Earlier this year, Mount Rainier National Park rolled out a timed entry system to combat overcrowding. Now, they're asking for your feedback.
"We are eager to learn what visitors think of the pilot timed entry system we are testing out this summer," the park's superintendent Greg Dudgeon said in a news release.
How timed entry works
In January, the park announced that it would require time-slot reservations in order to enter Paradise Corridor during peak hours, beginning in May, and Sunrise Corridor, starting in July. The system, which runs through Sept. 2, allows visitors to reserve a time slot months in advance, although a select number of reservations are released the day before. Reservations can be made at Recreation.gov and cost $2.
According to Dudgeon, the park's decision makers want to know what visitors think of the system before they put it in place permanently.
"We want to hear how the pilot did or did not work for people before we finalize our long-term visitor use management plan for the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor at Mount Rainier National Park," Dudgeon said.
Once the time slot that you reserved begins, you have two hours to enter the park before you lose your spot. You still need to pay the entry fee in addition to the reservation.
If you don't plan to visit either of those two corridors, or if you enter the park before 7:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m., you don't need a reservation.
How to comment on timed entry
Comments can be submitted online at the National Park Service's website. You have until Sept. 15 to submit a comment. The park is seeking feedback on the reservation system and park entry process, as well as general thoughts on the program.
Why timed entry at parks in Washington started
The system was put in place amid a spike in attendance. Between 2013 and 2023, the park's number of annual visitors jumped from 1.7 million to 2.5 million, an increase of roughly 47%. According to National Park Service data, Mount Rainier's 1.7 million annual recreational visitors make it 18th-most visited national park in the country.
According to the news release, the spike in visitors led to overcrowding at popular areas of the park during the summer and the busiest times of day. The timed entry system aimed to spread the crowds across the day more evenly.
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