Due to its high probability of an eruption in the near future and proximity to amajor urban area, Mount Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world, and it is on theDecade Volcano list.[13] The large amount of glacial ice means that Mount Rainier could produce massivelahars that could threaten the entirePuyallup River valley and other river valleys draining Mount Rainier, including theCarbon,White,Nisqually, andCowlitz (aboveRiffe Lake).[14] According to theUnited States Geological Survey's 2008 report, "about 80,000 people and their homes are at risk in Mount Rainier's lahar-hazard zones."[15]
Between 1950 and 2018, 439,460 people climbed Mount Rainier.[16][17] Approximately 84 people died in mountaineering accidents on Mount Rainier from 1947 to 2018.[16]
The manyIndigenous peoples who have lived near Mount Rainier for millennia have many names for the mountain in theirvarious languages. A linguistic analysis published in 2025 identified 20 names in indigenous languages for the mountain.[18]
Lushootseed speakers have several names for Mount Rainier, includingxʷaq̓ʷ andtəqʷubəʔ.[c][6]xʷaq̓ʷ means "sky wiper" or "one who touches the sky" in English.[6] The wordtəqʷubəʔ means "snow-covered mountain".[6][7]təqʷubəʔ has been anglicized in many ways, including 'Tacoma' and 'Tacobet'.[19]
Cowlitz speakers call the mountaintəx̣ʷúma ortəqʷúmen.[8]Sahaptin speakers call the mountainTax̱úma, which is borrowed from Cowlitz.[9]
George Vancouver named Mount Rainier in honor of his friend, Rear AdmiralPeter Rainier.[21] Themap of the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804–1806 refers to it as "Mt. Regniere". Although Rainier had been considered the official name of the mountain,Theodore Winthrop referred to the mountain as "Tacoma" in his posthumously published 1862 travel bookThe Canoe and the Saddle. For a time, both names were used interchangeably, although residents of the nearby city ofTacoma preferred Mount Tacoma.[22][23]
In 1890, theUnited States Board on Geographic Names declared that the mountain would be known as Rainier.[24] Following this in 1897, the Pacific Forest Reserve became theMount Rainier Forest Reserve, and the national park was established three years later. Despite this, there was still a movement to change the mountain's name to Tacoma and Congress was still considering a resolution to change the name as late as 1924.[25][26]
Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in Washington and the Cascade Range. This peak is located southeast of Tacoma, approximately 60 miles (97 km) south-southeast of Seattle.[27][28] Mount Rainier has atopographic prominence of 13,210 ft (4,026 m).[3] On clear days it dominates the southeastern horizon in most of theSeattle-Tacoma metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as "the Mountain".[29][30] On days of exceptional clarity, it can also be seen from as far away asCorvallis, Oregon (atMarys Peak), and theNorth Shore Mountains inBritish Columbia.[31][32]
With 26 majorglaciers[33] and 36 sq mi (93 km2) of permanentsnowfields and glaciers,[34] Mount Rainier is the most heavilyglaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The summit is topped by twovolcanic craters, each more than 1,000 ft (300 m) in diameter, with the larger east crater overlapping the west crater.Geothermal heat from thevolcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed the world's largest volcanicglacier cave network within the ice-filled craters,[35] with nearly 2 mi (3.2 km) of passages.[36]A smallcrater lake about 130 by 30 ft (39.6 by 9.1 m) in size and 16 ft (5 m) deep, the highest in North America with a surface elevation of 14,203 ft (4,329 m), occupies the lowest portion of the west crater below more than 100 ft (30 m) of ice and is accessible only via the caves.[37][38]
The broad top of Mount Rainier contains three named summits. The highest of these named summits is known as the Columbia Crest. The second highest summit is Point Success, 14,158 ft (4,315 m), at the southern edge of the summit plateau, atop the ridge known as Success Cleaver. It has atopographic prominence of about 138 ft (42 m), so it is not considered a separate peak. The lowest of the three summits is Liberty Cap, 14,112 ft (4,301 m), at the northwestern edge, which overlooks Liberty Ridge, the Sunset Amphitheater, and the dramaticWillis Wall.[43]
High on the eastern flank of Mount Rainier is a peak known asLittle Tahoma Peak, 11,138 ft (3,395 m), an eroded remnant of the earlier, much higher, Mount Rainier. It has a prominence of 858 ft (262 m), and it is almost never climbed in direct conjunction with Columbia Crest, so it is usually considered a separate peak. If considered separately from Mount Rainier, Little Tahoma Peak would be the third highest mountain peak in Washington.[44]
Mount Rainier was one of five historical icecap summits in thelower 48 states, meaning that its elevation has changed as a result ofglacial melting due toclimate change.[1]TheNational Park Service andUnited States Geological Survey cite Mount Rainier's summit as the Columbia Crest icecap at 14,410 ft (4,392 m);[2][45] this value was determined in 1956, referenced to theNational Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD29).[46] In 1999, the mountain summit was surveyed at 14,411 ft (4,392 m), also in the NGVD29.[d][46][47] In the 2020s,Eric Gilbertson and other surveyors found that the Columbia Crest had melted down so that it was no longer the highest point on the mountain after around 2014. According to Gilbertson's research, the current summit of the mountain is a point of bare rock on the southwest crater rim at 14,399.6 feet (4,389.0 m) +/- 3 cm (1.2 in). This figure also uses the NGVD29 datum.[1]
Mount Rainier is a stratovolcano in theCascade Volcanic Arc that consists oflava flows,debris flows, andpyroclastic ejecta and flows. Its earlyvolcanic deposits are estimated at more than 840,000 years old and are part of theLily Formation (about 2.9 million to 840,000 years ago). The early deposits formed a "proto-Rainier" or an ancestral cone prior to the present-day cone.[48] The present cone is more than 500,000 years old.[49]
The volcano is highly eroded, with glaciers on its slopes, and appears to be made mostly ofandesite. Rainier likely once stood even higher than today at about 16,000 ft (4,900 m) before a major debrisavalanche and the resultingOsceola Mudflow approximately 5,000 years ago.[50]In the past, Rainier has had large debris avalanches, and has also produced enormous lahars (volcanicmudflows), due to the large amount of glacial ice present. Its lahars have reached all the way toPuget Sound, a distance of more than 30 mi (48 km). Around 5,000 years ago, a large chunk of the volcano slid away and that debris avalanche helped to produce the massive Osceola Mudflow, which went all the way to the site of present-day Tacoma and south Seattle.[51] This massive avalanche of rock and ice removed the top 1,600 ft (500 m) of Rainier, bringing its height down to around 14,100 ft (4,300 m). About 530 to 550 years ago, theElectron Mudflow occurred, although this was not as large-scale as the Osceola Mudflow.[52]
After the major collapse approximately 5,000 years ago, subsequent eruptions of lava andtephra built up the modern summit cone until about as recently as 1,000 years ago. As many as 11Holocene tephra layers have been found.[48]
Soils on Mount Rainier are mostly gravelly ashy sandy loams developed from colluvium or glacial till mixed with volcanic tephra. Under forest cover their profiles usually have the banded appearance of a classicpodzol but the E horizon is darker than usual. Under meadows a thick dark A horizon usually forms the topsoil.[53]
The summit of Mount Rainier showing summit calderas and the mountain's glaciers.
The most recent recorded volcanic activity was between 1820 and 1854, but many eyewitnesses reported eruptive activity in 1858, 1870, 1879, 1882, and 1894 as well.[54] Additionally, the Smithsonian Institution's volcanism project records the lastvolcanic eruption as 1450 CE.[55]
Seismic monitors have been placed in Mount Rainier National Park and on the mountain itself to monitor activity.[56] An eruption could be deadly for all living in areas within the immediate vicinity of the volcano and effects from an eruption could be noticed fromVancouver, British Columbia toSan Francisco, California,[57] because of the massive amounts of ash blasting out of the volcano into the atmosphere.
Mount Rainier is located in an area that itself is part of the eastern rim of thePacific Ring of Fire. This includes mountains and calderas likeMount Shasta andLassen Peak in California,Crater Lake,Three Sisters, andMount Hood in Oregon,Mount St. Helens,Mount Adams,Glacier Peak, andMount Baker in Washington, andMount Cayley,Mount Garibaldi,Silverthrone Caldera, andMount Meager inBritish Columbia. Many of the above are dormant, but could return to activity, and scientists on both sides of the border gather research of the past eruptions of each in order to predict how mountains in this arc will behave and what they are capable of in the future, including Mount Rainier.[58][59] Of these, two have erupted since the beginning of the twentieth century: Lassen in 1915 and St. Helens in 1980 and 2004. However, past eruptions in this volcanic arc have multiple examples ofsub-plinian eruptions or higher: Crater Lake's last eruption as Mount Mazama was large enough to cause its cone to collapse,[60] and Mount Rainier's closest neighbor, Mount St. Helens, produced the largest recorded eruption in the continental United States when it erupted in 1980. Statistics place the likelihood of a major eruption in the Cascade Range at 2–3 per century.[61]
Mount Rainier is listed as aDecade Volcano, or one of the 16 volcanoes on Earth with the greatest likelihood of causing loss of life and property if eruptive activity resumes.[62] If Mount Rainier were to erupt as powerfully as Mount St. Helens did in its May 18, 1980 eruption, the effect would be cumulatively greater, because of the far more massive amounts of glacial ice locked on thevolcano compared to Mount St. Helens,[52] the vastly more heavily populated areas surrounding Rainier, and the fact that Mount Rainier is almost twice the size of St. Helens.[63] Lahars from Rainier pose the most risk to life and property,[64] as many communities lie atop older lahar deposits. According to theUnited States Geological Survey (USGS), about 150,000 people live on top of old lahar deposits of Rainier.[15] Not only is there much ice atop the volcano, the volcano is also slowly being weakened by hydrothermal activity. According to Geoff Clayton, a geologist with a Washington State Geology firm, RH2 Engineering, a repeat of the 5000-year-oldOsceola Mudflow would destroyEnumclaw,Orting,Kent,Auburn,Puyallup,Sumner and all ofRenton.[51] Such a mudflow might also reach down theDuwamish estuary and destroy parts ofdowntown Seattle, and causetsunamis in Puget Sound andLake Washington.[65] Rainier is also capable of producingpyroclastic flows and expelling lava.[65] A 2012Washington State Department of Natural Resources estimate showed that a significant lahar could cause up to $40 billion in damage downriver.[66]
According to Kevin Scott, a scientist with the USGS:
A home built in any of the probabilistically defined inundation areas on the new maps is more likely to be damaged or destroyed by a lahar than by fire... For example, a home built in an area that would be inundated every 100 years, on the average, is 27 times more likely to be damaged or destroyed by a flow than by fire. People know the danger of fire, so they buy fire insurance and they have smoke alarms, but most people are not aware of the risks of lahars, and few have applicable flood insurance.[67]
The volcanic risk is somewhat mitigated by lahar warning sirens and escape route signs inPierce County, part of theMount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System, which was implemented by theUSGS in 1998, and has been maintained by Pierce County since.[68] The more populousKing County is also in the lahar area, but has no zoning restrictions due to volcanic hazard.[69] More recently (since 2001) funding from the federal government for lahar protection in the area has dried up, leading local authorities in at-risk cities like Orting to fear a disaster similar to theArmero tragedy.[70][71] To prevent against such tragedies, authorities downriver from Rainier have conducted annual large-scale evacuation exercises in cooperation with local school districts. The 2024 drill included 45,000 students and staff from thePuyallup,Sumner–Bonney Lake,Orting,White River, andCarbonado School Districts.[72] During the exercise, emergency operations centers in the cities ofPuyallup,Bonney Lake, andBuckley were activated to help the movement of school students and staff.[73]
Typically, up to five earthquakes are recorded monthly near the summit. Swarms of five to ten shallow earthquakes over two or three days take place from time to time, predominantly in the region of 13,000 feet (4 km) below the summit. These earthquakes are thought to be caused by the circulation of hot fluids beneath Mount Rainier. Presumably, hot springs and steam vents within Mount Rainier National Park are generated by such fluids.[74] Seismic swarms (not initiated with a mainshock) are common features at volcanoes, and are rarely associated with eruptive activity. Rainier has had several such swarms; there were days-long swarms in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009,[75] 2011,[76] 2021,[77] and 2025. The 2025 swarm produced the largest number of events, highest rate of events, and largest amount of energy released since the monitoring began in 1982.[78]
Three-dimensional representation of Mount RainierNisqually Glacier is seen clearly from the southeast of the mountain.
Glaciers are among the most conspicuous and dynamic geologic features on Mount Rainier. They erode the volcanic cone and are important sources of streamflow for several rivers, including some that provide water forhydroelectric power andirrigation. Together with perennial snow patches, the 29 named glacial features cover about 30.41 square miles (78.8 km2) of the mountain's surface in 2015 and have an estimated volume of about 0.69 cubic miles (2.9 km3).[79][80][33][34]
Glaciers flow under the influence of gravity by the combined action of sliding over the rock on which they lie and bydeformation, the gradual displacement between and within individual ice crystals. Maximum speeds occur near the surface and along the centerline of the glacier. During May 1970,Nisqually Glacier was measured moving as fast as 29 inches (74 cm) per day. Flow rates are generally greater in summer than in winter, probably due to the presence of large quantities of meltwater at the glacier base.[34]
The size of glaciers on Mount Rainier has fluctuated significantly in the past. For example, during thelast ice age, from about 25,000 to about 15,000 years ago, glaciers covered most of the area now within the boundaries of Mount Rainier National Park and extended to the perimeter of the present Puget Sound Basin.[34]
Between the 14th century and 1850, many of the glaciers on Mount Rainier advanced to their farthest extent downvalley since the last ice age. Many advances of this sort occurred worldwide during this time period known to geologists as theLittle Ice Age. During the Little Ice Age, the Nisqually Glacier advanced to a position 650 to 800 ft (200 to 240 m) downvalley from the site of theGlacier Bridge,Tahoma andSouth Tahoma Glaciers merged at the base of Glacier Island, and the terminus ofEmmons Glacier reached within 1.2 mi (1.9 km) of the White River Campground.[34]
The rocky area left behind after the retreat of theNorth Mowich Glacier seen in July 2024.
Retreat of the Little Ice Age glaciers was slow until about 1920 when retreat became more rapid. TheWilliwakas Glacier was noted as extinct during the 1930s. Between the height of the Little Ice Age and 1950, Mount Rainier's glaciers lost about one-quarter of their length. Beginning in 1950 and continuing through the early 1980s, however, many of the major glaciers advanced in response to relatively cooler temperatures of the mid-century. The glaciers and snowfields of Mount Rainier also lost volume during this time, except for the Frying Pan and Emmons glaciers on the east flank and the small near-peak snowfields; the greatest volume loss was concentrated from ~1750 m (north) to ~2250 m (south) elevation. The largest single volume loss is from the Carbon Glacier, although it is to the north, due to its huge area at <2000 m elevation.[81] TheCarbon,Cowlitz, Emmons, and Nisqually Glaciers advanced during the late 1970s and early 1980s as a result of high snowfalls during the 1960s and 1970s.
Since the early-1980s, however, many glaciers have been thinning and retreating and some advances have slowed.[34] In a study using data from 2021, National Park Service scientists removed Stevens Glacier from its inventory of Mount Rainier glaciers due to its dwindling size and lack of evidence that it was moving.[82] Using satellite data in 2022, researchers atNichols College determined that bothPyramid andVan Trump glaciers had also ceased to exist with only fragments of ice remaining.[82] A significant decline had been noted between 2015 and 2022.[83]
The glaciers on Mount Rainier can generate mudflows throughglacial outburst floods not associated with an eruption. The South Tahoma Glacier generated 30 floods in the 1980s and early 1990s, and again in August 2015.[84]
The archaeological record of human use of the mountain dates to over 8,500 years before present (BP). Sites related to seasonal use of Mount Rainier and its landscapes are reflected in chipped stone tool remains and settings suggesting functionally varied uses including task-specific sites, rockshelters, travel stops, and long-term base camps. Their distribution on the mountain suggest primary use of subalpine meadows and low alpine habitats that provided relatively high resource abundance during the short summer season.[88] Evidence suggests that there existed a tradition of Native Americans setting fire to areas of the region each year as a way to encourage meadow development.[89]
The first Europeans to reach thePacific Northwest were theSpanish who arrived by sea in 1774 led byJuan Perez.[90] The next year, under the direction ofJuan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, a boat was sent ashore toDestruction island.[90] Upon landing, the crew was attacked and killed by the local indigenous population.[90] Although attempts were made in 1792 to create a permanent Spanish settlement atNeah Bay, the project was unsuccessful and by 1795, Spain had given up on the region.[90] Although not documented anywhere, it is likely that Spanish sailors first observed Mount Rainier while sailing in theStrait of Juan de Fuca.[90]
Upon reaching what would become California in 1579,Sir Francis Drake claimed the entire northwest coast of North America forEngland.[90] This claim to the coast of the Pacific Northwest was not further explored until in 1778Captain James Cook sailed the coastline of modern-day Washington and British Columbia, stimulating a subsequent increase in English ships coming to the area as part of thefur trade.[90] On July 22, 1793,Sir Alexander Mackenzie of the BritishNorthwest Fur Company reached the Pacific Ocean via overland route that crossed the Rocky Mountains.[90]
The first American,John Ledyard, reached the region aboard Captain Cook's ship in 1778.[90] By 1787, six Americans from Boston formed a company which began trading along the northwest coast.[90] TheLewis and Clark overland expedition reached the northwest coast in 1805 and observed Mount Rainier for the first time in early 1806.[90]
At the outset of the 19th century, the region where Mt. Rainier was located was claimed by Spain, the U.S., Russia, and Great Britain, with most claims being based on instances of early naval exploration of the region's coast.[90] Spain relinquished all remaining claims to the Pacific Northwest that had not already been handed over with theLouisiana Purchase in 1819 with thepurchase and cession of Florida by the United States.[90] In 1824, Russia ceded all land claims south ofparallel 54°40′ north to the United States as part of theRusso-American Treaty.[90] In 1818, the United States and the United Kingdom signed a treaty, agreeing upon the joint settlement and occupation of the Oregon country which consisted of the territory north of42°N latitude, south of54°40′N latitude, and west of theRocky Mountains to thePacific Ocean.[90] The1846 Oregon Treaty between the United States and United Kingdom set new borders between British and American territory along today'sapproximate borders.[90] In 1853, the land between theColumbia river and the border withBritish Canada was organized into theWashington Territory, which was the administrative status of the region at the time of the first successful ascent of Mount Rainier.[90]
Descending from the summit in 1883, James Longmire discovered a mineral spring; this ultimately led to his establishment of a spa and hotel, drawing other visitors to the area to seek the benefits of the spring.[94] Later, the headquarters of the national park would be established at Longmire, until flooding caused them to be relocated to Ashford.[95] The area also became the site of features like a museum, a post office, and a gas station, with additions like a library and a gift shop soon following; many of these buildings were ultimately nominated to the national historic register of historic places.[95] Longmire remains the second most popular place in the park.[95][96] In 1924, a publication from the park described the area:
Mount Rainier sunset
"A feature at Longmire Springs of great interest to everyone is the group of mineral springs in the little flat to the west of National Park Inn. There are some forty distinct springs, a half dozen of which are easily reached from the road. An analysis of the waters show that they all contain about the smae [sic] mineral salts but in slightly differing proportions. All the water is highly carbonated and would be classed as extremely "hard". Certain springs contain larger amounts of soda, iron and sulphur, giving them a distinct taste and color."[97]
John Muir climbed Mount Rainier in 1888, and although he enjoyed the view, he conceded that it was best appreciated from below. Muir was one of many who advocated protecting the mountain. In 1893, the area was set aside as part of thePacific Forest Reserve in order to protect its physical and economic resources, primarily timber andwatersheds.[98]
Citing the need to also protect scenery and provide for public enjoyment, railroads and local businesses urged the creation of a national park in hopes of increased tourism. On March 2, 1899, PresidentWilliam McKinley established Mount Rainier National Park as America's fifthnational park. Congress dedicated the new park "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people"[99] and "... for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber,mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition."[100]
In 1998, the United States Geological Survey began putting together theMount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System to assist in theemergency evacuation of thePuyallup River valley in the event of a catastrophic debris flow. It is now run by thePierce County Department of Emergency Management. Tacoma, at the mouth of the Puyallup, is only 37 mi (60 km) west of Rainier, and moderately sized towns such as Puyallup and Orting are only 27 and 20 mi (43 and 32 km) away, respectively.[102]
Mount Rainier appears on four distinct United Statespostage stamp issues. In 1934, it was the 3-cent issue in a series of National Park stamps, and was also shown on asouvenir sheet issued for a philatelic convention. The following year, in 1935, both of these were reprinted byPostmaster GeneralJames A. Farley as special issues given to officials and friends. Because of complaints by the public, "Farley's Follies" were reproduced in large numbers. The second stamp issue is easy to tell from the original because it isimperforate. Both stamps and souvenir sheets are widely available.[103]
Mountain climbing on Mount Rainier is difficult, involving traversing the largest glaciers in the U.S. south ofAlaska. Most climbers require two to three days to reach the summit, with a success rate of approximately 50%, with weather and physical conditioning of the climbers being the most common reasons for failure. About 10,000 to 11,000 people attempt the climb each year, making it one of the most popular in the world.[106][107] Approximately 90 percent of summit attempts use routes fromCamp Muir on the southeast flank,[108] and most of the rest ascendEmmons Glacier via Camp Schurman on the northeast.[109]
Camp Muir is commonly used by those attempting to summit Mount Rainier
All climbing routes on Mount Rainier require climbers to possess some level of technical climbing skill. This includes ascending and descending the mountain with the use of technical climbing equipment such as crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and ropes. Difficulty and technical challenge of climbing Mount Rainier can vary widely between climbing routes. Routes are graded inNCCS Alpine Climbing format.
Thenormal route to the summit of Mount Rainier is the Disappointment Cleaver Route,YDS grade II-III. As climbers on this route have access to the permanently establishedCamp Muir, it sees the significant majority of climbing traffic on the mountain. This route is also the most common commercially guided route. The term "cleaver" is used in the context of a rock ridge that separates two glaciers. The reason for naming this cleaver a "disappointment" is unrecorded, but it is thought to be due to climbers reaching it only to recognize their inability to reach the summit.[110] An alternative route to the Disappointment Cleaver is the Ingraham Glacier Direct Route, grade II, and is often used when the Disappointment Cleaver route cannot be climbed due to poor route conditions.
The Emmons Glacier Route, grade II, is an alternative to the Disappointment Cleaver route and poses a lower technical challenge to climbers. The climbers on the route can make use of Camp Schurman (9,500 ft), a glacial camp site. Camp Schurman is equipped with a solar toilet and a ranger hut.[111]
The Liberty Ridge Route, grade IV, is a considerably more challenging and objectively dangerous route than the normal route to the summit.[106] It runs up the center of the north face of Mount Rainier and crosses the very active Carbon Glacier. First climbed by Ome Daiber, Arnie Campbell and Jim Burrow in 1935, it is listed as one of theFifty Classic Climbs of North America bySteve Roper andAllen Steck. This route only accounts for approximately 2% of climbers on the mountain, but approximately 25% of its deaths.[112]
About two mountaineering deaths each year occur because of rock and ice fall, avalanche, falls, and hypothermia. These incidents are often associated with exposure to very high altitude, fatigue, dehydration, or poor weather.[113] 89 deaths on Mount Rainier have been reported from 1897 to 2011.[106] Approximately 7 percent of mountaineering deaths and 6 percent of mountaineering accidents in the United States are attributed to Mount Rainier.[16]
The first known climbing death on Mount Rainier was Edgar McClure, a professor of chemistry at the University of Oregon, on July 27, 1897. During the descent in darkness, McClure stepped over the edge of the rock and slid to his death on a rocky outcrop. The spot is now known as McClure Rock.[114]
The worst mountaineering accident on Mount Rainier occurred in 1981, when ten clients and a guide died in an avalanche/ice fall on theIngraham Glacier.[115]This was the largest number of fatalities on Mount Rainier in a single incident since 32 people were killed in a 1946 plane crash on the South Tahoma Glacier.[116]
In one of the worst disasters on the mountain in over thirty years, six climbers—two guides, and four clients—were killed on May 31, 2014, after the climbers fell 3,300 feet (1,000 m) while attempting the summit via the Liberty Ridge climbing route. Low-flying search helicopters pinged the signals from theavalanche beacons worn by the climbers, and officials concluded that there was no possible chance of survival. Searchers found tents and clothes along with rock and ice strewn across a debris field on the Carbon Glacier at 9,500 ft (2,900 m), possible evidence for a slide or avalanche in the vicinity where the team went missing, though the exact cause of the accident is unknown.[106] The bodies of three of the client climbers were spotted on August 7, 2014, during a training flight and subsequently recovered on August 19. The bodies of the fourth client climber and two guides were never found.[117][118]
Subalpine wildflower meadow in Paradise region of Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier has regularly been described as one of the best places in the world to viewwildflowers.[127][128] In the subalpine region of the mountain, the snow often stays on the ground until summer begins, limiting plants to a much shortergrowing season. This produces dramatic blooms in areas likeParadise.[126][129] In 1924, the flowers were described by naturalistFloyd W. Schmoe:
Mount Rainier National Park is perhaps better known the world over for these wonderful flowers than for any one feature. The mountains, the glaciers, the cascading streams and the forests may be equalled if one looks far away enough, but no park has been so favored in the way of wild flowers.[130]
A Cascade red fox active during Paradise's long winter
The mountain supports a wide variety of animal life, including several species that are protected on the state or federal level, like thenorthern spotted owl.[125] Efforts are also being made to reintroduce native species that had locally been hunted to extinction, like thePacific fisher.[125] There are sixty-five types of mammals living on the mountain, includingcougars,mountain goats,marmots, andelk. Commonreptiles and amphibians includegarter snakes,frogs, andsalamanders. There are manytypes of birds found throughout the different elevations on the mountain, but while some live there all year, many aremigratory. Salmon andtrout species use the rivers formed by theglaciers, and though the lakes stopped beingstocked in 1972, thirty lakes still have reproducing populations.[131]
^Prior to around 2014, Mount Rainier's icecap at the Columbia Crest was the highest point on the mountain, and was surveyed at 14,410 feet (4,390 m) in 1956.[1] This figure is still used by theNational Park Service[2] and theUnited States Geological Survey.[5] Due toclimate change, the Columbia Crest has melted down to a height of 14,389.2 feet (4,385.8 m), while Mount Rainier's Southwest Rim was measured at 14,399.6 feet (4,389.0 m), which would make it the new highest point on the volcano.[11][12]
^The 1999 survey was based on theNorth American Vertical Datum of 1988, but the result was converted to NGVD29 by the original authors for comparison to previous values.
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^Named afterBailey Willis, USGS geological engineer, who played a key role in getting Mount Rainier designated as a national park."Scientific Exploration Of Mount Rainier".Mount Rainier: Its Human History Associations. National Park Service. Archived fromthe original on March 26, 2007. RetrievedFebruary 20, 2013.
^abSignani, Larry (July 19, 2000)."The Height of Accuracy".Point of Beginning Magazine. BNP Media. Archived fromthe original on December 17, 2012. RetrievedOctober 17, 2024.
^Archbold, Mike (August 12, 2010)."Rainier still measures up: 14,411 feet".The Olympian. RetrievedOctober 17, 2024.Finally, we converted the NAVD 88 elevations to NAVD 29 [sic, NGVD 29] elevations for comparison to previous values.
^Harris, Stephen L. (2005). "Mount Rainier: America's Most Dangerous Volcano".Fire Mountains of the West (3rd ed.). Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. pp. 299–334.ISBN0-87842-511-X.
^McNichols, Joshua."What will happen when Mount Rainier erupts?".KUOW.Archived from the original on July 16, 2016. RetrievedJuly 17, 2016.Statistics show there's a volcanic eruption in the Cascades two to three times every century; Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in that range.
^Cascades Volcano Observatory (September 23, 2006)."Mount Rainier Swarm Report". United States Geological Survey.Archived from the original on January 17, 2012. RetrievedMay 28, 2011.
^Catton, Theodore (1996).Wonderland: an administrative history of Mount Rainier National Park. National Park Service.OCLC45308935.
^abcdefghijklmnopqrRensch, Hero Eugene (1935).Mount Rainier, its human history associations. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Field Division of Education.OCLC1042816617.
^Bragg, Lynn (2010). "Fay Fuller,First Lady of Mount Rainier".More than Petticoats: Remarkable Washington Women (2nd ed.). Globe Pequot. pp. 107–116.ISBN978-0-7627-6074-9.
^abcdLindblom, Mike; Garnick, Coral; Bernton, Hal (June 2, 2014)."6 climbers dead on Mount Rainier".The Seattle Times.Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. RetrievedNovember 18, 2024.
^Litch, Jim (2017). "Health". In Gautier, M (ed.).Mount Rainier: A Climbers Guide. Mountaineers Books.ISBN978-1-59485-842-0.
^Haines, Aubrey (1999).Mountain Fever: Historic Conquests of Rainier. Seattle: University of Washington Press. pp. 196–197.ISBN0-295-97847-3.OCLC41619403.
^"Carnivores".Mount Rainier National Park.Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. RetrievedJuly 29, 2018.
^Warren, F. A.; Pennell."Pedicularis rainierensis"(PDF).Department of Natural Resources.Archived(PDF) from the original on July 29, 2018. RetrievedJuly 29, 2018.
^abcd"Animals".Mount Rainier National Park. U.S. National Park Service.Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. RetrievedJuly 29, 2018.
^abcdef"Plants".Mount Rainier National Park. U.S. National Park Service.Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. RetrievedJuly 29, 2018.
The Mountaineers Collection, Photographic albums and text documenting the Mountaineers official annual outings undertaken by club members from 1907 to 1951, includes 3 Mount Rainier albums (ca. 1912, 1919, 1924).
Henry M. Sarvant Photographs, photographs by Henry Mason Sarvant depicting his climbing expeditions to Mount Rainier and scenes of the vicinity from 1892 to 1912.
Alvin H. Waite Photographs Photographs of Mount Rainier by Alvin H. Waite, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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