Reflection Lakes
Photo by Rose Evans

With its lofty summit pushing up into the sky and its massive glaciers carving its flanks, Mount Rainier dominates the Pacific Northwest. Recognizing the scenic splendor of this magnificent mountain, of the high meadowed ridges and the virgin forests that surrounded it, Congress, in 1899, "dedicated and set it apart as a public park, to be known and designated as Mount Rainier National Park, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people." As so Mount Rainier National Park became the nation's fourth national park.  

The world has changed in many ways since 1899. No longer is Mount Rainier National Park an outpost requiring several days of serious travel to reach. No longer are Park boundaries surrounded by seemingly endless forests. Today's Mount Rainier National Park is an island of wilderness in a sea of clear-cut's, visited by more than 2 million people each year.  

Concerned about the future of Mount Rainier National Park, a group of Park devotees joined together in 1985 to form Mount Rainier National Park Associates (MRNPA), to preserve and protect the natural state of the Park and to promote wise stewardship of its resources. Today MRNPA continues to work toward those original goals. Acting as a watchdog on activities both inside and outside Park boundaries, and as a loyal supporter and advocate of Park protection, MRNPA is an independent voice, free to criticize, agree, or oppose as we see fit. If you share with us a passion for Mount Rainier National Park, concern for the Park's future, and a vision that Mount Rainier National Park should always be a wild and natural place, we invite you to join MRNPA. As a member you will receive an invitation to join us with your labor during our seven or so work parties in the Park each year. More importantly, you will be supporting an organization that is working to preserve Mount Rainier National Park's wilderness beauty and splendor "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" of present and future generations.