How to Plan a Mount Rainier Wedding
Your Guide to Weddings at Mount Rainier National Park
Below is everything you need to know to plan an elopement or wedding in at Mount Rainier (Tahoma) in Washington state. As one of the most stunning mountain venues, it’s a truly unique and breathtaking place to elope in the summer for folks who love the Pacific Northwest. Keep reading to see more photos of Mount Rainier elopements, plus
Why You Should Get Married at Mount Rainier
How the Mount Rainier Permitting System Works
Best Place to Elope at Mount Rainier
Steps to Planning a Mount Rainier Elopement
How to Get to Mount Rainier
Best Time of Year to Visit Mount Rainier
ADA Accessible Areas at Mount Rainier
Things to Do at Mount Rainier
Bringing Your Dog to Mount Rainier (HINT: Don’t!)
Mount Rainier Photography Package
Why You Should Get Married at Mount Rainier
You should elope at Mount Rainier if you love the Pacific Northwest, mountain views, and beautiful alpine lakes. It’s the perfect area for couples who want to enjoy nature, and can appreciate a hike out to view one of the tallest mountains in the US without crowds. Mount Rainier is a busy national park, and it’s important to plan ahead if you want to experience privacy, expect good weather, and avoid the stressors that naturally exist in strictly-managed public areas. The Mount Rainier area truly has it all, and my list of ceremony locations is long—we’re certain to find your perfect place!
Understand the Permit System at Mount Rainier
Timed Entry Reservations
(Updated 2024) Every year the park updates their timed entry dates and reservation system. 2025 dates have not yet been released, so use this 2024 calendar as your guide for general expectations next year.
(2024) Sunrise Corridor Timed Entry Reservations
Valid for 1 day. Required for each vehicle going through the White River Entrance, July 4 through September 2, 2024, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Required in addition to an entrance fee or park pass.
(2024) Paradise Corridor Timed Entry Reservations
Required for each vehicle going through the Nisqually Entrance AND the Stevens Canyon Entrance, May 24 through September 2, 2024, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm. Required in addition to an entrance fee or park pass.
For dates that require a timed entry reservation, you need that reservation to enter the park from 7 AM to 3 PM. The way the reservation works is that you must purchase it ahead of time at recreation.gov (it’s only $2), and you select the two-hour window you will be showing up for. Example: between 11 AM and 1 PM, or between 1 PM and 3 PM. If you arrive outside your time window, you’ll have to come back after 3 PM. If you arrive between 7 AM and 3 PM without a reservation, you’ll be turned away at the gate and told you can come back after 3 PM, or on another date with a reservation.
There are areas of the park you can access without a timed entry reservation. Reservations are ONLY required if you will be entering the park along the Paradise Corridor (Nisqually & Stevens Canyon Entrances) or the Sunrise Corridor (White River Entrance), but you need a separate reservation for BOTH the Paradise and Sunrise corridors if you plan to access both areas. One reservation is required per vehicle, per entrance.
Special-Use Permits
Special Use Permits are REQUIRED for all weddings taking place in the park. They are NOT REQUIRED for most engagement and couple’s sessions.
Weddings and elopement ceremonies are limited to certain areas in the park. You can view these areas and group size restrictions via this map. Portraits can take place elsewhere, but ceremonies are strictly limited at Mount Rainier to the areas where permitted. It’s also important to note when applying for your permit whether your date is even allowed. Some areas are limited to Tuesday-Thursday, others are only on weekdays, and a few are allowed on weekends but not year-round.
Once you’ve applied, expect it to take a few weeks to hear back from the park. If possible, apply for your Special Use Permit up to 6 months in advance or earlier.
Park Passes
A park pass is required to enter Mount Rainier National Park year-round, and it’s required on top of the timed entry reservation during those dates (listed above). Passes are per-vehicle.
A single-vehicle Mount Rainier entry pass is $30 and good for 1-7 consecutive days from issue.
If you plan to visit multiple times, or want to visit other federally-managed public lands, I recommend checking out the America The Beautiful Pass. It is $80 annually, gives you access to ALL national parks and national forests in the country, and is definitely the best deal for people who like to get outside. Even with this annual pass, you still need a special use permit for a wedding ceremony, and a timed entry reservation during peak summer dates.
Best Places to Elope at Mount Rainier
Tolmie Peak Lookout
AllTrails lists this hike as 5.6 miles, but it’s closer to 7 miles round-trip. The elevation is significant, but should be fine for folks familiar with hiking 5+ miles and at least 1500 feet of elevation gain. Give yourself a minimum of 5 hours just for hiking, and more time for the photos.
Pinnacle Peak Trail
The Pinnacle Peak trail is quite simply my favorite spot at Rainier for elopements! The trailhead begins at Reflection Lakes and is only accessible late-June through September, but my favorite time of year is July. There is a seasonal pool that appears when the snow is melting that results in a beautiful reflection of Rainier, and then it dries up by August.
Steps to Planning a Mount Rainier Elopement
1) Create a list of your priorities
The first thing you need to do is set your list of priorities. What is most important to you? Is it the venue, photographer, date, another vendor, or something else? Whatever is your first priority, make it happen! If that first priority to make this event perfect is a vendor—reach out to them asap!
For elopements, it’s standard to begin with booking your photographer. You really want to prioritize connecting with someone who you will enjoy inviting into this special moment. Often, I’m the only other person present for an elopement, and it’s very important to me that each couple I work with feels supported to be fully themselves.
2) Choose a date
Book that top priority—venue, vendor, or other scheduling consideration. Choose a date and get it set! Once you’ve booking your top priority for a date, it’s time to start planning. You’ll be able to reach out to other vendors to check their availability, begin sending out save-the-date’s to any guests, and finalize so many other choices. It’s at this stage that you begin to find plans falling into place.
3) Choose a ceremony location
This decision can be made anywhere in the planning stage. If you’re bringing guests, you’ll need to know your ceremony location earlier. If you’re eloping just the two of you, you can decide on this up until the days before! Of course, you’ll need to know a general location. But, for example, if you’re eloping on a hiking trail and want to choose the best spot based on what feels right in the moment, I am happy to be flexible.
4) Reserve any bookings or reservations
Now it is time to make sure you have everything all set! A place to stay, your vendors, your travel arrangements, etc. You’ll also want to check up on any other permits that may be required, especially if you’re choose a ceremony location on public lands.
Mount Rainier National Park does have a permitting system in place for ALL weddings and elopements. Apply ahead of time, and don’t be surprised if the park takes a while to get back to you! They process permits on a seasonal basis, so some months you’ll hear back immediately and others you won’t hear back until close to your date. If you’ve reached out to the park and are still waiting on a reply, I recommend calling or following up with an email.
5) Have your dream wedding!
You’ve done the leg work, properly prepared, settled all the details, and now all that’s left to do is get hitched! Your wedding is going to be gorgeous in such a beautiful place—I can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Where is Mount Rainier?
Mount Rainier is about 2 hours south of Seattle, WA and about 2.5 hours north of Portland, Oregon. The closest towns I recommend for lodging are Packwood and Ashford, and that’s the closest to the mountain you can get for restaurants, and rentals. Before booking your stay, decide on your ceremony location! Rainier has multiple entrances, and it can take over an hour to drive from one side of the park to the other. There are so many cute cabins in the area, you just don’t want to choose the wrong small mountain town if you have a specific ceremony site in mind.
Best Time of Year to Visit Mount Rainier
Summer
Summer is the best time of year to elope at Mount Rainier, especially if you want to avoid snow. A significant portion of the mountain is closed from October-June, which means a lot of my favorite venues are only accessible in the summer months. There has been a reservation system in place for the last few summers, which means visits need to be well-planned and intentional.
Fall
Fall is a truly beautiful time of year, but you have to get your timing right! The chance of snow increases significantly by early October, and most roads that close for the winter are closed by mid-October. However, there’s always a chance that an early snowstorm closes things sooner, or that a later start to the winter could mean a lucky chance for late-season access. Fall elopements I recommend planning to stick around the Paradise area, because it’s open year-round.
Winter
Winter at Mount Rainier is ideal if you love skiing! The last few years the big storms have been coming later and later (February/March), so it can be a bit of a spotty place for snow early season. But, if you love a winter wonderland, there are a lot of trails that are great for snowshoeing or even just hiking out a little ways. You’re less likely to be guaranteed mountain views, because it might be socked in, but we still get some sunny days in the winter.
Spring
Spring at Mount Rainier is a mixed bag. It’s a continuation of winter, with most of the trails still inaccessible and basically all of the more remote dirt roads still closed for the season. However, late Spring/early Summer things begin to thaw and the difference between mid-June and late-June is significant for snow levels, and I’ve witnessed some sunny days. If you’re willing to risk the chance of a moody rainy day, spring can be a great time to get into the mountains before the busy crowds of summer.
ADA-Accessible Areas at Mount Rainier
There are quite a few drive-up accessible locations at Mount Rainier. The Sunrise Visitor’s Center and Paradise Visitor’s Center are both ADA-Accessible. You can read more here about Mount Rainier’s accessibility offerings. Admittedly, it’s not the most accessible park I work in. I’d be happy to help you find the perfect spot if you, or any of your guests, have specific requirements.
Things to Do at Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is the place to go if you love hiking, love the outdoors, and want to enjoy a beautiful time out in nature. You can rent out a cabin in Ashford, or Packwood, lounge in a hot tub, and get pizza for dinner at a local cafe. Then, when you want to get out to explore, choose from dozens of trails for hiking, biking, and exploring!
Hiking in around Mount Rainier
There is truly endless hiking at Mount Rainier National Park. Day hikes in abundance could keep you coming back for years without traversing all the trails, and for seasoned backpackers there are world-renowned routes sure to inspire you! The Wonderland Trail is a uniquely special circumnavigation route that I highly recommend for folks who connect to the mountain and want to spend at leas a week in her shadow.
Camping at Mount Rainier
There’s a lot of camping and overnight sites within the Mount Rainier area. Be sure to plan ahead and make reservations for all established campsites, and get backcountry permits for any places requiring them if you want to camp in the wilderness.
Bringing Your Dog To Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a protected national park. Dogs are allowed to enter the park, but are limited to roads, campsites, and parking lots. All unpaved trails are off-limits to dogs.
Places You Can Bring Your Dog
Parking lots
Campgrounds
On paved roads open to public vehicles, and no more than six feet from paved roads.
Places You Cannot Bring Your Dog
All trails
Wilderness areas
Regulations for pet owners
At Mount Rainier, pets are NOT allowed on trails, in wilderness and/or off trail areas, inside buildings, in amphitheaters, on roads closed for winter, or on snow (service animals excepted).
At all times, pets must be on a leash, not more than six feet (1.8 meters) in length or in a crate/cage.
At all times, pets must be with and under control of their owners.
Owners must pick-up and dispose of all fecal matter.
Mount Rainier Elopement Photography Package
I offer all my standard photography packages for Mount Rainier. It’s a beautiful place to host a two-person elopement or intimate family ceremony. There are plenty of rentals around Ashford or Packwood, WA if you’re hoping to home-base here for a multi-day adventure, and of course you can choose to stay in Seattle or another bigger nearby city for access to more restaurants, and city amenities and turn Rainier into a day trip.
For longer elopement and wedding days it is easy to get the best of all the environments in the region around Mount Rainier—you have the mountains, forests, and even alpine lakes!
I’d be happy to walk you through some sample timelines, and show you just what can be accomplished when you choose a wedding or elopement photography package for your Mount Baker wedding or elopement.
Mount Rainier Elopement Photographer
Hey, I’m Jenn! When I’m not photographing elopements in epic locations, I’m home in Bellingham with my husband Dillen & our collection of foster-fail rescues, or off on my own adventure taking note of every beautiful spot that would perfect for a future elopement. I’m here to help you through the process of turning your dream into a reality, and I have an abundance of expertise to answer questions, make suggestions, and connect you with vendors/rentals/guides & more!
Click here if you’d like to learn more about my approach to elopements and outdoor weddings. If you’re ready to start planning, please send me a message!
Follow along on social media to see recent elopements, gather planning tips, and collect inspiration for your own adventure!
