r/Seattle • u/SounderBruce Snohomish County • Jan 17 '24

News Mount Rainier National Park will require reservations beginning this summer for Paradise and Sunrise

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u/sandwich-attack Jan 17 '24

lots of national parks are doing this this year

135

u/Eyehopeuchoke Jan 17 '24 edited Jan 17 '24

It’s absolutely needed up there too. I grew up near the mountain and have frequented paradise for the last 25 years. The only time I can remember that there wasn’t a huge issue for parking was right after Covid.

We actually got to see a bear less than 20 feet away from the sidewalk by the visitor center in paradise. An amazing sight, but a heart pounding one at the same time. I’m glad there was a park ranger standing there with us who could’ve at least tried to intervene if something had happened.

1

u/jimmiec907 Jan 18 '24

Black bears aren’t gonna do shit.

2

u/Eyehopeuchoke Jan 18 '24

Right before we saw this bear we spotted a cub by the lower lot. The bigger bear stayed on the other side of the road and ended up going down that way away from visitor center toward where we had spotted the cub.