2012 Mt. Rainier National Park Winter Programs at Paradise

Daily: December 17 - January 2;
Weekends & Holidays: January 7 - March 25

Join a park ranger or volunteer for an exciting introduction to the art of snowshoeing and find out how plants and animals adapt to winter at Paradise. Snowshoe walks are offered daily December 17 - January 2, and on weekends and holidays only through March, weather permitting.

Public snowshoe walks are offered at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., traverse 1.5 miles, and last for about 2 hours. Walks are limited to 25 people, eight years old or older, on a first-come, first-served basis. A sign-up sheet is available at the Jackson Visitor Center information desk one hour before each walk.

Organized groups (up to 25 people) may reserve snowshoe walks. These walks begin at 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, inquire at the Longmire Museum, the Jackson Visitor Center information desk, or call (360) 569-2211 ext. 3314. The park also offers snowshoe walks to school groups by reservation only. Call (360) 569-2211 ext. 6038 for reservations.

Snowshoes for the ranger-led walks are provided by the park. A $4.00 donation from each snowshoe walk participant helps the park provide snowshoe walks and repair and replace snowshoes. Don't forget sunscreen, sunglasses, layers of warm clothes, hats, mittens, and suitable boots.

Mid-December - mid-March (opening date TBA)

Sliding and sledding are permitted only in the designated snow play area, located immediately north of the upper parking lot at Paradise. Runs are constructed when there's sufficient snow depth to prevent resource damage - at least five feet. The snow play area may remain open into mid-March, depending on snow. Because of the high potential for personal injury and frequency of accidents, no other area of the park is open to sliding (except skiing and snowboarding).

• Access the snow play area from the main trailhead behind the new visitor center.
• Use only inner tubes, plastic sleds, saucers, or other soft sliding devices. No wooden toboggans, runner sleds with metal edges, or other hard devices are permitted.
• Compressed air is available on weekends and holidays during snow play hours at the upper parking lot restroom.

Dress warmly and in layers with a wicking fabric such as wool or polypropylene next to the skin and a waterproof outer layer, not in jeans or T-shirts. Wear a hat, gloves, and snow-sealed boots. Take a warm-up break at the Jackson Visitor Center (open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends & holidays).

The snow play area normally closes at 4:30 p.m.