Conditions and Permit Update: Camp Schurman, Emmons-Winthrop, and Liberty Ridge

Looking directly up at the Emmons Glacier.

Camp Schurman

SR 410/Chinook Pass is still closed for the season, limiting access to the east side of the national park. The target opening date is May 22nd. Biking and walking is allowed on the park road, but be vigilant for park vehicles traveling on the roadway.

Permits are self-registration only until May 22nd. After May 22nd, the White River Wilderness Information Center will be open 7:30am to 5:00pm. Self-registration is located in front of the White River Wilderness Information Center and walk-up registration is located inside.

Camp Schurman facilities, including bathrooms, are currently buried in snow and inaccessible. Plan to be self-sufficient on a trip up to and above Camp Schurman (including bringing blue bags and packing them out).

Buried Camp Schurman.

The view of the Emmons-Winthrop zone from Little Tahoma.

Liberty Ridge, early May 2026.

Conditions and Permit Update: Muir Snowfield, Camp Muir, Ingraham Direct

We’ve been busy here at Mt. Rainier, with guided and unguided parties climbing and skiing numerous routes on the Mountain. As we get rolling into the season, we wanted to remind everyone of the what, where, and how to have a successful trip. 

Permits

Climbing permits are required for all people traveling on glaciers and/or above normal climbing high camps (~10,000 feet). Solo climbers are required to apply for a separate permit. Camping also requires a wilderness permit.

Currently, there are several ways to obtain the various permits needed, depending on when you plan to climb. 

The climbing permit fee can be paid for online here.

Self-Registration will occur from May 18 to May 21. There is a self-registration booth located inside the hallway of the Paradise Wilderness Information Center (PWIC).

Walk-up permits are available on May 15, 16, and 17. Beginning on Friday, May 22nd, the PWIC will be open every day. Their hours are 7:30am to 5:00pm. Wilderness permit reservations (for camping) can also be made on recreation.gov.

Muir Snowfield and Camp Muir

Alongside rapidly changing conditions on the upper mountain, the Muir Snowfield is in a transitional state between winter and summer. Climbers, hikers, and skiers need to be prepared to handle various types of weather and travel conditions. 

There is patchy snow the entire way up the Snowfield. Pebble Creek is the highest place to access drinking water on the way to Camp Muir, however a water purification method is strongly recommended and the creek may be frozen during cold temperatures. Please stay on trails or snow whenever possible to protect fragile alpine vegetation. 

The route to Camp Muir is not clearly marked and requires mountain-travel skills including strong white-out navigation abilities, using GPS. The Snowfield is bordered by consequential, steep, glaciated terrain and can be difficult to navigate in poor weather and visibility.

Inclement weather will hit the area on Thursday (May 14) through the weekend. Expect high winds, low temperatures, poor visibility, and heavy precipitation. Snow levels are forecasted down to 3500 feet on Saturday. Avalanche hazard will increase; please monitor and submit all avalanche activity to the Northwest Avalanche Center. 

As a reminder, the Public Shelter at Camp Muir remains closed for the foreseeable future. Prepare to camp in winter-like conditions. There is an emergency radio located in the first restroom nearest the helipad and can be used to initiate a rescue response. Plan to be self-sufficient; rescues in winter-like conditions can take several days to respond to.

Looking up at the Muir Snowfield from Pebble Creek on 5/8/2026.

Upper Mountain 

See previous blog post for upper mountain route conditions. These conditions are changing with the storm and features like wands and crevasses will likely be buried under new snow and less obvious. Guide services are reporting a single ladder on the current route up the Ingraham Direct between 11600 feet and 11800 feet. Climbing conditions over the next few days (and potentially weeks) will require advanced mountaineering skills to mitigate hazards such as avalanches, extreme weather, and navigation in complex glaciated terrain.

 

The Ingraham Glacier on 5/8/2026. Gibraltar Rock can be seen on the left side of the photo and the Disappointment Cleaver on the right.

Above the clouds from the flanks of Tahoma.

Conditions Update and Permit Info 5/6/26

Northwest side of the mountain from lower Ptarmigan ridge on May 5th, 2026

Climbing Season is underway at Mt. Rainier. 

In order to streamline your experience getting a permit before your climb, pay attention to the notes below.

Permits: The Paradise Wilderness Information Center will be open and issuing permits Friday, May 8th - Sunday, May 10th. Operating hours Fri-Sun are 07:30 am - 5:00 pm. 

The PWIC is located in Paradise behind the Old Ranger Station. The entrance can be found on the east side of the building labeled "Guide House" 

- Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here. 

- Wilderness permits can be reserved ahead of time, or acquired in person at the Paradise Wilderness Information Center. 

- For a detailed description of the permits required to climb Mt. Rainier, check out the park's climbing page. 

Monday May 11th - Thursday May 14th: Wilderness permits are issued via self-registration in the foyer of the small A-frame ranger station (the Old Station) at the upper Paradise parking lot. Or at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center. Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here

South side of Rainier on May 1st 2026

Upper Mountain Climbing Conditions: Parties have been summiting via the Ingraham Direct route above Ingraham Flats. The route ascends the Ingraham Glacier until 12,700 feet, where it ascends to Camp Comfort above Gibraltar Rock. From there, the route continues upwards with a slight detour around large crevasses just below 14,000 feet. The route meets the crater rim at Guide Rock.

The upper mountain snow surfaces are firm for this time of year. A mild winter combined with a high-elevation rain event at the end of March has made conditions resembling smooth and firm, hard packed snow. As a result, guides are using several pickets on their climbs to protect areas of the route with fall hazard. If you have and/or use pickets on your climb for running protection, it's important to practice a procedure with your team for navigating them before your climb to enable you to move through these areas efficiently and not disrupt the movement of teams around you.

Also of note, there have been a couple instances in the last week of climbers and skiers being caught in avalanches. Consult the Northwest Avalanche Center's West South Region Observations for more information.

Springtime Conditions Update

Mt. Rainier from canyon rim overlook on April 20th

 Happy springtime!

Climbers and skiers are are beginning to venture onto the higher slopes of the mountain. Park operations are winding up, and the road to Paradise is open 24 hrs a day. Expect intermittent road closures above Longmire when inclement weather impacts the park and during heavy snowfall events.

For weather-related trip planning assistance, check out the Mt. Rainier Recreational Forecast from the National Weather Service. 

This Weekend (April 25-26, 2026)

The forecast this weekend calls for sunny skies by Friday morning and relatively cool temperatures with freezing levels staying well below Camp Muir. Saturday afternoon, expect high clouds and possibly a cloud cap near the summit. Winds at Camp Muir are forecast to be 10-15 mph Friday and Saturday, while winds on the summit will slowly decrease from 55 mph on Friday to 25 mph on Saturday. Wind direction will be NE-N-NW. By Sunday, the upper level low pressure system to our north moves closer to Mt. Rainier, resulting in a chance of precipitation and reduced visibility on the upper mountain and Muir Snowfield by Sunday afternoon.

This Week:

The mountain received a significant amount of precipitation over the last two days. Accumulated precipitation at Paradise Thursday morning is almost 2 inches. This precipitation fell as a mix of rain and snow across the Park, resulting in only 8 inches of new snow at Paradise. As we move up the mountain, expect higher snowfall totals once you get above the rain line. Additionally, winds at Camp Muir gradually increased with the new precipitation. 

Average wind speeds of 15-30 mph, and gusts up to 40 mph definitely transported the new snow on the Muir Snowfield and the upper mountain. Wind direction at Muir switched from south to northwest mid-storm. New snow and high winds from opposite directions have surely created elevated avalanche hazard on the upper mountain. Travel cautiously and look for signs of instability like cracking on stiff snow surfaces, or recent avalanches on adjacent steep slopes.

Expect intermittent snow coverage for the first couple miles above Paradise. Adjust your route to stay on snow as much as possible.

Muir Snowfield:

Snow coverage is below average for this time of year below 8,000 ft on the snowfield. Areas between Paradise and McClure rock have exposed rock fellfields and fragile alpine plants. Please avoid walking on any surface besides snow on your way up the snowfield. Above Panorama Point, head towards the summer trail (snow covered) near Pebble Creek. The traditional winter route to McClure rock and traversing near Sugarloaf is not snow covered enough to protect the fragile alpine plant life from damage.

Camp Muir on April 20th

Conditions at Camp Muir are quite icy and slick. High winds likely scoured much of the new snow to leeward areas. Crampons may be useful for walking around camp if you plan to spend the night.

Few parties have ventured above Camp Muir recently. Rangers observed firm conditions at and above Camp Muir on Monday, April 20th. With limited information about upper mountain conditions, our advice is to set conservative mountaineering goals and methodically evaluate conditions on any ascent. This winter brought unique weather to the Cascade Range, which will result in unique and surprising conditions up high.

Access and Permits:

• Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here.
• Wilderness permits are issued via self-registration in the foyer of the small A-frame ranger station at the upper Paradise parking lot. Or at the Longmire Wilderness Information Center

Facilities and Emergency Infrastructure:

• The public shelter at Camp Muir is closed. The door is boarded and locked. Planned repair work was not completed in the fall.
• Access to the shelter is emergency-only and requires using the emergency radio to contact dispatch. Declaring an emergency to gain access will initiate a rescue response.
• The emergency radio has been relocated to the first restroom building nearest the helipad. This restroom is unusable for any other purpose than using the emergency radio.
• The pit-toilet is open and available for use. Find the second bathroom structure on the ridge, to the east of the helipad.

Equipment and Self-Sufficiency:

• Bring the full complement of winter camping gear necessary to remain self-sufficient—even if your plan is to camp only at Camp Muir.
• Leave the parking lot with detailed maps, whether digital or paper.
• If relying on a phone, bring an external battery, use airplane mode, and save social media posting until after your climb.

Search and Rescue Realities:

It is critical to understand how early season rescue differs from summer operations:

• During the summer season, climbing rangers are staffed daily and often stationed at Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, with dedicated training and aviation support.
• This infrastructure does not exist early season.
• Reaching an injured climber may take a full day or many more, even in favorable weather. In some cases, depending on location, conditions, and weather, no team may be able to respond for several days.

If you are injured on the mountain—particularly above high camps—the likelihood of same-day assistance is significantly reduced.

Muir Snowfield on April 20th from 7,300 ft

Winter Climbing

Happy New Year!

A stretch of relatively clear weather is currently forecast between January 13 and January 20, and we want to take a moment to share current conditions and several important considerations for anyone planning a winter climb of Mount Rainier.

Winter Weather Windows and Climb Success

Statistically, dry weather windows like this occur most years between mid-January and mid-February. Historically, there is a noticeable increase in summit success during this period, often peaking around the third week of January. Success rates during these windows can approach typical summer averages of 55–60%.

However, the devil is in the details.

Winter climbing on Mount Rainier is inherently difficult to plan. While these short weather windows do occur, they tend to favor climbers who live locally, have flexible schedules, and—most importantly—have significant experience on the mountain during the regular climbing season.

For teams with limited experience in glaciated terrain or winter alpine conditions, this may not be an appropriate time to attempt your first climb.  Let's dive deeper.

Access and Permits

• Please arrive having already paid your climbing fee: here.

• Wilderness permits are issued via self-registration in the foyer of the small A-frame ranger station at the upper Paradise parking lot.

Facilities and Emergency Infrastructure

• The public shelter at Camp Muir is closed. The door is boarded and locked. Planned repair work was not completed in the fall.

  • Access to the shelter is emergency-only and requires using the emergency radio to contact dispatch. Declaring an emergency to gain access will initiate a rescue response.

• The emergency radio has been relocated to the first restroom building nearest the helipad.

Equipment and Self-Sufficiency

• Bring the full complement of winter or arctic camping gear necessary to remain self-sufficient—even if your plan is to camp only at Camp Muir.

• Leave the parking lot with detailed maps, whether digital or paper.

  • If relying on a phone, bring an external battery, use airplane mode, and save social media posting until after your climb.

Search and Rescue Realities

It is critical to understand how winter rescue differs from summer operations:

• During the summer season, climbing rangers are staffed daily and often stationed at Camp Muir and Camp Schurman, with dedicated training and aviation support.

• This infrastructure does not exist in winter.

• Reaching an injured climber may take a full day or many more, even in favorable weather. In some cases, depending on location, conditions, and weather, no team may be able to respond for several days.

• The park does not maintain an exclusive-use helicopter contract during the winter.

If you are injured on the mountain—particularly above high camps—the likelihood of same-day assistance is significantly reduced.

Avalanche Conditions

Finally, stay tuned in to the snowpack.  Use the skills you learned in your US Level 1 and 2 courses.

• Although we've suffered through extreme weather events in the last three months, both droughts and atmospheric rivers, there is A LOT of new snow on Mount Rainier.

• The high elevation of Mount Rainier presents its own unique avalanche phenomena neither exactly like continental nor maritime environments!

Conditions Update @ Muir, Wednesday January 14, 2026

Made it to Camp Muir this morning for a quick conditions check.

• Pan Point is a little confusing as there is a lack of snow.  I think the normal winter gulley is the good call.  The summer trail is steep and there is a nice cliff under the traverse track making the consequences of a fall rather dire!
• Conditions were smooth as the sun worked its magic up to about 7500.
• 7500 onwards the snow became increasingly firm.
• By 9000’, yeah it was kind of terrifying.  Definitely recommend ski crampons.
• Took off skis at 9800 and booted it the last 200’
• Muir is “iced-in”.  All that moisture from a month ago is water ice all over Muir.
• It took me 10 minutes to make my way over to the public shelter from the ranger station!  I recommend crampons or micro-spikes just making your way around Muir.
• The toilet is iced-in.  I recommend blue bagging your waste so grab those at Paradise before you head up!
• I’ll post some photos here when I make it back down tonight.

Don't forget to pay the fee and self-register at the Old Station and have a great time!

Winter Season

First - the Public Shelter at Camp Muir remains CLOSED. It will remain closed until the Park Service can finish up the remodel and get the equipment out of the structure.  In the case of an emergency, the emergency radio is now in the first toilet next to the helipad.  You'll see the antenna on the roof of the building.  Make a call to "Dispatch, this is the [Last Name] party at Camp Muir".  You'll hear "This is dispatch, go ahead."  Then state your emergency and desire to use the public shelter.

Conditions on the upper mountain have changed - a thin blanket of new snow now covers the skeletal glacial ice and rocky ridges above high camps.  Unsettled weather for the next couple days will continue to add snow to the upper mountain and make conditions difficult for any summit attempt.  During this winter off-season there are virtually no other climbers on the mountain.  Guide services ceased operations weeks ago, and rangers are only sporadically staffing high camps for end-of-season projects.  

Any summit attempts this time of year should be considered a serious venture - it's definitely not the time of year for parties to attempt the mountain for the first time.  All parties who climb this time of year should be self-reliant and carry extra equipment so that they have contingency resources.

ALL CLIMBERS MUST:

1. Pay the climbing fee

2. Obtain a climbing permit

You can pay the fee online at Pay.Gov and you can obtain a permit via self-registration at Paradise and at the White River Ranger Station.  Please remember to check out after your climb by submitting your climbing permit back at the ranger station after your climb.  See the blog post below for more details on registration now that it's the "winter" season.  

These moments of transition from late summer to the start of winter add extra hazards.  Thinly covered crevasses, new avalanche problems, longer storm cycles and colder temperatures can all add up to dangerous conditions.  Please use extra caution in any winter climbing or skiing attempt.  And, while it can be rewarding to have solitude up high on the mountain, please do it safely!

Have a great winter and see you next spring!