NP.GUIDE / FIELD GUIDE / FALL 2026
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Conditions change. Follow signs and ranger orders.
Sunrise Road is closed to private vehicles for the rest of 2026 due to fires (walk/bike OK). Ohanapecosh is closed through November for construction, and there is no public access to Carbon River or Mowich via SR 165.
Sunrise Road is closed to private vehicles for the rest of the 2026 season because of the Wonderland Complex Fires. You can walk or bike it. White River Road and White River Campground reopened on September 5; expect up to 30-minute delays for bridge work. Grand Park area trails, the Northern Loop Trail, and the Wonderland Trail from Carbon River Suspension Bridge to White River Campground are closed until further notice.
There is no public access to Carbon River or Mowich Lake from SR 165. The Fairfax Bridge is closed to walkers, bicycles, and vehicles. There is no public alternate route.
Ohanapecosh Campground, visitor center, picnic area, and bathrooms are closed through November 2026 for construction.
The Grove of the Patriarchs is closed to all entry. The 2021 flood damaged the only safe bridge. The Silver Falls Trailhead in Ohanapecosh Campground is closed, and the Silver Falls Trail cannot be hiked as a loop. Reach Silver Falls on the Eastside Trail from the Grove of the Patriarchs parking lot, or from the Cowlitz Divide Trailhead on Stevens Canyon Road. The Grove parking lot is closed October 5 through October 31, 2026. Stevens Canyon Road closes to all visitor traffic at 7 am on October 26.
A timed entry reservation is not required in 2026. You still need an entrance pass. Expect longer waits at Nisqually on busy fall weekends.
NPS conditions (large page)
Major places list all five services. Seasonal services may be closed.
Do this: Buy fuel, food, and water in nearby towns before you enter. The park has no gas.
Use 39000 State Route 706 E, Ashford, WA 98304 for GPS to the Nisqually Entrance. The headquarters address does not go to the gate.
Do this: Use Longmire for year-round information, food, and toilets. Fill water before you drive to Paradise.
Longmire is 6.5 miles east of the Nisqually Entrance. The museum is usually open all year. The wilderness desk is seasonal.
Do this: Arrive early or late. Carry water and layers. Parking often fills by late morning on summer weekends.
Paradise is at 5,400 feet. Snow can stay on trails into June or July. Overflow parking is at the picnic area and along Paradise Valley Road.
Do this: Do not plan to camp, get water, or use bathrooms here in 2026. Use Packwood for supplies.
The visitor center, campground, picnic area, and bathrooms are closed through November 2026.
Do this: Sunrise Road is closed to vehicles; walk or bike up from White River. Bring all water, food, and supplies.
Sunrise is the highest road in the park at 6,400 feet. White River Road and White River Campground are open; the campground closes for the season Oct 12.
Summer estimates without long stops. Traffic, wildlife, weather, and road work can cause delays.
Ashford → Nisqually Entrance → Longmire → 12 mi / 25 min → Paradise
This is the year-round road. Buy fuel before you enter. The park has no gas. From 1 November the Longmire-to-Paradise road closes at night.
Paradise → Stevens Canyon Road → 23 mi / 45 min → Ohanapecosh
Stevens Canyon Road is open. Tunnel height limit is 12 ft 6 in. Ohanapecosh campground and visitor center are closed in 2026.
Ohanapecosh → 18 mi / 30 min → White River Entrance → 13 mi / 45 min → Sunrise
Sunrise Road is closed to vehicles for the rest of the 2026 season because of the Grand Park 2 and Wonderland Complex fires; you can walk or bike it. White River Road is open to the campground until about Oct 26, with up to 30-minute delays at Fryingpan Creek Bridge.
Packwood → SR 123 → Stevens Canyon Entrance → Paradise
On busy July and August weekends this southeast entrance can have a shorter wait than Nisqually.
No public road, walk, or bicycle route from SR 165
The Fairfax Bridge is closed. Long Wonderland Trail approaches remain, and overnight trips need a wilderness permit.
Emergency: call 911. Tell the dispatcher your location, direction of travel, vehicle, and problem.
Park information: 360-569-2211
This independent guide is not the National Park Service and is not an emergency service.
Mount Rainier is open all year, 24 hours a day. 7-day pass: $30 per vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, $15 per person on foot or bike. Mount Rainier annual pass: $55. Card only at entrance stations; no cash. Timed entry is not required in 2026.
Timed entry is not required anywhere in the park in 2026. You still need an entrance pass.
Cougar Rock (reserve on Recreation.gov) and first-come, first-served White River close for the season on October 12. Ohanapecosh is closed for all of 2026. Sleeping in a vehicle outside a campsite is not allowed.
A wilderness permit is required all year for any overnight stay in the backcountry. Get it in person at a wilderness desk. Peak-season reservations are on Recreation.gov.
A climbing permit is required above 10,000 feet or on any glacier. Pay the climbing fee before you arrive. Overnight climbs also need a wilderness permit.
Distances are one way unless marked as a loop. Check trail closures.
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