Camp in Mount Rainier in August

[victor_zhou]

Hi, there,

 

I will go to Mount Rainier in the first week of August. Originally,

i want to camp there, but someone told me that even in August, it is

very cold at night there, and even worse, it always rains there. Is

that true? I don't want to camp in a cold (say under 50 degree) and

rainy night.

 

If I have to stay in the motel, is there any one that you can

suggest? And which place is the best? Longmire, Ashford, or

Packwood? Since I am a student, I cannot afford an expensive one.

 

Thanks a lot in advance.

 

Victor

[mark_windom]

I wonder if whoever gave you that info has actually been there in August?.

 

Though Washington is well known for its rain August is probably the driest month of the year and your chances of getting wet are slim. Not to say it can't happen, particularly in the mountains, but I wouldn't let it ruin your plans. Depending on where you camp the temps are quite comfortable in August. I would make reservations (highly recommended) at either Cougar Rock or Ohanapecosh campgrounds......I've camped there many times in August and have never been uncomfortable. You can always sleep in your car if conditions are unusually cold or wet but if you do it had better be in a campground or the rangers will direct you to one.

 

If you don't want to take any chances whatsoever on the weather then there are several places to stay on the outskirts of the Park which are reasonably priced. Whittakers Bunkhouse in Ashford comes to mind. The Longmire and Paradise Inns are rather expensive.

 

Your timing should be about right for peak wildflower season this year. As of early this week Paradise still had about 4 feet of snow on the ground.

[arthuryeo]

I just checked the ClimateTables for Raininer on one of the National Park publications. July is the driest month and August is the second driest month of the year.

<br>Camping in high elevations will often allow you to meet with "unusual" temperature compared to the current season. On average, the night time temperature is in the low 40's for Raininer in August.

<br>Having said all these, the figures I gave you are all "on the average". Remember this: the mountain makes its own climate. You should always be prepared for the mountain.

<br>As for hotel, like all other national parks, the further you are from the most convenient areas, the less you pay. So, Ashford is fine.

<br>Hope that helps.

[victor_zhou]

Thanks a lot to Mark and Arthur. Your answers really help me a lot.

 

Victor

[sknowles]

August is an excellent time to camp in/around Mt Rainier NP, but remember a lot of people know that too. The temperatures can be variable depending on where you camp/stay, but cold temperatures at the mid-to-upper elevations is normal.

 

There are few designated camping areas for vehicles in the NP, which can fill up fast in the summer, and the backcountry areas camping areas are somewhat regulated to minimize the impacts. There are two Inns in the NP, Paradise and Longmire, and these may be (near) full from reservations, so call ahead, see Web site below. There are some excellent hotel/motels in the areas, within an hours drive of the NP and/or trailheads, a good Web search should find them.

 

Camping in the USFS lands requires permits available from local USFS offices. The NP is surrounding by 3 Forests, information at:

 

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/

 

A good place to start for NP information is:

 

http://www.nps.gov/mora/

http://www.guestservices.com/rainier/

 

The weather will be generally decent, but be prepared, the Mountain, as they say, makes its own weather. You can get the latest information from the NPS (above Web site) and from the USFS-NPS folks at:

 

http://www.nps.gov/ccso/oric.htm

 

Other local sources of information about hiking are:

 

http://www.mountaineers.org/

http://www.wta.org/~wta/cgi-bin/wtaweb.pl?0+fp

 

You can also get some weather data from USGS sites at:

 

http://wa.water.usgs.gov/realtime/current.html

 

Click on the weather links in the upper right column and the links under weather. An example of the weather is the Cayuse Pass Snow Course site at the 5500 foot level (east entrance to the NP) at:

 

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/uv/?station=465216121312601

 

Click on the other links for data at Paradise and other sites around the NP.

 

Good luck.

 

--Scott--