During the winter, there are two things required to climb or ski (above 10,000' or on glaciers) at Mount Rainier National Park. The first is to pay the online Annual Climber Cost Recovery Fee. The second is to use the self-registration kiosks at Paradise or White River to fill out your permit.
Paradise: Self-registration for climbers began Monday September 7th, 2026 and the Paradise Wilderness Information Center is now closed. There is a self-registration box located outside the Old Ranger Station in Paradise. This is open 24/7 for registration, even if no one is staffing it - follow the directions on the kiosk located just inside the "Guide House" Building's front door. Eventually, when Paradise Buildings are winterized, this kiosk will move down to the Paradise Old Station's porch so it's accessible all winter.
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| Self-Registration Kiosk at Paradise is just inside the Guide House. |
White River: The White River Wilderness Information Center will be staffed until October 11th, 2026. After that date, there will be a self-registration box on the outside of the Wilderness Information Center. This self-registration box should be accessible all winter and into early spring for climbers and skiers headed to the Emmons-Winthrop, Little Tahoma and routes on the north side of the mountain.
Climbers can still register in-person (which we recommend) in Longmire. Check the park's operating hours and pay special attention to the date - the operating hours change throughout the winter.
As summer turns to winter, our seasonal staff migrates away from the mountain. High camps will only be staffed very occasionally, and any aviation or search and rescue operations will be delayed if not impossible. Please keep in mind that during the winters, there aren't rangers actively staffing the high camps to talk about conditions or weather. All climbers and skiers will have to be self-reliant and should be able to self-rescue in case of an incident.
