Mount Rainier National Park: Paradise Winter Snowplay & Sledding Area
Visit on your scheduleDaily daylight hours (typically 9:00 AM–4:30 PM, weather and road status permitting); Longmire gate opens around 9:00 AM and closes at dusk; Operates late December through March once 5-foot snow base accumulates
Paradise Snowplay Area, Mount Rainier National ParkParadise Rd E, Ashford, WA 98304 · 63.2 mi approx. from SeattleDirections
All ages; only soft sliding devices allowed (plastic saucers, soft sleds, inner tubes); hard toboggans and runner sleds prohibited
With admissionSledding hill access is free with Mount Rainier National Park entrance fee ($30 per vehicle, valid 7 days; America the Beautiful Interagency Passes accepted); Bring your own soft sled
About this adventure
Perched at 5,400 feet on the southern shoulder of Washington's tallest volcano, the Paradise Snowplay Area is the only designated sledding and snow play zone within Mount Rainier National Park. When a protective five-foot snowpack blankets the subalpine meadows, park rangers groom gentle runs where children can slide, build snow forts, and enjoy snowball fights against the dramatic glacier-clad summit of Tahoma. On winter weekends, rangers lead two-hour snowshoe walks for beginners (snowshoes provided for a nominal donation, ages 8+). Families can warm up inside the historic Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, which provides heated exhibit galleries, hot mountain stews and hot chocolate at the Paradise Cafe, flush restrooms, and panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Tatoosh Range. Note: All vehicles must carry tire chains inside the park between Nov 1 and May 1.
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