Mount Rainier Joins the Party for 100 Years of National Park Service

Mount Rainier Wild Flowers
After your meal at National Park Inn, explore Mount Rainier National Park. Photo courtesy: Visit Rainier

Submitted by Travel Tacoma + Pierce County

The National Park Service turns 100 on August 25, and Mount Rainier National Park has a month of birthday plans, including:

    • Music in the American Wild, August 12 – 14 — a group of composers and performers will present songs inspired by national parks.
    • Free entrance fee August 25 – 28 for National Park Service Birthday Weekend.
    • Celebrate Rainier with activities and demonstrations August 25 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. throughout the park.
    • Star viewing party at Paradise on August 27.
    • Centennial presentations where history comes alive — scheduled throughout August, at various times and locations in the park.
Photo courtesy: Visit Rainier.
Photo courtesy: Visit Rainier.

Visit the Travel Tacoma + Pierce County website for suggestions on where to stay, play and eat while you’re in the shadow of the magnificent Mount Rainier. And share your experiences using #NPS100.

Music in the American Wild — Composers and musicians from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. will perform August 12 – 14 at the Ohanapecosh Amphitheatre, Paradise Pavilion and Sunrise Visitor Center (schedule details). Admission to concerts by the seven-member touring group is free with park admission.

Free entrance fee — It’s a birthday gift to you! Park entrance is free at Mount Rainier National Park during its centennial weekend, August 25 – 28. Camping and other fees still apply. The last free admission days this year will be September 24 and November 11.

Celebrate Rainier! Fun activities, demonstrations and volunteer service projects are planned on August 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in honor of the National Park Service centennial. Activities take place at the Longmire, Paradise, Ohanapecosh and Sunrise areas.

Photo courtesy: Visit Rainier.
Photo courtesy: Visit Rainier.

Star viewing party — Astronomy volunteers and the Tacoma Astronomical Society welcome guests of all ages to the Paradise area of the park for a night of star gazing August 27. The program begins at 8:45 p.m. in the Paradise Inn, followed by star gazing outside the Jackson Visitor Center at 9:30 p.m. Free with park admission.

Centennial presentations — Learn about the park’s history from some of its characters in programs scheduled throughout the park in August (schedule details). More history will be shared during lantern tours on August 20 outside the National Park Inn. The 75 – 90-minute walking tours begin every 20 minutes starting at 8:30 p.m., with the last tour starting at 9:30 p.m.

For more highlights of Mount Rainier and Tacoma, check out this video on the Travel Tacoma website.