Mountain Moment: A Quiet Observer Mount Rainier National Park 2026-09-23 | Mountain Moment: A Quiet Observer
Climate Change Science at Mount Rainier Mount Rainier National Park 2023-08-08 | Climate change science at Mount Rainier National Park is more than just the study of melting glaciers. How will a changing climate affect rivers and subalpine meadows? Wildlife and visitor access? Scientists are studying climate change in many ways to help guide the future of Mount Rainier National Park.NPS Video. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MountRainierClimateScienceVideo.
Trailer: Climate Change Science at Mount Rainier Mount Rainier National Park 2023-07-25 | Climate change science at Mount Rainier National Park is more than just the study of melting glaciers. How will a changing climate affect rivers and subalpine meadows? Wildlife and visitor access? Scientists are studying climate change in many ways to help guide the future of Mount Rainier National Park. Stay tuned for the premiere of the full video soon!
Mountain Memories: CCC Camp Life Mount Rainier National Park 2023-05-25 | Mount Rainier National Park had six Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps operating during the 1930s. Each camp hosted 200 men, who returned after a hard day’s work to rest and refuel. A typical breakfast was oatmeal with canned Hawaiian pineapple while dinner might be beef stew, garden vegetables, and mashed potatoes. Recreation included baseball and other sports, reading, and music. The US Army provided discipline in the camps, while park rangers gave naturalist talks and led fishing and hiking excursions. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24690, excerpt of “Emergency Conservation Work in Mount Rainier National Park”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-CCCCampLife.
Mountain Memories: CCC at Work Mount Rainier National Park 2023-05-18 | During the 1930s, Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) crews worked at Mount Rainier National Park. Duties included clearing roads and trails of debris and fallen trees, planting landscaping around new buildings like the Sunrise Blockhouses at Yakima Park, and improving trails with rock walls and other enhancements. Evidence of CCC work can still be found throughout the park today. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24690, excerpt of “Emergency Conservation Work in Mount Rainier National Park”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-CCCatWork.
Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan: Public Meeting May 3, 2023 Mount Rainier National Park 2023-05-16 | Recording of the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan Public Meeting held virtually on May 3, 2023. Learn more about the project on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=127898
Mountain Memories: CCC Camp Construction Mount Rainier National Park 2023-05-11 | During the 1930s there were six Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps at Mount Rainier National Park, including one at Narada Falls (Camp 2). Camps were a mixture of framed buildings and tents, with a mess hall, shower houses, and latrines built as buildings and the kitchen and sleeping quarters in tents. All were wired for lighting and furnished with heater stoves. Camps were vacated in the fall and reoccupied the following spring. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24690, excerpt of “Emergency Conservation Work in Mount Rainier National Park”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-CCCCampConstruction.
Mountain Memories: CCC Companies Travel to Mount Rainier Mount Rainier National Park 2023-05-04 | The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a fundamental role in developing early Mount Rainier National Park between 1933-1940. CCC companies consisted of groups of 18-25 year old, single men with families (part of their wages were sent home) who worked for six month enrollment periods during the summer. The first five companies at Mount Rainier included three from New York, one from Illinois, and one from western Washington. Do you have a relative that worked with the CCC? Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24690, excerpt of “Emergency Conservation Work in Mount Rainier National Park”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-CCCTravel.
Mountain Memories: Trail Bridges Mount Rainier National Park 2023-04-27 | Trails around Mount Rainier cross numerous rivers and streams, many of which have log bridges. This footage from the 1930s provides a glimpse into early bridge construction. Trail bridges are often washed out and replaced, but are still constructed out of logs in a similar style today. Do you have a favorite trail bridge? Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24664, excerpt of “Behind the Scenery”, mora_24729). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-TrailBridges.
Mountain Memories: Road Maintenance 1930s Mount Rainier National Park 2023-04-20 | Maintaining and improving the roads around Mount Rainier is a time-honored park operation. The equipment may look a little different but the work remains the same - clearing rock slides, grading dirt roads, and repaving. Through this work, visitors have been traveling park roads for generations. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24664, excerpt of “Behind the Scenery”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-RoadMaintenance1930s.
Mountain Memories: Sunrise Power 1930 Mount Rainier National Park 2023-04-13 | Sunrise is well-known for its spectacular vistas and during its development, early park designers worked to ensure that these vistas would be left unimpaired. Care was taken during the construction of the road to minimize road scars and power lines were buried under the road. This footage was most likely filmed around 1930 after the road was graded in 1929 and before it was paved in 1931.Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24664, excerpt of “Behind the Scenery”). No audio. Available with audio description a tgo.nps.gov/MMem-SunrisePower1930.
Mountain Memories: Longmire 1930-40s Mount Rainier National Park 2023-04-06 | Longmire has seen some changes over the years. The two-story Longmire Administration Building, built in 1928, still stands today. The Longmire Museum was originally located in front of the Administration Building, as pictured in this footage, until it was moved across the street in 1978. During the 1930s, the main parking area was in front of the National Park Inn, while now it is behind the building. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24657, 24729, 25034). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-Longmire1930-40s.
Mountain Memories: Comet Falls Mount Rainier National Park 2023-03-30 | Plunging over 300 feet, Comet Falls has attracted visitors for over a century. This footage of Comet Falls includes a clip from the 1920s as well as 1930s footage filmed by early park naturalist C. Frank Brockman. Have you visited Comet Falls during the summer? Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24657, 24729, 25034, 25044 (courtesy of the C. Frank Brockman Family)). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-CometFalls.
Mountain Memories: Ice Caves Mount Rainier National Park 2023-03-23 | Ice caves in the Paradise Glacier were a popular attraction, drawing crowds even in the 1920-30s. Visits to the caves continued until the early 1970s, when the glacier had melted back so far that the ice caves became too small and dangerous. The Paradise Glacier ice caves no longer exist today. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_25027, 25031). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-IceCaves.
Mountain Memories: Skyline Horseback Trip Mount Rainier National Park 2023-03-16 | In the 1920s-30s, horseback riding was still allowed at Paradise. One guided trip was a half-day ride around the Paradise Valley along the “Skyline Trail”, which also passed by Narada Falls. After World War II, it was determined that large trips with horses and pack animals were denuding the meadows, damaging trails, and competed with gazing wildlife like mountain goats and began to be phased out. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_25027; excerpt of “Rainier National Park in the Heart of the Pacific Northwest”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-SkylineHorsebackTrip.
Mountain Memories: Pinnacle Peak Climb Mount Rainier National Park 2023-03-10 | Another popular guided activity during the 1920s-30s was climbing Pinnacle Peak in the Tatoosh Range. It took around six to eight hours round trip leaving from the Paradise Valley and cost $4 per person in 1920, including clothing rental. The Pinnacle Peak Trail continues to be a popular route to this day. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_25027; excerpt of “Rainier National Park in the Heart of the Pacific Northwest”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-PinnaclePeakClimb.
Mountain Memories: Nature Coasting Mount Rainier National Park 2023-03-03 | During the 1920s-30s, “nature coasting” was a popular summer activity at Mount Rainier National Park. Park concession guides led groups up to the Nisqually or Paradise Glaciers to go sliding, wearing special “tin pants” made of heavy canvas that were waxed to make them more slippery and waterproof. The guided outings cost $2.50 per person in 1920, which included the clothing rental. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_25027; excerpt of “Rainier National Park in the Heart of the Pacific Northwest”). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-NatureCoasting.
Mountain Memories: Wildlife Mount Rainier National Park 2023-02-24 | In addition to scenic landscapes, wildlife has drawn visitors to the park for decades. All of the species captured in this footage from the early 1900s are still found in the park today. Do you come to the park to view wildlife? Have you shared that experience with your parents or brought your children to see animals in the park? Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24647). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-Wildlife.
Mountain Memories: 1930s Sunrise Ranger Program Mount Rainier National Park 2023-02-17 | Ranger-led programs have a long history in the National Park Service, with many early rangers also serving as park naturalists. This historic footage captures portions of a ranger-led walk in the Sunrise area circa 1930s, featuring subalpine wildflowers and views of the Emmons Glacier. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24652). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-1930sSunriseRangerProgram.
Mountain Memories: Early Summit Climb Mount Rainier National Park 2023-02-10 | Join these early 1900s climbers as they ascend Mount Rainier. They stop for the night at Camp Muir, before continuing the climb by torch light. Views feature Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens prior its eruption. Exact date of footage unknown. Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24689). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-EarlySummitClimb
Mountain Memories: Mowich Lake Entrance Dedication 1933 Mount Rainier National Park 2023-02-03 | Mowich Lake Entrance, located in the northwest corner of the park and home to the Paul Peak Trailhead, was dedicated on September 2, 1933. A log pylon with a plaque was erected in honor of Dr. William Fraser Tolmie, who was part of an expedition to Mount Rainier a hundred years earlier in 1833. However, the final portion of the road to Mowich Lake was not completed until 1935 and did not open to vehicles until 1955. Originally Mowich Lake Road was planned to connect to Westside Road as part of an “around the mountain” road system that was eventually abandoned. World War II further delayed the road opening. The current road still retains many of the landscape characteristics and features of its 1930s construction, making it part of Mount Rainier’s National Historic Landmark District.Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24648). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-MowichDedication
Mountain Memories: Stevens-Van Trump Monument Mount Rainier National Park 2023-01-26 | Along the Skyline Trail at Paradise is a rock bench that serves as a monument to the first known ascent of Mount Rainier. Stones attached to the bench are carved with words reading “Site of the camp from which General Hazard Stevens and PB Van Trump made the ascent of this mountain 17 August 1870,” “Sluiskin Indian Guide waited here for the climbers to return,” “Place identified by General Hazard Stevens 17 August 1915,” “Erected by the Mountaineers and the Mazamas 1924.” It is in the shape of a bench so that those sitting can take in the view of Mount Rainier and imagine the route of the early climbers. The exact date of when this archive footage was filmed is unknown, as is the identity of the person in the footage, but is believed to be from the 1930s. The monument continues to exist today.Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24622). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-StevensVanTrumpMonument
Mountain Memories: Sunrise 1930s Mount Rainier National Park 2023-01-19 | Welcome to Sunrise in the 1930s. The Sunrise Road, formerly known as the Yakima Park Highway, opened to the public in 1931. For the first few years only the south blockhouse, built in 1930, and the Sunrise Day Lodge, from 1931, existed. The rest of what would become known as the Sunrise Stockade, including the visitor center and north blockhouse, was constructed over ten years later in 1943-44.Mount Rainier National Park Archives Footage (mora_24652, mora_24622). No audio. Available with audio description at go.nps.gov/MMem-Sunrise1930s.
Mountain Moment: Waves on the Summit Mount Rainier National Park 2022-04-09 | It may look like a calm sunny day, but clouds curling over the summit reveal an active atmosphere. Clouds form as water vapor in the air is pushed up into colder altitudes as it hits Mount Rainier. The moisture condenses into clouds as it cools. Often these clouds have a smooth round shape and are called "lenticular clouds", but on this day the clouds where curling over the summit like waves hitting a shore.NPS Video, filmed 4/6/22. Description: A layer of clouds ripples like the waves of the ocean as the clouds curl over the summit of a glaciated mountain (clouds at 2x speed).
Mountain Moment: Ohanapecosh River Mount Rainier National Park 2022-03-05 | Fed by snowmelt, the Ohanapecosh River stands out from other glacier-fed rivers in the park with its blue-green waters. The river flows along the southeastern side of the park through a forested valley and cuts through the heart of the Ohanapecosh Campground. Have you camped along the Ohanapecosh River? NPS Video, filmed 9/2/21. Description: Dense forest surrounds the banks of a rocky river. Three people scramble over rocks along the edge of the river.
Mountain Moment: White River Mount Rainier National Park 2022-02-26 | The White River is a classic “braided” river, which are created by glaciers. The river channel often divides, weaving across a wide, rocky river bed. Glaciers generate a lot of rocky debris, more than the river can carry away. As each channel fills up with rocks, the river is forced to change course or divert into new channels, which sometimes can be nearby roads. You may notice along the bank of the White River evidence of dikes and engineered log jams. These structures attempt to direct the river away from the White River Road. NPS Video, filmed 8/31/21. Description: A river split into several channels flows through a wide, rocky river bed in a forested valley. Next to the river bank is a dike of large rocks, with several large logs jutting out of it into the river.
Mountain Moment: Lilies in Paradise Mount Rainier National Park 2022-02-19 | Paradise is famous for its subalpine meadows filled with a wide variety of wildflowers. However, by being one of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring, avalanche lilies are able to put on a solo show. Listen closely and you may hear the fluting whistle of another spring performer, the varied thrush. NPS Video, filmed 7/23/21. Description: Numerous wildflowers cover a meadow slope next to a paved trail, shaded by a stand of subalpine fir trees. Each flower has six white petals with a yellow center at the top of a tall stem. They sway in the breeze while a bird calls off-camera.
Mountain Moment: Nisqually Valley Falls Mount Rainier National Park 2022-02-12 | Fed by a patchwork of glaciers and snowfields, the unofficially-named Nisqually Valley Falls is located on the western side of the Nisqually Valley, down valley from the large Wilson Glacier Falls. Both waterfalls can be viewed from a distance along the Nisqually Vista Trail at Paradise. The Nisqually Valley Falls drops roughly 300 feet over two tiers. Have you viewed this waterfall at Paradise? NPS Video, filmed 7/23/21. Description: Below a mountain slope covered in patches of snow, a waterfall flows over a cliff roughly at tree-line. The waterfall is broken into tiers, the lower tiers fanning out over the rocky cliffs.
Mountain Moment: Squirrel Chirps Mount Rainier National Park 2022-02-05 | Sound on! This golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis) is letting you know to watch out, a predator may be nearby! When alarmed, ground squirrels stand on their hind feet, improving their ability to see and hear, and let out loud chirps or squeaks. Have you heard this call while out hiking in Mount Rainier National Park?NPS Video, filmed 8/9/21. Description: A squirrel stands on its hind feet on top of a rock, facing away from the camera, periodically emitting a single loud chirp. It has yellow-brown fur, darker brown down the back, a white stripe on each side, and a short fluffy tail.
Mountain Moment: Winter Skies Mount Rainier National Park 2022-01-29 | The clouds were moving briskly on this fine winter day at Longmire. Winter skies are often stormy and occasionally clear blue. A day with a few clouds to create movement, light, and shadows, can be more interesting than either extreme. NPS Video, filmed 12/17/21. Description: Time lapse of shadows from a layer of high clouds passing over a snow-covered mountain partly obscured by a lattice of alder branches. The thin clouds quickly cross a blue sky above the tops of snow-covered trees. A line of cloud shadows moves over the snowy mountain.
Mountain Moment: Winter Lichen Mount Rainier National Park 2022-01-22 | Mount Rainier’s forests may be blanketed in snow, but take a closer look to discover a wealth of organisms to still observe. The Sphaerophorus or “tree coral” genus of lichens is commonly found growing on the bark of conifer trees. Each little patch is like its own miniature forest. NPS Video, filmed 12/17/21. Description: Numerous patches of yellow-white lichen grown on the trunk of a tree in a snowy forest. One patch, covered in a cap of snow, is made of numerous branching, coral-like, stems.
Mountain Moment: Riverbank Blooms Mount Rainier National Park 2022-01-15 | What does it take to survive… and thrive? For these wildflowers, all it took was a crack in the rock, some moss to hold in a bit of soil and moisture, and a little sunshine along a riverbank. NPS Video filmed along the Ohanapecosh River, July 2020. Description: A small patch of yellow wildflowers grows out of a patch of moss on a large rock outcrop next to a blue-green river.
Mountain Moment: Glacial Flour Mount Rainier National Park 2022-01-08 | Mount Rainier’s glacier-fed rivers are not crystal-clear, but often have a milky color. This is due to suspended rock dust, called glacial flour, in the water. Glacial flour is created by the movement of glacial ice grinding against the bedrock of the mountain. NPS Video of the Nisqually River near Cougar Rock Campground, filmed July 2021. Description: A milky-colored river in a wide, rocky river bed bordered by forested hillsides. Above the hillsides rises a glaciated mountain peak. The water flows over large rocks and laps on the rocky banks of the river.
Mountain Moment: Nisqually Shadows Mount Rainier National Park 2022-01-01 | Light and shadows pass over the summit of Mount Rainier during a summer afternoon. The Nisqually Glacier cascades down the right side of the mountain, while the top of the Kautz Glacier splits to the left around the Wilson Headwall. Below the headwall lies the Wilson Glacier. Birthed from volcanic forces and molded by glaciers, ever-changing Mount Rainier has witnessed many new years. What does this view inspire in you? NPS Video, filmed from the Nisqually Vista Trail, August 2021. Description: A time lapse of cloud shadows and sunlight moving over the upper slopes of a mountain, the view framed by two subalpine fir trees. Glaciers cover the summit, splitting around a prow-like ridge made of layers of lava rock.
Mount Rainier Holiday Hearth Mount Rainier National Park 2021-12-24 | What better way to spend Christmas Eve than by the side of a crackling fire! From everyone at Mount Rainier National Park, we hope this holiday hearth helps keep you company while you wrap presents, visit with friends or family, or just enjoy a quiet night at home. Happy Holidays! NPS Video. Description: A small fire burns in a stone fireplace, protected by a metal mesh fire screen decorated with metal cutouts of two conifer tree silhouettes.
Mountain Moment: Red Crossbills Mount Rainier National Park 2021-12-18 | In late August, a migrating flock of red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) visited the Longmire Meadow, attracted by its travertine mineral deposits created by volcanic springs. Many birds eat small stones or grit to help them digest tough vegetation in their gullets, but crossbills are particularly attracted to sources of salt or calcium, perhaps as a nutrient supplement. Crossbills have been observed along roads salted in winter or pecking at ash deposits around chimneys. However, crossbills primarily feed on seeds, using their specialized bills that cross at the tips to pry open conifer cones.NPS Video, filmed 8/30/21. Description: A finch-sized bird with a large crossed beak and reddish-orange feathers perches on a dead tree branch, chirping softly while other crossbills fly past. After looking around, the crossbill drops to the ground, where it is joined by a small flock of other crossbills. All the birds scratch and peck at the ground, eating bits of mineral soil.
Mountain Moment: Rippling Reflections Mount Rainier National Park 2021-12-12 | Need a moment of calm? Mount Rainier National Park is home to numerous small lakes, from alpine tarns to forest ponds. Have you taken a break next to one to watch some reflections? NPS Video. Description: Green reeds swaying in a gentle breeze cast reflections in a calm pond. The water reflects a fallen tree trunk and surrounding forest, the reflections disturbed by water striders and other insects.
Mountain Moment: Emmons Moraine Pond Mount Rainier National Park 2021-12-04 | A pond with unusual milky green water sparkles in the White River Valley near the terminus of the Emmons Glacier. As the glacier retreated, chunks of stagnant ice broke off and were left behind buried under piles of rocky debris, called moraines, deposited by the glacier. The melt water from the ice was trapped by the moraines, gradually forming the pond visible today. The milky green color comes from fine rock sediment, called glacial flour, still suspended in the water. This pond has no official name. What would you call it? NPS Video, filmed from the Emmons Vista Overlooks at Sunrise. Description: A pond with milky green water sparkles with sunlight, surrounded by banks of loose rocky debris and patchy forest. The view widens, gradually revealing that the pond is in a deep valley downstream from the terminus of a glacier and next to a river.
Mountain Moment: Box Canyon Mount Rainier National Park 2021-11-27 | Gaze 180 feet down into Box Canyon, a narrow slot canyon only 15-30 feet wide carved by the Muddy Fork of the Cowlitz River. The greenish-grey stone lining the canyon is part of the bedrock Ohanapecosh Formation, dense metamorphic breccia from 26-28 million years ago. The river slowly eroded the canyon after the last ice age glaciers receded. Have you stopped along Stevens Canyon Road to view Box Canyon during the summer? NPS Video. Description: A river rushes through a deep slot canyon, with moss-covered, smooth rock walls. One side of the canyon is bordered by forest, while a fenced path parallels the opposite bank.
Mountain Moment: Jeffreys Shooting Stars Mount Rainier National Park 2021-11-20 | During the summer along creeks, streams, and seeps, you may come across striking purple wildflowers. Unlike many flowers where the petals fold forward around the stamens, these petals boldly stream backwards, like the tail of a shooting star. Jeffrey's Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon jeffreyi) are common but distinctive wildflowers in Mount Rainier's subalpine meadows. NPS Video. Description: Several bright purple wildflowers with swept-back petals bloom along a small trickling creek filled with moss and surrounded by plants.
Mountain Moment: Mountain Goats at Tipsoo Mount Rainier National Park 2021-11-13 | Do you see that? There, on that mountain slope - are they white rocks...? Or mountain goats! Park rangers have spotted plenty of white rocks in the past, but in this case it was a herd of mountain goats grazing in the subalpine meadows below Naches Peak near Tipsoo Lake. Mountain goats live in the high subalpine and alpine areas of the park and can be tricky to spot at a distance. Both male and female goats have horns and are hard to tell apart, but the smaller more tan-colored animals are young goats, called kids. NPS Video, filmed 8/31/21. Description: On a foggy day, tiny white dots cross a steep meadow slope in the distance. At a closer view, the white dots are a herd of mountain goats grazing in the meadow (no audio).
Mountain Moment: A Sunrise Scene Mount Rainier National Park 2021-11-06 | A common sight at Sunrise: subalpine wildflower meadows and an impressive mountain view. This moment was worth a pause to observe three black-tailed deer as they passed through the meadow. Have you experienced a similar scene at Sunrise? NPS Video, filmed 8/9/21 from the Sourdough Ridge Trail at Sunrise. Description: Three deer graze in a lush meadow then lope into the trees while the view widens to reveal a glaciated mountain rising above the meadow.
Mountain Moment: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-29 | What's that dashing through the rocks with a twitching nose and fluffy tail? It's a golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus saturatus)! Often mistaken for a chipmunk at first glance due to their similar coloring and the stripes on their backs, these squirrels do not have stripes on the face and are larger in size than chipmunks. Have you seen these common squirrels in the park? While cute, please do not feed them! Squirrels that become habituated to humans can become aggressive and can bite, and human food can make them sick. Help Keep Wildlife Wild! Learn more at go.usa.gov/xeaMrNPS Video. Description: A brown squirrel with large dark eyes, erect ears, a narrow fluffy tail, and light and dark stripes down its sides darts between rocks on a slope next to a river.
Mountain Moment: Band-tailed Pigeons Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-22 | Band-tailed pigeons (Patagioenas fasciata) occasionally visit the park during migrations in the spring and fall. This large flock was filmed in the Longmire Meadow in late August, 2021. Band-tailed pigeons are vegetarians, eating a diet of seeds, berries, nuts, and flowers. They will also visit mineral springs like the ones found in the Longmire Meadow to drink the water and peck at the travertine soil to supplement their mineral intake.NPS Video. Description: A flock of pigeons flies over tall green cattail reeds filling a meadow and land on several dead tree trunks. The pigeons perch on branches, one almost falling off, before settling.
Bull Trout Survey 2021 Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-20 | Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) is a native and threatened species of fish found in many of Mount Rainier's streams and rivers. However, the present status of native fish populations in the park is not well understood due to construction of dams outside the park, and previous stocking activities. In order to monitor and assess this fish's population, park staff conduct fish spawning surveys every year. During these surveys, park staff walk the rivers and streams looking for spawning fish and the redds they create.A redd is a spawning nest made by female salmonids in the substrate along the bottom of a river, stream, or creek. A female will use her tail fin to dig a depression in which to lay her eggs, then clear a patch of larger rocks to cover and protect them. This gives the eggs and alevin (newly spawned salmon) access to clean, oxygenated water, and protection from predators.This footage features bull trout filmed during one of those surveys this year.Learn more about Mount Rainier fish species at go.usa.gov/xMfqvNPS Video filmed by the Mount Rainier Aquatics Team. Description: Underwater footage of two large bull trout, grey-silver fish with white leading edges on their fins, hovering over the rocky bottom of a shallow creek.
Mountain Moment: Christine Falls in October Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-15 | Mount Rainier National Park has many waterfalls that can only be viewed from a distance or after a long hike. Christine Falls, however, is one of the easiest falls to reach. Located along the road between Longmire and Paradise, this waterfall can be viewed from the bridge above it or from a short walk down to a viewpoint. Please use caution when viewing this waterfall in winter; the short trail can be very icy and stay aware of vehicles on the roadway. NPS Video filmed 10/14/21. Description: A stone bridge arches over a roaring waterfall that descends into a narrow rocky canyon.
Mountain Moment: Fryingpan Glacier Falls Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-08 | Mount Rainier’s vast scale can outshine many of the details of its landscape, such as this unnamed waterfall coming off of Fryingpan Glacier. Can you spot it in the landscape view? The waterfall, which is roughly falling over three hundred feet, is below and to the left of Little Tahoma Peak as viewed from the Glacier Basin Trail. Perhaps you’ve noted the waterfall, unofficially called Fryingpan Glacier Falls, on a past hike in the area? NPS Video, filmed 7/14/21. Description: A river flows through a rocky valley under a glacier-covered mountain peak. In the distance, under a glacier along the left flank of the mountain, is a large waterfall split into several falls, cascading over rocky cliffs.
How to reserve a Mount Rainier Wilderness Permit on Recreation.gov Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-07 | This video walks through the process to reserve a Mount Rainier National Park Wilderness Permit on Recreation.gov. More information on Wilderness Permits: nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/wilderness-permit.htmNPS Video. Description: Recording of the Recreation.gov website as the narrator walks through the steps to reserve a permit.
Mountain Moment: Hairy Woodpecker Mount Rainier National Park 2021-10-01 | Tap, tap, tap...Tap, tap, tap...Sometimes easier to hear than see, hairy woodpeckers (Picoides villosus) live year-round in Mount Rainier's forests. This male hairy woodpecker (note the red patch on the back of the head) was observed hunting for insects on a dead tree in the Carbon River area of the park. NPS Video. Description: A black and white woodpecker with a red patch on the back of its head, pecks its beak against the trunk of a dead tree, flicking off pieces of bark and lichen.
Mountain Moment: Tahoma Creek Mount Rainier National Park 2021-09-24 | Tahoma Creek, prone to debris flows and flooding, has covered the valley floor in rocky debris and dead trees. You can easily view the creek from Westside Road, which has been repeatedly washed out in the past. Remember, if you are hiking or biking along the creek and hear a loud rumbling sound (like a train), feel the ground shaking, or see a rapid rise in water level, it could be a debris flow and you should head to higher ground immediately! A location 160 feet (50 m) or more above river level should be safe.Learn more about geohazards and Tahoma Creek at go.usa.gov/xMNMvNPS Video. Description: A glaciated mountain peak rises above a forested valley with a wide, rocky river bed. The river bed is filled with large rocks and dead trees. Two people ride bikes along a dirt road next to the rocky river bed. Audio of rushing water noise only.
Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan: Public Meeting August 5, 2021 Mount Rainier National Park 2021-08-12 | Recording of the Nisqually to Paradise Corridor Management Plan Public Meeting held virtually on August 5, 2021. Learn more about the project on the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment website at parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=95095
