Mount Rainier National Park will move to cashless fee collection

CENTRALIA — Beginning May 26, Mount Rainier National Park will use a cashless fee system, accepting only electronic card payments for entrance fees and campgrounds.

Visitors who are only able to pay with cash will have the opportunity to purchase a prepaid pass from various local vendors before entering the park.

The park is currently working to identify vendors to sell these passes, according to a news release. The Mount Rainier National Park Annual Pass, private vehicle passes, motorcycle passes, individual passes and backcountry permits may also be purchased online ahead of time at recreation.gov.

Advance campground reservations will continue to be available through the website and payments for first-come, first-served campsites will be cashless. Concession-run hotels, bookstores and restaurants inside the park continue accepting cash or card payments, the release stated.

“Entrance fees are an important source of revenue national parks use to improve the visitor experience,” said Greg Dudgeon, park superintendent, in the release. “Moving to a cashless system helps the park manage visitor dollars more effectively. Going cashless … increases the amount of fee revenue available to support critical projects and visitor services, and improves accountability while also reducing risk.”

Fees, the release stated, are used for road and facility repairs and maintenance, trail improvements, accessibility improvements, visitor and resource protection services, and more.

More information about visiting the park can be found at https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm. Information about fees and passes is available at https://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/fees.htm.