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80-667: The region is just north of the California border and east of the Cascade Range , with a combined area that spans approximately 14,500 square miles. Total enrollment during the 2017–2018 school year was 1,683 students, consisting of 577 full-time students and 1,106 part-time students. A community college service district was established by the voters of Klamath County in 1996. After several years of contracting with Rogue Community College , Oregon Institute of Technology , and Portland Community College to hold classes in rented facilities,

160-627: A National Historic Landmark on February 18, 1997, as a showcase for the National Park Service rustic -style architecture of the 1920s and 1930s, exemplified by the Paradise Inn and a masterpiece of early NPS master planning. As a Historic Landmark district, the park was administratively listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The name of the mountain itself in Lushootseed

240-623: A major eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 . Minor eruptions of Mount St. Helens have also occurred since, most recently from 2004 to 2008. The Cascade Range is a part of the American Cordillera , a nearly continuous chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that form the western "backbone" of North, Central , and South America . The Cascades are home to many national parks and protected areas, including North Cascades National Park , Mount Rainier National Park , Crater Lake National Park , and Lassen Volcanic National Park . The northern half of

320-494: A "preservationist". He wanted nature preserved under the more protected status of national parks. But during the 1890s there was more public support for creating national forests than national parks. During that decade, Muir and his supporters were only able to protect one national forest as a national park. When the Pacific Forest Reserve was created in 1893, Muir quickly persuaded the newly formed Sierra Club to support

400-578: A 36-hour period. Campsites and roads throughout the park were washed away. Power to Paradise and Longmire was disrupted. Sunshine Point Campground, just inside the Nisqually Entrance, was destroyed and has not reopened. Parts of the Carbon River Road, once a vehicle-accessible entrance to the park, also washed out. The road has since remained closed to vehicle traffic. On May 5, 2007, the park reopened to automobile traffic via State Route 706 at

480-533: A bachelor's degree while living in Klamath Falls. Klamath Community College is governed by a seven-person board. Five board members are elected by geographical zone, and two are elected at large. One representative from the college's student government participates in meetings as a non-voting member. 42°11′42″N 121°41′55″W  /  42.1949°N 121.6987°W  / 42.1949; -121.6987 Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades

560-490: A bill passed by Congress authorizing the creation of Mount Rainier National Park, the nation's fifth national park. It was the first national park created from a national forest . The Pacific Forest Reserve had been created in 1893 and included Mount Rainier. It was enlarged in 1897 and renamed Mount Rainier Forest Reserve . John Muir had visited Mount Rainier in 1888. Muir and nine others, including Edward Sturgis Ingraham , Charles Piper , and P. B. Van Trump , climbed to

640-453: A bill through Congress. Congress eventually agreed, but only after acquiring assurances that none of the new park was suitable for farming or mining and that no federal appropriations would be necessary for its management. Mount Rainier National Park closed because of extensive flooding as a result of the November 6, 2006 Pineapple Express rainstorm when 18 inches (460 mm) of rain fell in

720-480: A chain of volcanoes (the Cascade Volcanic Arc) above the subduction zone. Soil conditions for farming are generally good, especially downwind of volcanoes . This is largely because volcanic rocks are often rich in potassium -bearing minerals such as orthoclase , and erode relatively easily. Volcanic debris, especially lahars , also helps to spread mineral-rich volcanic material, and the storage of water in

800-550: A deep valley among old growth forest at an elevation below 2,000 feet (610 m), it is the only developed area of the park without a view of Mount Rainier. The Ohanapecosh Hot Springs, Grove of the Patriarchs, and Silver Falls are all located in the Ohanapecosh area. The Carbon River Entrance Station is located in the northwest corner of the park off State Route 165 and is the site of the only rainforest at Mount Rainier. There

880-581: A few wolf packs returning from Canada live in the Cascades. Fewer than 50 grizzly bears reside in the Cascades of Canada and Washington. Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is a national park of the United States located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in

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960-583: A few strikingly large volcanoes, like Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, that dominate the landscape. The Cascade volcanoes define the Pacific Northwest section of the Ring of Fire , an array of volcanoes that rim the Pacific Ocean. The Ring of Fire is also known for its frequent earthquakes. The volcanoes and earthquakes arise from a common source: subduction , where the dense Juan de Fuca Plate plunges beneath

1040-600: A fur trader with the North West Company , seeking a viable route across the mountains, explored and crossed the northern Cascades between Fort Okanogan and Puget Sound. His report of the journey is vague about the route taken. He followed the lower Methow River into the mountains. He might have used Cascade Pass to reach the Skagit River . Ross was the first European-American to explore the Methow River area and likely

1120-594: A movement to protect Rainier as a national park. Other groups soon joined, such as the National Geographic Society and scientific associations wanting Mount Rainier preserved as a place to study volcanism and glaciology . Commercial leaders in Tacoma and Seattle were also in support, as was the Northern Pacific Railway . The effort lasted over five years and involved six different attempts to push

1200-479: A permanent campus was opened in 2000, situated on a 57-acre (23 ha) land on the east side of Klamath Falls. The college offers several different Associate's degree programs, which represent 50% of the degrees granted. Non-credit ( community education ) classes are also available, mostly less than a year degrees which represent 36% of the degrees offered by KCC, including certifications for traffic flagging , welding and wildland fire. Other degrees take at least

1280-693: A traveler passes through the Cascade Range, the climate first gets colder, then warmer and drier east of the crest. Most of the Cascades' lower and middle elevations are covered in coniferous forest ; the higher altitudes have extensive meadows as well as alpine tundra and glaciers . The southern part of the Cascades are within the California Floristic Province , an area of high biodiversity . Silver fir predominates above 2500 ft, while there are moors , meadows , and mountain hemlock / subalpine fir groves from 4500 to 6000 ft on

1360-421: A world record for that year. Subsequently, in the 1998/99 year, Mount Baker Ski Area received 95 ft (28,956 mm). Paradise holds the Cascade Range record for most snow on the ground with 30.583 feet (9,321.7 mm) on March 10, 1956. The entire park was designated a National Historic Landmark District on February 18, 1997, in recognition of the consistently high standard of design and preservation

1440-746: A year but less than two years, which represent 4% of the degrees offered at KCC. Klamath Community College also offers workforce development training courses to companies and their employees. Klamath Community College was initially accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities in September 2004. Klamath Community College has articulation agreements with five Oregon universities: Eastern Oregon University, Linfield College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, and Southern Oregon University. Each agreement provides no loss of credit during transfer and allows students to earn

1520-528: Is "Tacoma", (pronounced "Taquoma") the same as a nearby city in the Puget Sound region . The earliest evidence of human activity in the area which is now Mount Rainier National Park, is a projectile point dated to circa 4,000–5,800 BP ( before present ) found along Bench Lake Trail (the first section of Snow Lake Trail). A more substantial archeological find was a rock shelter near Fryingpan Creek, east of Goat Island Mountain. Hunting artifacts were found in

1600-675: Is a visitor center in Mount Rainier National Park, located 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of the Nisqually Entrance. The area is named after James Longmire , an early settler in Puget Sound. The area is in the Nisqually River valley at an elevation of 2,761 feet (842 m) between The Ramparts Ridge and the Tatoosh Range . Longmire is surrounded by old-growth Douglas fir , western red cedar and western hemlock . Longmire

1680-462: Is a campground and a short trail through the rainforest, as well as a trail to the Carbon Glacier, one of the lowest glaciers in the contiguous United States. Mowich Lake is the largest and deepest lake in the park, located south of Carbon at the south end of State Route 165. A campground, picnic area, and hiking trail are located near the lake. The two major roads into the northwest quadrant of

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1760-402: Is a lodge and visitor center located in the northeastern part of the park. At an elevation of 6,400 feet (1,950 m), it is the highest point in the park that is accessible by vehicle. There are miles of trails located all around Sunrise, such as Mount Fremont , Burroughs Mountain , and Sourdough Ridge . The lodge is reachable via a 10-mile (16 km) turnoff from State Route 410 near

1840-639: Is a major mountain range of western North America , extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California . It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as many of those in the North Cascades , and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades . The small part of the range in British Columbia is referred to as the Canadian Cascades or, locally, as

1920-463: Is a popular peak for mountaineering with some 10,000 attempts per year with approximately 50% making it to the summit. As stated in the foundation document: The purpose of Mount Rainier National Park is to protect and preserve unimpaired the majestic icon of Mount Rainier, a glaciated volcano, along with its natural and cultural resources, values, and dynamic processes. The park provides opportunities for people to experience, understand, and care for

2000-472: Is an arid plateau that was largely formed 17 to 14 million years ago by the many flows of the Columbia River Basalt Group . Together, these sequences of fluid volcanic rock form the 200,000-square-mile (520,000 km ) Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington, Oregon, and parts of western Idaho. The Columbia River Gorge is the only major break of the range in the United States. When

2080-736: Is an interpretive site there now at "The End of The Oregon Trail". The road was constructed as a toll road – $ 5 per wagon – and was very successful. In addition, the Applegate Trail was created to allow settlers to avoid rafting down the Columbia River. The Trail used the path of the California Trail to north-central Nevada . From there, the Trail headed northwest into northern California, and continued northwest towards today's Ashland, Oregon . From there, settlers would head north along

2160-681: Is great local relief . The southern part of the Canadian Cascades, particularly the Skagit Range , is geologically and topographically similar to the North Cascades, while the northern and northeastern parts are less glaciated and more plateau-like, resembling nearby areas of the Thompson Plateau . The range is near the Pacific Ocean and in the region's prevailing westerly winds , so it receives significant rain and snowfall, especially on

2240-521: Is known as the North Cascades in the United States but is formally named the Cascade Mountains north of the Canada–United States border , reaching to the northern extremity of the Cascades at Lytton Mountain . Overall, the North Cascades and Canadian Cascades are extremely rugged; even the lesser peaks are steep and glaciated, and valleys are quite low relative to peaks and ridges, so there

2320-458: Is not uncommon for some places in the Cascades to have over 500 inches (1,300 cm) of annual snow accumulation, such as at Lake Helen , near Lassen Peak. Most of the High Cascades are therefore white with snow and ice year-round. The western slopes are densely covered with Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ), western hemlock ( Tsuga heterophylla ) and red alder ( Alnus rubra ), while

2400-478: Is the location of Mount Rainier's National Park Inn, the Longmire Museum, and the 1928 National Park Service Administration Building, which is now a Wilderness Information Center. The National Park Inn is the only accommodation in the park open all year round. Longmire is the second most popular destination for visitors to Mount Rainier National Park after Paradise. Of the more than 1.3 million people who visited

2480-496: The A. W. Kuchler U.S. Potential natural vegetation types, Mount Rainier National Park has an Alpine Meadows & Barren, or Alpine tundra ( 52 ) potential vegetation type with an Alpine Meadow ( 11 ) potential vegetation form. The park's vegetation is diverse, reflecting the varied climatic and environmental conditions encountered across the park's 12,800-foot elevation gradient. More than 960 vascular plant species and more than 260 nonvascular plant species have been identified in

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2560-484: The Baker River is dammed to form Lake Shannon and Baker Lake . The Cascades harbor a largely-untapped potential for geothermal power . The U.S. Geological Survey Geothermal Research Program has been investigating this potential. Some of this energy is already being used in places like Klamath Falls, Oregon , where volcanic steam is used to heat public buildings. The highest recorded underground temperature found in

2640-664: The Cascade Mountains . The highest peak in the range is Mount Rainier in Washington at 14,411 feet (4,392 m). The Cascades are part of the Pacific Ocean 's Ring of Fire , the ring of volcanoes and associated mountains around the Pacific Ocean. All of the eruptions in the contiguous United States over the last 200 years have been from the Cascade Volcanoes . The two most recent were Lassen Peak from 1914 to 1921 and

2720-601: The Cascades Rapids in the Columbia River Gorge, a feature on the river now submerged beneath the Bonneville Reservoir . Before long, the great white-capped mountains that loomed above the rapids were called the "mountains by the cascades" and later simply as the "Cascades". The earliest attested use of the name "Cascade Range" is in the writings of botanist David Douglas in 1825. In 1814, Alexander Ross ,

2800-654: The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) at Fort Vancouver near today's Portland, Oregon . From this base HBC trapping parties traveled throughout the Cascades in search of beaver and other fur-bearing animals. For example, using what became known as the Siskiyou Trail , Hudson's Bay Company trappers were the first non-natives to explore the southern Cascades in the 1820s and 1830s, establishing trails which passed near Crater Lake , Mount McLoughlin , Medicine Lake Volcano , Mount Shasta , and Lassen Peak. The course of political history in

2880-468: The Lushootseed name for Mount Rainier, and "Louwala-Clough", meaning "smoking mountain" for Mount St. Helens. In early 1792, British navigator George Vancouver explored Puget Sound and gave English names to the high mountains he saw. Mount Baker was named for Vancouver's third lieutenant, Joseph Baker , although the first European to see it was Manuel Quimper , who named it la gran montaña del Carmelo ("Great Mount Carmel ") in 1790. Mount Rainier

2960-515: The North American Plate . As the oceanic slab sinks deep into the Earth's interior beneath the continental plate, high temperatures and pressures allow water molecules locked in the minerals of solid rock to escape. The water vapor rises into the pliable mantle above the subducting plate, causing some of the mantle to melt. This newly formed magma rises toward the Earth's surface to erupt, forming

3040-810: The Pacific Crest Trail follows the range. The Cascades extend northward from Lassen Peak (also known as Mount Lassen) in northern California to the confluence of the Nicola and Thompson rivers in British Columbia . The Fraser River separates the Cascades from the Coast Mountains in Canada, as does the Willamette Valley from the upper portion of the Oregon Coast Range . The highest volcanoes of

3120-663: The Pacific Northwest saw the spine of the Cascade Range being proposed as a boundary settlement during the Oregon Dispute of 1846. The United States rejected the proposal and insisted on the 49th parallel north , which cuts across the range just north of Mount Baker. Throughout the period of dispute and up to the creation of the Crown Colony of British Columbia in 1858, the Hudson's Bay Company's York Factory Express route, as well

3200-550: The United States Department of Agriculture , the Plant Hardiness zone at Sunrise Visitor Center (6,398 feet (1,950 m) elevation) is 6a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of -5.5 °F (-20.8 °C). The National Park Service says that "Paradise is the snowiest place on Earth where snowfall is measured regularly." During the 1971/72 year, 93.5 ft (28,500 mm) of snow fell, setting

3280-457: The White River entrance. Ohanapecosh / oʊ ˈ h æ n ə p ɪ k ɔː ʃ / is a campground (with 188 individual sites and 2 group sites, open from late May through late September), visitor center (closed during the 2013 season), and ranger station located in the southeastern portion of the park, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) from the park boundary off State Route 123 . Located in

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3360-462: The White River near the park boundary. Due to historical stocking and damming of rivers in and around the park, native numbers of most salmonoids are unknown. According to the Köppen climate classification system, the best definition for Mount Rainier National Park is Mediterranean-influenced humid continental climate ( Dsb ) or subarctic climate ( Dsc ), depending on the elevation. According to

3440-735: The railway roadbed and the Othello Tunnels , now decommissioned, are popular tourist recreation destinations for hiking and bicycling. The pass is used by the Coquihalla Highway , a government megaproject built as part of the Expo 86 spending boom of the 1980s, which is now the main route from the Coast to the British Columbia interior. Traffic formerly went via the Fraser Canyon , to the west, or via Allison Pass and Manning Park along Highway 3 to

3520-552: The Cascades began to rise 7 million years ago in the late Miocene , the Columbia River drained the relatively low Columbia Plateau. As the range grew, erosion from the Columbia River was able to keep pace, carving out the gorge and major pass seen today. The gorge also exposes uplifted and warped layers of basalt from the plateau. Before European exploration, First Nations tribes named many peaks, including "Wy'east" for Mount Hood , "Seekseekqua" for Mount Jefferson (Oregon) , "M'laiksini Yaina" for Mount McLoughlin , "Tahoma",

3600-414: The Cascades, known as the High Cascades, dominate their surroundings, often standing twice the height of the nearby mountains. They often have a visual height (height above nearby crestlines) of one mile or more. The highest peaks, such as the 14,411-foot (4,392 m) Mount Rainier, dominate their surroundings for 50 to 100 miles (80 to 161 km). The northern part of the range, north of Mount Rainier,

3680-601: The Nisqually Entrance. In November 2022, the National Park Service announced that access to the south side of the park beyond Longmire would be closed on weekdays due to inadequate staffing. Several recreation areas, including a sledding hill, were also closed for the rest of the winter season. The closure was unpopular with recreation groups and was modified in 2023 to allow winter access to Paradise from Thursdays through Mondays. Beginning in 2024, timed entry reservations will be required for vehicles using entrances on

3760-471: The Paradise and Sunrise corridors during daylight hours in the peak summer months. The system was implemented due to increased crowding at the park between July and September, when 70 percent of the annual 1.6 million patrons visit and cause traffic congestion. NPS also considered using parking permits and bus shuttles from a remote parking lot similar to systems at other national parks. According to

3840-546: The Park were severely damaged by the floods of 2006. The ranger station at the Carbon River entrance is staffed during the summer. No motor vehicles are permitted beyond that point. The park is primarily accessed by vehicles; in 2021, over 1 million vehicles carried the majority of the 2.4 million visitors to Mount Rainier National Park. The Nisqually Entrance is served by State Route 706 , while State Route 410 cuts across

3920-541: The United States, preserving 236,381 acres (369.3 sq mi; 956.6 km ) including all of Mount Rainier , a 14,410-foot (4,390 m) stratovolcano . The mountain rises abruptly from the surrounding land with elevations in the park ranging from 1,600 feet to over 14,000 feet (490–4,300 m). The highest point in the Cascade Range , Mount Rainier is surrounded by valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows , and 91,000 acres (142.2 sq mi; 368.3 km ) of old-growth forest . More than 25 glaciers descend

4000-585: The area most heavily between 8000 and 4500 BP. Allan H. Smith interviewed elderly Native Americans and studied ethnographic literature. He found no evidence of permanent habitation in the park area. The park was used for hunting and gathering and for occasional spirit quests . Smith also came to tentative conclusions that the park was divided among five tribes along watershed boundaries; the Nisqually , Puyallup , Muckleshoot , Yakama , and Taidnapam (Upper Cowlitz). Subsequent studies cast doubt on Smith's theory that

4080-414: The drier eastern slopes feature mostly ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ), with some western larch ( Larix occidentalis ), mountain hemlock ( Tsuga mertensiana ) and subalpine fir ( Abies lasiocarpa ) and subalpine larch ( Larix lyallii ) at higher elevations. Annual rainfall is as low as 9 inches (230 mm) on the eastern foothills due to a rain shadow effect. Beyond the eastern foothills

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4160-548: The early 1840s, at first only marginally. Following the Oregon Treaty the inward flux of migration from the Oregon Trail intensified and the passes and back-valleys of what is now the state of Washington were explored and populated, and it was not long after that railways followed. Despite its being traversed by several major freeways and rail lines, and its lower flanks subjected to major logging in recent decades, large parts of

4240-584: The established Siskiyou Trail into the Willamette Valley . With the exception of the 1915 eruption of remote Lassen Peak in Northern California, the range was quiet for more than a century. Then, on May 18, 1980, the dramatic eruption of Mount St. Helens shattered the quiet and brought the world's attention to the range. Geologists were also concerned that the St. Helens eruption was a sign that long-dormant Cascade volcanoes might become active once more, as in

4320-459: The first to explore the Stehekin River and Bridge Creek region. Due to the difficulty of crossing the northern Cascades and the paucity of beaver, fur-trading companies made only a few explorations into the mountains north of the Columbia River after Ross. Exploration and settlement of the Cascades region by Europeans and Americans was accelerated by the establishment of a major trading post of

4400-458: The flanks of the volcano, which is often shrouded in clouds that dump enormous amounts of rain and snow. Mount Rainier is circled by the Wonderland Trail and is covered by glaciers and snowfields totaling about 35 square miles (91 km ). Carbon Glacier is the largest glacier by volume in the contiguous United States , while Emmons Glacier is the largest glacier by area. Mount Rainier

4480-421: The form of snow and ice is also important for agriculture. The snow-capped mountains, such as Mt. Hood and Mt. Bachelor , are used as ski resorts in the late winter, while in the summer they become popular hiking and mountaineering locations. Much of their meltwater eventually flows into reservoirs, where it is used for recreation, while its potential energy is captured to generate hydroelectric power before

4560-474: The lakes, rivers, and streams within the park include bull trout , cutthroat trout , rainbow trout , mountain whitefish , and sculpins . Anadromous fish enter the park during migratory cycles. Chinook salmon and coho salmon , although rare within the park boundary, can be found spawning in the White, West Fork, Puyallup, Mowich, and Carbon watersheds. Pink salmon spawn on odd-numbered years in heavy numbers up

4640-489: The mountain range which contained these peaks. He referred to it simply as the "eastern snowy range". Earlier Spanish explorers called it Sierra Nevada , meaning "snowy mountains". In 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the Cascades on the Columbia River, which for many years was the only practical way to pass that part of the range. They were the first non-indigenous people to see Mount Adams , but they thought it

4720-633: The national park. Paradise is the most popular destination for visitors to Mount Rainier National Park. 62% of the over 1.3 million people who visited the park in 2000 went to Paradise. Paradise, near the subalpine valley of the Paradise River , is the location of the historic Paradise Inn , built in 1916; Paradise Guide House, built in 1920; and Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center , built in 1966 rebuilt in 2008. Longmire ( 46°45′N 121°49′W  /  46.75°N 121.81°W  / 46.75; -121.81  ( Longmire Visitors Centre ) )

4800-474: The northeast corner of the park. State Route 123 connects the southeastern side of the park to State Route 410 and U.S. Route 12 . A regional airport was proposed for several sites in southern Pierce County that would be 17 to 23 miles (27 to 37 km) from the park. Its development was opposed by the park superintendent and environmental groups due to the potential effects of noise pollution and air pollution on wildlife, as well as traffic impacts around

4880-401: The older Hudson's Bay Company Brigade Trail from the Canyon to the Interior, the Dewdney Trail, and older routes which connected east to the Similkameen and Okanagan valleys. The southern mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway penetrated the range via the passes of the Coquihalla River , along one of the steepest and snowiest routes in the entire Pacific Cordillera . Near Hope, B.C. ,

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4960-402: The park environment, and also provides for wilderness experiences and sustains wilderness values. Ninety-seven percent of the park is preserved as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System as Mount Rainier Wilderness, a designation it received in 1988. It is abutted by the Tatoosh , Clearwater , Glacier View , and William O. Douglas Wildernesses . The park was designated

5040-439: The park in 2000, 38% visited Longmire. The Cougar Rock Campground is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north west of Longmire with 173 individual campsites and 5 group sites and open from late May through late September. Longmire is one of the starting points of the Wonderland Trail . Sunrise ( 46°55′N 121°38′W  /  46.91°N 121.64°W  / 46.91; -121.64  ( Sunrise Visitors Centre ) )

5120-538: The park's National Park Service rustic -style architecture. The park contains 42 locations designated on the National Register of Historic Places , including four National Historic Landmarks. The park's most popular natural features vary based on the season. During the spring, the remaining snow and waterfalls are visible from many trails and other portions of the park; a summertime wildflower bloom in July and August also attracts many visitors. From 2008 to 2019, over 10,000 people per year have attempted to climb to

5200-600: The park. Mammals that inhabit this national park include cougar , black bear , raccoon , coyote , bobcat , snowshoe hare , weasel , mole , beaver , red fox , porcupine , skunk , marmot , deer , marten , shrew , pika , elk , and mountain goat . The common birds of this park including raptors are the thrush , chickadee , kinglet , northern goshawk , willow flycatcher , spotted owl , steller's jay , Clark's nutcracker , bald eagle , ptarmigan , harlequin duck , grouse , peregrine falcon , Canada jay , golden eagle , grosbeak and finch . Fish that inhabit

5280-453: The period from 1800 to 1857 when a total of eight erupted. None have erupted since St. Helens, but precautions are being taken nevertheless, such as the Cascades Volcano Observatory and Mount Rainier Volcano Lahar Warning System in Pierce County, Washington . The Cascade Range is made up of a band of thousands of very small, short-lived volcanoes that have built a platform of lava and volcanic debris. Rising above this volcanic platform are

5360-466: The range is 510 °F (266 °C) at 3,075 feet (937 m) below Newberry Volcano 's caldera floor. Forests of large, coniferous trees ( western red cedars , Douglas-firs, western hemlocks, firs , pines , spruces , and others) dominate most of the Cascade Range. Cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers (largely a result of oceanic influence) favor evergreen species, whereas mild temperatures and rich soils promote fast and prolonged growth. As

5440-420: The range remain intense and forbidding alpine wilderness. Much of the northern half of the Cascades, from Rainier north, have been preserved by U.S. national or British Columbia provincial parks (such as E.C. Manning Provincial Park ), or other forms of protected area. The Canadian side of the range has a history that includes the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858–60 and its famous Cariboo Road , as well as

5520-400: The route of fur brigades, followed the Okanogan River along the east edge of the Cascades and the Columbia River through the range. Passes across the range were not well known and little used. Naches Pass was used for driving cattle and horses to Fort Nisqually . Yakima Pass was also used by the Hudson's Bay Company. American settlement of the flanks of the Coast Range did not occur until

5600-402: The shelter. The shelter would not have been used all year round. Cultural affinities suggest the site was used by Columbia Plateau Tribes from 1000 to 300 BP. In 1963 the National Park Service contracted Washington State University to study Native American use of the Mount Rainier area. Richard D. Daugherty lead an archeological study of the area and concluded that prehistoric humans used

5680-451: The south, near the border. The Barlow Road was the first established land path for U.S. settlers through the Cascade Range in 1845, and formed the final overland link for the Oregon Trail (previously, settlers had to raft down the treacherous rapids of the Columbia River). The Road left the Columbia at what is now Hood River and passed along the south side of Mount Hood at what is now Government Camp , terminating in Oregon City. There

5760-483: The summit in what became the fifth recorded ascent. The trip to Mount Rainier had played a role in reinvigorating Muir and convincing him to rededicate his life to the preservation of nature as national parks. At the time national forests, called forest reserves at first, were being created throughout the American West, under the utilitarian "conservation-through-use" view of Gifford Pinchot . Muir came to be known as

5840-434: The summit of Mount Rainier; a fee is levied by the National Park Service to fund ranger station and camp staffing as well as search-and-rescue services. As of 2024 , three companies are authorized to operate commercial mountain guide services in the national park for the entire year; single-trip guides are also available through 15 services that are authorized by the National Park Service. From 1967 to 1997, RMI Expeditions

5920-484: The tribes had agreed upon boundaries before they entered into treaties with the United States in 1854–55. The Mount Rainier Forest Preserve should be made a national park and guarded while yet its bloom is on; for if in the making of the West Nature had what we call parks in mind—places for rest, inspiration, and prayers—this Rainier region must surely be one of them. On March 2, 1899, President William McKinley signed

6000-450: The water is used to irrigate crops. Because of the abundance of powerful streams, many of the major westward-draining rivers of the Cascades have been dammed to provide hydroelectric power . One of these, Ross Dam on the Skagit River , retains a reservoir which spans the border southeast of Hope, British Columbia , extending 2 miles (3.2 km) into Canada. At the foot of the southeast flank of Mount Baker, at Concrete, Washington ,

6080-471: The west side. The treeline is at ~6000 feet. On the east side, subalpine forests of larch trees grade to pine and interior fir forests below 4200 ft, which grade to ponderosa below 2500 ft, which in turn grades to semidesert scrub near sea level. Above 7500 ft, the landscape is barren with either no plants or only moss and lichen . Black bears , coyotes , bobcats , cougars , beavers , deer , elk , moose , mountain goats and

6160-471: The western slopes due to orographic lift , with annual snow accumulations of up to 1,000 inches (2,500 cm) (= 83 feet (25 m)) in some areas. Mount Baker in Washington recorded a national record single-season snowfall in the winter of 1998–99 with 1,140 inches (2,900 cm) (= 95 feet (29 m)). Before that year, Mount Rainier held the American record for snow accumulation at Paradise in 1978. It

6240-457: Was Mount St. Helens. When they later saw Mount St. Helens they thought it was Mount Rainier. On their return trip, Lewis and Clark spotted a high but distant snowy pinnacle that they named for the sponsor of the expedition, U.S. President Thomas Jefferson . Lewis and Clark called the Cascade Range the "Western Mountains". The Lewis and Clark expedition, and the many settlers and traders that followed, met their last obstacle to their journey at

6320-555: Was named after Admiral Peter Rainier . Later in 1792, Vancouver had his lieutenant William Robert Broughton explore the lower Columbia River . He named Mount Hood after Lord Samuel Hood , an admiral of the Royal Navy . Mount St. Helens was sighted by Vancouver in May 1792, from near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was named for Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens , a British diplomat. Vancouver's expedition did not, however, name

6400-403: Was the sole company authorized to organize commercial guided climbs to the summit until the program was opened to other companies to encourage competition. Paradise ( 46°47′N 121°44′W  /  46.79°N 121.74°W  / 46.79; -121.74  ( Paradise ) ) is the name of an area at approximately 5,400 feet (1,600 m) on the south slope of Mount Rainier in

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