The Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative begins!

From Ali Saperstein, Communications Coordinator, Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative:

Mount Rainier National Park is opening! After an unprecedented 6 months of closure after November’s floods, the road to Paradise will re-open to the public following a brief gate-swinging ceremony at 9:00 am on Saturday, May 5, at the Nisqually Entrance.

While you’re enjoying the Park and witnessing the flood damage first-hand, you can also do your part to contribute to the restoration effort. We will be hosting two drop-in work projects to kick off the volunteer season. Come join us as we open the Trail of the Shadows by repairing eroded areas and brushing the corridor. Or, stop by historic Longmire Campground just to check it out or lend a hand with restoration and base camp construction. These projects will be ongoing all day, and everyone is welcome to drop in and help for as long as you like. We hope to see you there!

Eager to volunteer, but can’t make it to the opening? As of Saturday, May 5, a calendar of our first phase of summer volunteer work projects and online registration will be available on our projects page and on SCA’s Mount Rainier Recovery website. Visit the website this weekend to check out opportunities to clear trails, clean up wilderness areas, get campsites ready for visitors, and more.

We have received a tremendous response from so many volunteers already (upwards of 2,000!), and we hope to accommodate as many of you as we can. Planning a safe and successful volunteer program on this scale cannot be rushed, as it requires attention to countless details regarding logistics, tools and supplies, budgets, staffing, and more. With ongoing assessment, we will continue to develop our long-term work plan and add new projects to the calendar. If you are unable to attend a project during our first phase, be sure to check back regularly for new work projects as they are added to the calendar.

Thank you again for your commitment and concern for Mount Rainier National Park. We are excited to see you at the mountain soon!