Mount Rainier Wilderness Areas

Outside of Mount Rainier National Park [1], half a dozen wilderness areas cover more than 356,000 acres of mountainous Forest Service terrain in the Mt. Rainier area. The largest of these—Norse Peak [2], William O. Douglas [3], and Goat Rocks Wilderness Areas [4]—form an almost continuous reach of wild country along the crest of the southern Cascades, broken only by Highway 410 near Chinook Pass [5] and Highway 12 at White Pass [6].

A fee of $5 per vehicle per day is charged at all Forest Service trailheads. A better option is the $30 annual Northwest Forest Pass (800/270-7504, www.fs.fed.us/r6/passespermits/nwfp [7]), which can be used at most Washington national forests and is available at any Forest Service office. Or, if you plan on traveling the park, pick up an $80 America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass. Seniors over age 62 can pay a one-time fee of $10 for a lifetime pass, and disabled visitors can obtain one for free at the park’s entrance.

Also be sure to pick up a free, self-issued wilderness permit at all wilderness trailheads before hiking out.