Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park
View from the northeast over the White River to the mountain
Coordinates: 46 ° 47 ′ 2.7 ″  N , 121 ° 44 ′ 24.7 ″  W.
Location:	Washington , United States
Next city:	Tacoma (Washington)
Surface:	956.60 km²
Founding:	March 2, 1899
Visitors:	1,518,491 (2018)
Address:	Mount Rainier National Park

The Mount Rainier National Park located in the US state of Washington in Pierce County and Lewis County . It was established on March 2, 1899 and covers an area of ​​953 square kilometers around Mount Rainier , a 4392 m high volcano and the highest mountain in the Cascade Range . The mountain rises from the surrounding area, which has an average height of 500 meters.

history

Soon after the European colonization of the northwest, Mount Rainier became a destination for day trippers. In 1885 the Longmire family opened a small inn by the hot springs that now bear their name. The advance of agriculture, forestry and mining led to efforts to preserve the mountain and its picturesque surroundings. On March 2, 1899, Congress passed a bill that established Mount Rainier National Park. On November 16, 1988, large parts of the national park were protected as wilderness , which today includes 97% of the area of ​​the national park. In February 1997, the park was recognized as a National Historic Landmark because of its exemplary general plan for the further development of the national parks and entered as a Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places . The general plan of Mount Rainier National Park from the 1920s was an essential one Further development of the management of landscaped and recreational land. In addition, there were the preserved historical national park buildings from the 1920s and 30s such as the Administrative Building in Longmire and the Ranger Station and the Inn near Paradise .

The aerial photo shows how freely Mount Rainier rises from the surrounding area

Historical objects

• The White River Entrance is a historic three-building complex and a northern entrance area of ​​the park. This district was marked of particular significance from 1900 to 1924 and was listed on March 13, 1991 on the National Register of Historic Places with the number 91000177.

• The historic Paradise Inn , a hotel built in 1916, is also located in the national park . The building was listed on May 28, 1987 on the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic Monument with the number 87001336. In addition, it was entered on the National Historic Landmark .

• Also in Mount Rainier National Park is the historic Yakima Park Stockade Group (also known as North and South Blockhouses, Museum, and Stockade at Sunrise ), a building complex built in 1930. The complex was listed on May 28, 1987 by the National Register of Historic Places as a Historic Monument with the number 87001337. In addition, it was entered on the National Historic Landmark .

Flora and fauna

With altitudes from around 560 meters to over 4300 meters, the park encompasses a wide range of vegetation zones. The area of ​​the national park around Mount Rainier is covered by dense jungle. The type and density of the forest depends on the altitude and the annual rainfall. The lower-lying and rainier north-west of the park is covered by an epiphyte-rich rainforest with Douglas firs , hemlocks and giant arborvitae as well as dense undergrowth. The Grove of the Patriarchs in the southeast is an island terrace with a population of up to 1,000 years old Douglas firs, hemlocks and giant arborvitae trees up to 90 meters high. From a height of 1000 meters, the forest becomes less dense. West American white pines , purple firs and Nootka false cypresses dominate here . Various berry bushes grow in the undergrowth. From 1400 meters, the forest is loosened up by mountain meadows. Mountain hemlocks , white-stemmed stone pines and rock firs grow here . About 50 different mammal species are native to the park. Mule deer are widespread in the forested park areas , as well as elk , black bears , coyotes and bobcats . Pumas live in the park's secluded hinterland . There are also numerous smaller mammal species such as porcupines , chipmunks , raccoons and pine marten . The bird world includes over 140 species. The largest birds are golden eagles , the smallest hummingbirds . There are also hawks , kestrels , pine and gray jays , woodpeckers , Canada geese before and numerous other birds.
Its alpine fauna makes the mountain unique. Many species of the Arctic-Alpine zone grow only in the Pacific coastal region of the northwest, some are endemic to Mount Rainier. Up to an altitude of 2100 meters, the subalpine meadows transform the slopes into lush carpets of flowers. Paradise was already called Saghalie Illahe by the Indians , which means something like "land of peace". As soon as the snow thaws, sunny days and the meltwater bring a rich variety of plants to bloom. These include western anemones and beargrass . In summer the meadows of Paradise become a dense carpet of flowers of lupins , bluebells , castilla , spirae , gentian , serpentine , valerian , juggler flowers and arnica . Sunrise on the northeast side has a different microclimate. In the lee of the mountain there is less snow in winter and the summers are longer and drier. That is why ragwort , alpine buckwheat and mountain gold lacquer also thrive here in addition to the wildflowers on the west side . The tree species also differ: white-barked pine, Engelmann spruce and mountain willow grow here . The mountain meadows are habitat for gray marmots and pikas .
The stony soil above the tree line from a height of 2100 meters promotes a microhabitat for arctic-alpine cushion and cushion plants. These include phlox , lyall lupine, and stemless catchfly . The wildlife in this zone consists of mountain goats , white-tailed ptarmigan , alpine finches , heather voles and pocket rats . Above 2700 meters, in the zone of eternal snow, only a few lichens and algae survive, which cover the snow fields with a rosy touch in places. The ice worms up to 2.5 centimeters long live on these algae and lichens .
Outside the park and the other nature reserves, the old trees have largely been cut down and replaced by Douglas firs, which are regularly cleared.

activities

The national park is visited by an average of 1.8 million visitors annually. There are five touristic areas within the park, four of which are equipped with a visitor center, plus numerous ranger stations. The park roads lead halfway around the mountain in the south and east, with access roads leading to the main attractions and the visitor centers. The year-round visitor center in Longmire houses a museum. In its surroundings, the 800 meter long Trail of the Shadows , a nature trail, leads around a forest clearing. The visitor center in Paradise is at an altitude of 1,600 meters and is surrounded by subalpine mountain meadows through which several hiking trails and paths lead.
From the southern park road, a short path leads to the 50 meter high Narada waterfall . Further along the park road is Reflection Lake , on whose surface Mount Rainier is reflected when the weather is nice. The Box Canyon in the south of the park is up to 35 meters deep, very narrow gorge that the Cowlitz River has eaten into a lava flow. Located to the southeast of the park, the Ohanapecosh Visitor Center features the two- mile Grove of the Patriarchs Trail . This educational trail leads to the oldest giant trees in the park, which are up to 1000 years old. To the east is the Sunrise Visitor Center at an altitude of 1920 meters . A short educational trail and numerous hiking trails lead through the mountain meadows with a view of Emmons Glacier and the summit crater. From the northwest a slope leads to the Carbon River and into the wettest part of the park. The Carbon River Rain Forest Trail , a 500-meter-long educational trail through the dense rainforest, leads here. Other paths lead to Carbon Glacier or Mowich Lake. The 150-kilometer Wonderland Trail , which was laid out in 1916 and can be climbed in 10 to 14 days, leads around Mount Rainier . A total of 480 kilometers of hiking trails lead through the park. The summit of Mount Rainier is the destination of around 4,000 climbers every year. Climbing the summit usually takes two days. At Paradise, ski lifts are in operation from December to May. In addition to skiing, there is the possibility of snowshoeing or ski hikes. The Paradise Inn and the National Park Inn in Longmire offer accommodations in the park, plus five campsites.

climate

Mount Rainier National Park has a lot of rainfall. Because of the high humidity, Mount Rainier is often shrouded in clouds for weeks, and equally long periods of rain are not uncommon. The main visiting time is June to September. July and August are statistically the driest and warmest months with the most days of fine weather, but sudden weather changes, rain and fog are also possible during this time.

literature

• Theodore Catton: The Campaign to Establish Mount Rainier National Park, 1893-1899 . In: Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Spring 1997, pp. 70-81. ( Online access )
• Allan H. Smith: Ethnography of Mount Rainier National Park . Washington State University 2006.
• Wolfgang Bittmann, Brigitte Fugger: Travel Guide Nature USA . BLV Verlagsgesellschaft, Munich 1992, ISBN 978-3-7632-4067-8 .
• Tim McNulty, David Robertson: American National Parks . Taschen, Cologne 1986, ISBN 978-3-8228-0040-9 .

Web links

Commons : Mount Rainier National Park  - Collection of Images, Videos, and Audio Files

• National Park Service: Mount Rainier National Park (official site; English)
• US National Parks Net: Mount Rainier National Park (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Mount Rainier National Park on the National Register of Historic Places , accessed March 11, 2020.
   Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: Washington. National Park Service , accessed March 11, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} NRIS
3. ↑ National Historic Landmarks Program (Paradise Inn) ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ National Historic Landmarks Program (Yakima Park Stockade Group) ( Memento of the original from January 30, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.