitched roof behind a white fence surrounded by grass.

Carbon River Ranger Station

Hours vary greatly according to season, staffing, and weather conditions. While generally open on weekends year-round, please call ahead for hours as well as road and trail conditions: 360-829-9639.

Winter Season Hours

The visitor center building is two stories tall. The sides of the exterior are carved blocks of mottled gray and white granite speckled with black and planks of wood. Floor to ceiling multi-paned windows, trimmed in light green, fill most of the north and south sides. The smooth, gray metal roof has a steep slope to the north and south from its center peak. To reach the visitor center, approach from the parking area. There are multiple-door entrances on either side of the building, allowing you inside. The first floor is an open space, like a Great Hall, open to the steeply pitched ceiling above the second floor. Throughout the building, its triangular wood roof trusses, which mirror the roof’s slope toward the north and south, as well as many upright, rectangular wooden columns, are exposed. The wood is a warm golden tan color. Steel beams and metal trim, both black, accent the wood. The frames of the multi-paned windows are the same warm golden tan wood. On the first floor, restrooms, drinking fountains, and telephones are located outside the main entrance. An information desk sits in the middle of the building with rangers eager to answer questions. Behind the information desk is the entrance to a theatre, which shows the video, “A Restless Giant: The Ever-Changing Nature of Mount Rainier,” theater and in the back building sits the cafeteria. Near the staircase to the second floor is a three-dimensional map of Mount Rainier National Park and the nearby panels of information about planning your visit. After going up the stairs you arrive in the main exhibit area on the second floor. An audio description tour of the exhibits is available for check out at the information desk.

Located at Paradise, on the south side of Mount Rainier, the Jackson Visitor Center is open throughout the summer and with limited days and hours in the winter. Inside the visitor center are accessible restrooms, an information desk staffed by a ranger or volunteer, food services, gift shop, park movie, and exhibits about the plants, animals, and the volcano.

A large building sits surrounded by the bright reds, oranges and yellows of fall.

Fall Foliage Surrounds the Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center

A large building with a great roof and lots of windows sits near a trailhead with lots of people.

A Crowded Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center

A big building sits surrounded by trees with a dark grey mountain range in the background.

Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center in Front of the Tatoosh

Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center

Days and hours of operation vary greatly according to season. During the summer, late spring, and early fall, the center is generally open daily 10 am to 5 pm with extended hours at the height of summer. The rest of the year, the center is open on Saturdays, Sundays, federal holidays, and daily from Christmas to New Years.

In blue ink a mountain sits above trees and a winding river.

Mount Rainier Passport Stamp

A blue inked circle with text that reads, "Mount Rainier National Park, 2020, Paradise, WA

Paradise Passport Stamp

The Longmire Museum is a small wood building with an angled roof surrounded by tall evergreen trees. A paved walking path, bordered by large stones, leads to the entrance. In front of the building to the left of the path as you approach the door is a large cross section of a log, framed by a wood shelter. Small plaques attached to the log cutting label the historic dates of various tree rings in the log. The entrance of the museum is a small covered porch with a framed, glass-covered exhibit window to the right of the door. A trash can may be on the edge of the porch to the right of the exhibit window. When you enter the museum, there is a small entry way, lined with bookshelves with materials for sale. Enter, then continue forward to enter the main space of the museum. The information desk is immediately to the left. To the right, the single main room of the museum is broken up by old museum exhibits, including a large glass case with a taxidermy mountain lion. Interpretive panels cover the walls.

Located on the south side of Mount Rainier at 2,700 feet above sea level, the museum makes up part of the historic Longmire district. Once a ranger office, the building now houses historic exhibits about the park's natural and geological history, and animals. A ranger or volunteer staffs the museum to assist with park information and book and map sales.

Snowy paths lead to a small wood building surrounded by towering evergreen trees.

Longmire Museum in Winter

Longmire Museum

Generally open daily year-round, hours and days of operation may change suddenly due to weather or staffing demands. Daily hours may be extended during summer season. Wilderness permits are only available until 4:00 pm.

Two stamps in blue ink, one a circular cancellation stamp, one a custom mountain stamp, in a book. 

Longmire Museum Passport Stamp

The Longmire Administration Building is a two-story building near the main road as you travel through Longmire. The building is framed by tall evergreen trees and there is a small lawn with a flagpole in front. The bottom story of the building is built from large rounded boulders, while the top story is built of wood logs, with a wood shingled roof. Both stories have rows of windows with white trim. The entrance is shaded by a porch with large log beams supporting the wood-shingled porch roof. A yellow log sign reading “Mount Rainier National Park” hangs from underneath the porch roof. A gravel path leads to the entrance across the lawn. The lobby of the building, a single rustic room, is the location of the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. Directly across from the entrance doors is a fireplace built of large boulders. A wood-paneled information desk is on the right side of the room, while a large three-dimensional map of the park fills a table on the left side of the room.

Open during the summer, the Longmire Wilderness Information Center (WIC) is located in the lobby of the historic Longmire Administration Building, a picturesque example of National Park Service rustic architecture in Longmire. The WIC features a 3D model map of Mount Rainier National Park and has an information desk staffed by wilderness rangers. Rangers at the WIC assist with wilderness permits, trip planning, and providing maps and trail condition updates.

Four visitors walk up a path towards the entrance of a rustic two-story wood and stone building.

Longmire Administration Building in Summer

A two-story wood and stone building frosted by snow and surrounded by tall trees.

Longmire Administration Building in Winter

Longmire Wilderness Information Center

Generally open late May through mid-October. Hours and days of operation may change suddenly due to staffing demands.

Winter Season

The Ohanapecosh Visitor Center consists of bathrooms and information boards outside the building. Inside, the visitor center consists of one large room with exhibit panels educating visitors on the history and natural resources of the area. There is an information desk to the right upon entering and a small seating area to the left. There is a small book store behind the desk where visitors can purchase books and maps. The rest of the room has exhibits. The building itself is Mission 66 style, and surrounded by tall fir and cedar trees. There are also numerous types of smaller plants that can be found here, including alder and various wildflowers. There is parking in front of the building to the left. A path to the left of the building leads visitors to a large tree round with various world events marked on the tree like a timeline. There is a covered area with a few benches underneath. A path behind the building connects visitors to various hiking trails, including the Hot Springs Trail and the Silver Falls Trail.

This visitor center is located in the southeast corner of the park on State Route 123, 12 miles north of the town of Packwood. It is next to the Ohanapecosh Campground and near the trailhead for the Natural Hot Springs and Silver Falls. There are restrooms, exhibits, and a ranger or volunteer on duty to answer questions when it is open for the summer season.

A brown building with a pitched roof sits surrounded by tall old growth trees.

Ohanapecosh Visitor Center

Only open in the summer, this visitor center generally opens in late June and closes early September. Staffed by rangers and volunteers, days and hours of operation can vary and are posted on Ohanapecosh kiosks and bulletin boards, and in park newspaper's summer edition. Exhibits, books for sale, and rangers or volunteers on duty to answer questions during open hours.

Closed Seasonally

Blue circular stamp that reads Ohanapecosh, WA and mountain stamp text Mount Rainier National Park

Ohanapecosh Passport Stamp

The Paradise Wilderness Information Center is obscured by vegetation from the parking lot. The sides of the exterior are wood painted a mottled gray and the building has a sharply-angled roof. The building has multiple floors with windows on the second and third level lined with green trim. To reach the Paradise Wilderness Information Center, approach from the parking area nearest the Paradise Inn. Following the cement path to a windowed door lined with green trim. As you enter you are in a hallway with art and photos along the wall. To the left is a self-register permit station. As you follow the hallway to enter the main room, the information desk is on the left and exhibits on the history of climbing line the walls of the rustic interior. A glass-fronted case holds historic climbing equipment in the corner to the right of the entrance. In the far left corner, past the information desk, is a small room with tin-lined walls. To the right of that room is an area with benches for viewing a short safety video for climbers.

Open during the summer, the Paradise Wilderness Information Center (WIC) is located in the main room of the historic Guide House. The WIC has an information desk staffed by wilderness rangers. Rangers at the WIC assist with wilderness permits, trip planning, and providing maps and trail condition updates.

A grey building with sharply-angled roof sits surrounded by trees under a sky dotted with clouds.

Paradise Wilderness Information Center

A grey building with a sharply-angled roof sits surrounded by trees.

A grey steeply-angled building sits surrounded by green trees.

Generally open daily late May through early September. Hours and days of operation may change suddenly due to weather or staffing demands. Daily hours may be extended during summer season.

Spring Hours

The Sunrise Visitor Center is a long, rectangular building of log construction, standing on a slight rise at the far end of the parking lot. In front of it on either side are two smaller, square, two-story buildings, forming a "U." These blockhouses are ranger residences and are not open to the public. All three buildings are of log construction with white caulking and cedar shake roofing. Each has a stone chimney extending above the roof. The visitor center has large, multi-paned windows just under the two-story roofline. To reach the visitor center, there are two sidewalks, one on either side, which curve up between the other buildings to the entrance. There are two steps up to the windowed, double doors. Above them a sign, white lettering on a wooden background says "Sunrise Visitor Center."This is a large, airy rectangular room, approximately 80 feet by 45 feet. The walls, floor and ceiling are all made of wood, either unfinished or with a natural finish, giving the room a warm, rustic feel. The walls are made of logs over a foot in diameter and rise up about 15 feet to the open rafters. Log truss-work supports the plank roofing. The smooth, polished flooring is made of wide planks. There are windows high up on the long, east and west walls, just under the roofline. The wall on the south (on your left when entering) has large, plate glass windows where the mountain may be viewed on clear days. The north wall to the right has a massive stone fireplace in its center. Benches grouped around a low table sit in front of the fireplace. On the far side of the fireplace, in the northeast corner of the room, is a short hallway that leads to another exit, leading to the picnic area. The main entrance is through doors halfway along the east wall. Immediately to the right is an information desk. Beyond the desk is the bookstore, with shelving along the wall and two bookcases, one on the far side of the fireplace grouping, and one near the front of the counter. A variety of items are available for purchase, including books, posters, tee shirts, postcards and other items. The exhibits in the room consist of graphic panels, glass cases, and some touchable items, located along most of the walls and in five groupings in the middle of the floor. Audio description of the exhibits is available at the desk.

Located on the northeast flank of Mount Rainier, this visitor center is at the end of the Sunrise Road, 15 miles after the turn off from State Route 410. Only open and accessible in summer, the Sunrise Visitor Center has exhibits, books and maps for sale, and rangers and volunteers on duty to answer questions. Restrooms, gift shop, and food services are located nearby during the summer season.

Three rustic wooden buildings sit on rise with snow and ice covered Mount Rainier in the background.

Sunrise Visitor Center

An American flag waves in front of 3 rustic wooden buildings with the peak of Mount Rainier behind.

Sunrise Visitor Center and Blockhouses

Log beams and exhibits that evoke natural material inside the Sunrise Visitor Center.

Sunrise Visitor Center Exhibits

Rustic seating and sales racks around a large rock fireplace.

Sunrise Visitor Center Fireplace

Natural and fabricated exhibit elements inside the rustic Sunrise Visitor Center.

Only open in the summer, the actual first day for the Sunrise Visitor Center depends on weather and snow conditions. Typically, the visitor center opens around the beginning of July and closes in September. It is open daily in the summer from 9 AM to 6 PM.

A circular passport stamp "Mount Rainier National Park - Sunrise WA" and one of a stylized mountain.

Sunrise Passport Stamp

The White River Wilderness Information Center (WIC) is located in a small rustic ranger station just on the right side of the road after passing into the park through the Winter River Entrance Station in the bottom of a canyon. The building is currently undergoing renovation and will be described once the project is complete. To the left of the WIC is a parking area with paths leading through the trees to restrooms. The path to the women's restroom is located at the far end of the parking area from the WIC with the path to the men's restroom closer to the WIC. An information board is between the two paths.

Open during the summer, the White River Wilderness Information Center (WIC) located at the Winter River Entrance. The WIC has an information desk staffed by wilderness rangers. Rangers at the WIC assist with wilderness permits, trip planning, and providing maps and trail condition updates.

The shingled porch of a rustic building with an entrance in the background.

White River Ranger Station & Wilderness Information Center

A small room with exhibit panels attached to the walls with maps and publications laid out on tables

White River Wilderness Info Center Interior

A "trail conditions" white board leans against a rock fireplace with a cut out of a mountain goat.

White River Fireplace

White River Wilderness Information Center

Located at the White River Entrance on the northeast area of the park. Services include wilderness camping and east side climbing permits, restrooms, and information on hiking & backpacking. Typically open daily from late May to mid-October and closed in winter.

Ascending to 14,410 feet above sea level, Mount Rainier stands as an icon in the Washington landscape. An active volcano, Mount Rainier is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning five major rivers. Subalpine wildflower meadows ring the icy volcano while ancient forest cloaks Mount Rainier’s lower slopes. Wildlife abounds in the park’s ecosystems. A lifetime of discovery awaits.