Mount Rainier’s Paradise Fills Up Fast, What To Know Before You Go

One of the touristy things to do in Washington state is to visit Mount Rainier in the summertime. I can remember my parents packing the family into the Station wagon and visiting Mount Rainier. And many years later I remember packing my family into the car and making a trip to Paradise Lodge as well. 

These days, it’s a little different. 

In 2026. You need to plan ahead, Way ahead.  

According to seattletimes.com,
‘By sunrise Sunday, two-thirds of the roughly 200 parking stalls in the upper parking lot at Paradise in Mount Rainier National Park were taken. 
By 6:30 a.m., cars were turning, filling nearby overflow parking lots. 
The latecomers arriving at 7 a.m. were left prowling the aisles in hopes of finding a spot just wide enough to squeeze in. 

Mount Rainier National Park is arguably one of the most popular national parks in Washington state. So popular that if you’re planning on visiting Paradise Lodge, you’re going to want to get to that parking lot before 7:00 AM in the morning, and even then, you still might not find a parking place. 

Individuals who are trying to get there later in the day are completely out of luck. Even if you find a parking place, there’s some other lines you might want to plan for.  

Waiting in line for the restroom at the Paradise Wilderness Information Center or the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center could be problematic at times. 

Back in 2023, Mount Rainier National Park had approximately 2.5 million visitors. In 2025 it was a nice round 3,000,000 visitors. (That’s according to the National Park Service) 

If you decide you want to go visit Paradise Lodge, plan ahead for the trip. Extra food, extra water, maybe a good book.