All climbers going above 10,000 feet or climbing glaciers must register at a ranger station and check in and out. Inc. You don't need mountaineering experience to climb Mount Rainier, but you must be in good shape because the trip is physically strenuous. Winter Activities Winter is the time to discover the hushed world of Mount Rainier, when tracks in the snow reveal the path of a hunting fox or a fleeing rabbit. It is a time of sleep for many animals, including marmots and black bears. Many other animals, such as the white-tailed ptarmigan and snowshoe hare, stay active, and you may see signs of their passing in the snow.
Snow hides highcountry meadows and transforms the lowland forest into a secretive world.
Above it all rises Mount Rainier, blanketed in white. All roads into the park are closed except those from Nisqually to Paradise and from the southern park boundary to Ohanapecosh. Park Programs Park rangers lead guided snowshoe walks on weekends from late December through early April. The walks leave from the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise. Check at the visitor center or in the winter newspaper, Snowdrift, for times and topics.