A Meadow Rover volunteer speaks with a visitor along the Skyline Trail at Paradise / NPS

Starting in 2025, Mount Rainier National Park will undergo two major construction projects to replace aging infrastructure and improve the visitor experience.

The Ohanapecosh Campground project will revamp the popular campground in the park’s southeast corner. Upgrades include rehabilitating 185 campsites and nine bathrooms, replacing the outdated wastewater system, modernizing electrical and water systems, and improving accessibility. The campground and associated facilities, including the visitor center, bathrooms, picnic area, and auditorium, will remain closed throughout the 2025 season but are set to reopen in 2026. Visitors can still camp at White River and Cougar Rock campgrounds during this time.

The project is funded through the Great American Outdoors Act, recreation fees, and the National Park Foundation.

A second project will rehabilitate 2.8 miles of State Route 123 between Laughingwater Creek and Panther Creek along the park’s eastern boundary. This two-year effort, funded by the Federal Highways Administration, will improve travel conditions. Both projects will result in temporary closures but promise significant improvements once completed.

Construction impacts are projected to be as follows:

• Construction Year One (2025)
  • A 2.8-mile section of roadway will be under construction April-October 2025. Travelers will experience delays of up to 30 minutes.
  • A full road closure of a portion of the roadway between Stevens Canyon Road and Panther Creek will take place September 2-30, 2025. The roadway will be bisected to install two large box culverts which will be more resilient during high flows and flooding reducing risk of road washouts and costly repairs and also annual maintenance needs. They should also improve habitat for amphibians and fish.
    • There will be no vehicle, pedestrian or bicycling access through the construction zone during this one-month culvert replacement project.
• Construction Year Two (2026)
  • There will be no full closures of the roadway during the 2026 construction season.
  • A 2.8-mile section of roadway will be under construction April-October 2026. Travelers will experience delays of up to 30 minutes.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to make much-needed improvements to the Ohanapecosh Campground and State Route 123,” stated Superintendent Greg Dudgeon. “There will be some temporary inconveniences next year, but we know that this critical investment in our facilities will help ensure recreational opportunities for visitors for decades to come.”  

Information about both construction projects will be posted on the park’s website in spring 2025 prior to the start of construction.