Mount Rainier National Park Announces Scaled Back Timed Entry Reservations for Summer 2025
After months of uncertainty and lack of communication, Mount Rainier National Park announced its 2025 timed entry reservation requirements in a Facebook post on May 8.
The park said that “summer 2025 timed entry Reservations [will be] required for the Sunrise/White River Corridor only.” This is a scaled-back version of Mount Rainier’s reservation system in previous years, which also included the popular Paradise Corridor.
Timed Entry Reservations Required for Mount Rainier National Park’s Sunrise Corridor in 2025
Mount Rainier National Park will pilot the second year of a timed entry reservation system in summer 2025 for most private vehicles accessing the Sunrise Corridor.
Timed entry in the park’s Paradise Corridor will be paused in 2025 due to major construction projects and closures in the park that would make implementation of a timed entry reservation system challenging from both a public access and operational perspective.
In summer 2025, Timed Entry Reservations are required for the Sunrise Corridor on the following dates:
- Every day from July 11 through September 1, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- On weekends and holidays from September 2 through the end of the season (approximately mid-October), from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Timed entry reservations to enter the Sunrise Corridor are not required if you:
- enter before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m.;
- enter on weekdays from September 2 through the end of the season (approximately mid-October);
- enter on foot or bike;
- have a wilderness, research, commercial, or special use permit.
Reservations can be made starting:
- Friday, May 16 at 8 a.m. PST for July 11 – July 31
- Friday, June 6 at 8 a.m. PST for August 1 – September 1
- Reservations will also be released daily at 7 p.m. PST for the next day.
- From September 2 through the end of the season, reservations will only be available at 7 p.m. for the next day.
Reservations can only be made online at Recreation.gov for a non-refundable $2 fee.
Mount Rainier timed entry reservations are valid for one day and for one vehicle.
You will need both a timed entry reservation and a standard park pass or pay an entry fee. Passes are available at the entrance and at vendors outside the park.
The system is intended to reduce waiting times for visitors entering the corridor by car, reduce roadway congestion, ease parking issues, and reduce peak foot traffic along narrow trails which is causing resource damage.
It is designed to disperse visitors more evenly throughout the day and across the park. The pilot will continue to inform management options for a possible longer-term system.
Learn more about the Mount Rainier National Park timed entry reservation system on the park’s website.
Things to See and Do in the Sunrise Corridor of Mount Rainier National Park
Along with Paradise in the park’s southern part, the Sunrise Corridor is one of the two most visited areas in Mount Rainier National Park.
From the White River Entrance, the road climbs, via a series of switchbacks, up the northeast slope of Mount Rainier to Sunrise, at 6,400 feet, the park’s highest point accessible by vehicle.
The are plenty of things to see and do in this section of the park. Visitor services include the first-come first-served White River Campground, the White River Wilderness Information Center, the Sunrise Visitor Center, and Sunrise Day Lodge.
A worthy stop on the way up is Sunrise Point, which offers spectacular views of Mount Rainier itself, as well as the surrounding peaks. Popular trails on the lower part of the road are the Owyhigh Lakes Trail and the Wonderland Trail to Summerland, as well as the Glacier Basin Trail, which starts at the far end of the White River Campground.
Once at Sunrise, you can bask in the glorious wildflower-filled meadows of Yakima Park, where a network of easy trails allow you to enjoy this summer spectacle up close.
Several other hiking trails radiate out from the developed area at Sunrise, including some of my favorites in the entire park. Consider hiking the Sourdough Ridge Trail to Dege Peak, the trail to Mount Fremont Lookout, and Burroughs Mountain Trail.
Additionally, the Sunrise Corridor is also an excellent place to see wildlife in Mount Rainier National Park. During my visits to this part of the park, I’ve seen black-tailed deer, black bears, mountain goats, pikas, marmots, and even a rare Cascade red fox.
