Wildfires near Mount Rainier are driving crews to clear trees and dense brush around historic sites like Sunrise Visitor Center, creating defensible space to reduce ember and flame risk while limiting impacts.
With wildfires continuing to affect parts of Mount Rainier National Park, park officials say their focus is on safety, protecting historic buildings and preserving the surrounding landscape for the long term.
To help shield historic structures, fire management teams have created defensible space around key park buildings, including the Sunrise Visitor Center. Visitors and community members may see crews removing some trees and dense vegetation immediately around these historic buildings.
Officials said fuel removal is essential because clearing select vegetation around wooden structures can reduce wildfire risk.
During an active wildfire, dense tree canopies and heavy underbrush can provide a path for flames, heat and embers to reach buildings. Thinning vegetation around structures reduces available fuel and can lower fire intensity, increasing the chance that historic buildings will survive a passing fire, officials said.
Park officials acknowledged that changes to the landscape around places people value can be difficult to see. They said the vegetation removal around the Sunrise Visitor Center created a buffer between the building and wildfire and was an important step in protecting the visitor center and other historic structures so they can remain part of Mount Rainier for generations to come.
Fire managers said they targeted vegetation removal where it is needed to support firefighter safety and protect historic structures, while minimizing impacts to surrounding park resources where conditions allow.
We appreciate the public’s strong connection to Mount Rainier and concern for its historic and natural resources. Park crews and fire management personnel are working tirelessly to manage active fires, reduce risks to park resources and visitors, and safely reopen closed areas of the park as soon as conditions allow.
Click here to see the latest wildland fire conditions at Mount Rainier National Park.
As of Sept. 11, the Wonderland Complex Fires continue to burn in the northern area of the park, and the Grand Park 2 Fire is still burning but 100% contained, according to park officials.
These areas below are closed until further notice, according to the park's website:
- Wonderland Trail from Carbon River Suspension Bridge to Frozen Lake near Sunrise: Due to the Garda Falls Fire, part of the Wonderland Complex, the trail is closed including the following backcountry camps: Dick Creek, Mystic Lake, & Granite Creek. Carbon River Camp, Ipsut Creek Camp, and the upper and lower Carbon River crossings remain open.
- Northern Loop Trail from Berkeley Park to the Wonderland Trail junction near the Carbon River: Backcountry camps closed in this area include Yellowstone Cliffs, Lake James, Fire Creek, and Berkeley Park.
- Grand Park Area, including Huckleberry Creek Trail.
- Sunrise Road closed to vehicles, open for hiking/bicycling ONLY.
- Sunrise Trails north of Sourdough Ridge remain closed, including Mount Fremont Trail.
Some areas have reopened since the fires began, such as the White River Road and White River campground areas. For a full list of closures, reopenings, and conditions, visit the park's website.
A fire ban for Mount Rainier National Park has been in effect since June 26 until further notice.
