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Crystal Mountain & Mt. Rainier Lodging

Spring Waterfalls & Road Openings

With the advent of spring, the waterfalls along Highway 410 are gorgeous and the snow is melting.  Highway 410 from Enumclaw up to Crystal Mountain is open year-round, giving you access to trailheads for Skookum Falls and Snoquera Falls, gorgeous lakes and waterfalls at Greenwater Lakes, and a small, family-friendly hike to Goat Falls.  All these hikes are located in the Mt. Baker/Snoqualmie National Forest, immediately adjacent to the northeast entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park.

Crystal Mountain is closed until its summer season starts on June 22, but you can still head up there for a snowshoe or ski touring adventure….and as the snow melts, you can start to explore hiking trails.

The roads into the Mt. Rainier National Park will be open before you know it, so now’s the time to start thinking about a getaway.  Keep an eye on Mt. Rainier’s website for updates and details, but here are some tentative road opening dates:

  • Cayuse Pass (connecting the north & south ends of the Park) is tentatively scheduled to open May 25, although it often opens sooner.  This gives you access to the popular Ohanapecosh area, as well as hikes along 410 such as Crystal Lakes, Owyhigh Lakes & Shriner Peak.
  • Chinook Pass (Highway 410 to/from Eastern Washington) is also scheduled to open May 25, giving access to the gorgeous Tipsoo Lake/Chinook Pass area.
  • The Sunrise Road to the White River Campground (half way up) is scheduled to open May 18, with access to the Emmons Moraine, Glacier Basin, Summerland and Owyhigh Lakes trails, as well as the Wonderland Trail to Sunrise.
  • The Stevens Canyon Road (to Paradise) is scheduled to open May 25.  In the interim, use FS Road 52/Skate Creek Road from Packwood to Ashford, a gorgeous drive through a canyon.  This road is expected to open the end of April; click here and scroll to the bottom to check its status.

And, of course, make sure to check out our Mt. Rainier lodging and Crystal Mountain lodging options.  Spend the night, a weekend or more exploring our gorgeous corner of the world.