Although the Star of the Show is unarguably “The Mountain,” Mount Rainier National Park in Washington State is so much more. It may not be the largest unit in the National Park System, but within its borders you will find the most-glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S., a rich park history, and a plethora of wildlife inhabiting this park’s three life zones (forest, subalpine, alpine).

Ready to wander? Mount Rainier National Park has 260 mi/418.4 km of hiking trails / Rebecca Latson

Here’s a glimpse of some of this park’s significant numbers:

2,523,376

Recreational visits to Mount Rainier National Park in 2023, a gain of 151,791 from 2022 visitation.

500,000 years

The age of Mount Rainier

236,380.89/ 95,659.95

Park acreage/hectares within the legislative park boundary, with an additional 140 acres lying outside the boundary.

14,410/4,392.2

Mount Rainier’s height in feet/meters above sea level.

9,530

The number of people in 2022 who attempted to climb Mount Rainier (approximately half succeed annually).

1899

The year Mount Rainier National Park was established, making it the United States’ fifth national park.

964

The number of plant species documented within the park.

260/418.4

The number of miles/kilometers of hiking trails within the park.

182

The number of bird species documented within the park.

147/236.6

The number of miles/kilometers of roads within the park.

98

The number of animal species found within the park. This includes 65 mammal species, 14 species of amphibians, 5 species of reptiles, and 14 species of native fish.

97

The percentage of the park (228,480 acres/9,097.3 hectares) federally designated as Wilderness.

54/16.46

The average amount of snowfall in feet/meters on the park’s subalpine meadows.

28

The number of major named glaciers along Mount Rainier’s flanks (some pages say just 25 named glaciers).

10

The percentage of glacier coverage within the park.

3

The number of life zones found within Mount Rainier National Park.

The forest life zone ranges from 1,700 to 5,000 feet (518.2 to 1,524 meters)in elevation.
The subalpine life zone ranges from 5,000 to 7,000 feet ( 1,524 to 2,133.6 meters) in elevation.
The alpine life zone ranges from 7,000 to 14,410 feet (2,133.6 to 4.392.2 meters) in elevation.

3.0/0.7

The number of cubic miles/cubic kilometers of land the Osceola Mudflow removed from the summit and eastern flank of Mount Rainier 5,600 years ago.