However, I am not alone in my admiration of this majestic peak, and as these admirers increase, so does solitude decrease. The beauty of Rainier is not merely a visual experience, but also an audible one, dependent upon the ability for one to stand silent and take in the joyful chorus of the sound that rises up to envelop a wanderer in this wilderness's myriad of wild noises, both subtle and overt. This full sensory experience requires a minimal degree of human presence, and to that end the crowds that flock to the park in droves must be limited.
I fully realize that such limitations will mean my own visits will be but rare, yet they will be all the sweeter for their scarcity, and everyone shall be able to experience the mountain at its best for generations to come. With that in mind, here are my suggestions for how Mt. Rainier National Park should work to address the issues of overcrowding.
I have put a lot of thought into this difficult puzzle, and would like to mention other proposals I have considered, and why I no longer support them. Replacing cars with shuttles initially occurred to me, as this has worked well in Zion Canyon. However, the distances in Mt. Rainier National Park are far greater than in Zion, and such a system would be significantly more expensive to build and maintain. The location of parking for such a system is also a major issue, as there is nowhere within the park that would be appropriate for the construction of such significant parking facilities, and the farther away parking is located, the greater logistical problems become.
Bus service from Puget Sound cities has also been proposed, but that would likely only increase overcrowding in the park and add to, rather than displace, personal vehicle traffic.
In the end, I have come to the conclusion that the best solution for overcrowding in Mt. Rainier National Park is limiting the availability of parking. If implemented as described, resources would be protected, and a certain degree of visitor experience quality would be assured. With my suggestions, this would be achieved in a manner that would be both unobtrusive and minimally frustrating to visitors.
I fully realize that such limitations will mean my own visits will be but rare, yet they will be all the sweeter for their scarcity, and everyone shall be able to experience the mountain at its best for generations to come. With that in mind, here are my suggestions for how Mt. Rainier National Park should work to address the issues of overcrowding.
- The ideal maximum visitation was reached some years ago, and plans for the park’s future should aim to reduce visitor numbers to what they were a decade ago.
- In order to achieve this, we should reduce parking capacity and prevent parking outside of designated areas.
- Most trailhead parking is adequate, so could remain the same, as long as overflow parking is prohibited. However, the large quantity of parking at Paradise and Sunrise leads to overcrowding in those areas, so the number of parking spots there should be reduced.
- Parking lot capacity should be monitored by cameras and a computerized surveillance system that would automatically update a web page so that visitors could plan accordingly. This system would have the added benefit of counteracting trailhead crime.
- Rangers at the park entrance could use this automated capacity tracking system to inform visitors of available parking upon arrival. Visitors could then essentially reserve a parking space by informing the ranger as to their destination. That parking space would then be updated to read “filled up” until a given period of time for the visitor to arrive, whereupon it would revert to potentially unoccupied.
- Tour buses are frequently a source of significant excess crowds, and their presence in the park should be limited.
I have put a lot of thought into this difficult puzzle, and would like to mention other proposals I have considered, and why I no longer support them. Replacing cars with shuttles initially occurred to me, as this has worked well in Zion Canyon. However, the distances in Mt. Rainier National Park are far greater than in Zion, and such a system would be significantly more expensive to build and maintain. The location of parking for such a system is also a major issue, as there is nowhere within the park that would be appropriate for the construction of such significant parking facilities, and the farther away parking is located, the greater logistical problems become.
Bus service from Puget Sound cities has also been proposed, but that would likely only increase overcrowding in the park and add to, rather than displace, personal vehicle traffic.
In the end, I have come to the conclusion that the best solution for overcrowding in Mt. Rainier National Park is limiting the availability of parking. If implemented as described, resources would be protected, and a certain degree of visitor experience quality would be assured. With my suggestions, this would be achieved in a manner that would be both unobtrusive and minimally frustrating to visitors.
Mt. Rainier National Park is currently in the planning process of the future of the Nisqually Corridor, and is looking for input to help address the issues of overcrowding in the area, you can send them your ideas regarding the Nisqually Corridor Management Plan here:
