# Mount Rainier National Park: Paradise Winter Snowplay & Sledding Area

> Place to go for families in the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue area (WA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Daily daylight hours (typically 9:00 AM–4:30 PM, weather and road status permitting)…
- Where: Paradise Snowplay Area, Mount Rainier National Park, Paradise Rd E, Ashford, WA 98304
- Ages: All ages; only soft sliding devices allowed (plastic saucers, soft sleds, inner tubes); hard toboggans and runner sleds prohibited
- Price: Sledding 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
- Schedule: Daily 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
- Organizer: National Park Service (Mount Rainier National Park)
- Official page: https://www.nps.gov/mora
- Last checked: Wed, Nov 4

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/mount-rainier-national-park-paradise-winter-snowplay-and-sledding-area--listing-76b9c3f2149c1d94ba9eaf5d

## About

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.

## Similar picks in Seattle

- [Veterans' Appreciation Days at Northwest Trek Wildlife Park](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/veterans-appreciation-days-at-northwest-trek-wildlife-park--listing-e7d620afd4f716f6c30aafaf) — Wed, Nov 11 (+4 more dates) · 9:30 AM – 3:00 PM · Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Eatonville · With admission · checked Oct 30. U.S. military veterans and active-duty members get free admission to Northwest Trek, and their immediate family members get half off general admission. Proof of service is…
- [Crystal Mountain Resort: Scenic Mt. Rainier Gondola & Alpine Winter Experience](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/crystal-mountain-resort-scenic-mt-rainier-gondola-and-alpine-winter-ex--listing-35fe429ff45545c9a7f34223) — Daily 9:00 AM–3:30 PM (Mid-November through April, weather permitting) · Crystal Mountain Resort, Enumclaw · All ages · From $49 · checked Nov 4. Crystal Mountain Resort, located on the northeast flank of Mount Rainier in Pierce County, operates Washington state's only high-speed 8-passenger enclosed gondola. In less than…
- [Ranger-Guided Snowshoe Walks at Paradise, Mount Rainier](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/ranger-guided-snowshoe-walks-at-paradise-mount-rainier--listing-4704719a75606bb76660a425) — Typically Saturdays and Sundays, late December through March, 11:00 am, as staffing allows · Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center, Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park · Ages 8+ · With admission · checked Oct 28. Join a Mount Rainier National Park ranger to learn the art of snowshoeing and discover how plants, animals and people adapt to winter at Paradise. Walks cover about 1.5 miles in…
- [ShoreLights Winter Light Display at the Park at Town Center](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/shorelights-winter-light-display-at-the-park-at-town-center--listing-89399f7148b54fdc30e4cf63) — Dec 3 – Jan 3 · Park at Town Center, Shoreline · All ages · checked Oct 16. ShoreLights is the City of Shoreline's winter light display at the Park at Town Center on Aurora Avenue. The display opens with a kick-off evening on Thursday, December 3, 2026…
- [Washington Park Arboretum: Joseph A. Witt Winter Garden & Azalea Way Trail](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/washington-park-arboretum-joseph-a-witt-winter-garden-and-azalea-way-t--listing-0631c23d3380e3e20723326a) — Arboretum grounds open daily dawn to dusk, 365 days a year; Graham Visitors Center open… · Washington Park Arboretum · All ages · Free · checked Nov 4. Tucked between Montlake and Madison Park along the tranquil shores of Lake Washington, the 230-acre Washington Park Arboretum is an urban nature sanctuary renowned for its…
- [Discovery Park & West Point Lighthouse: Puget Sound Winter Beach and Forest Loop](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/activities/discovery-park-and-west-point-lighthouse-puget-sound-winter-beach-and--listing-70a2e887b3fa0919f067f3e6) — Park grounds open daily 4:00 AM–11:30 PM; Environmental Learning Center open Tue–Sun… · Discovery Park & West Point Lighthouse · All ages · Free · checked Nov 4. Spanning 534 scenic acres on the Magnolia bluff overlooking Puget Sound, Discovery Park is Seattle's largest city park and a premier family winter nature retreat. On crisp winter…

## More for families

- [Things to do with kids in Pierce County, WA](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/counties/pierce-county-wa) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/seattle/counties/pierce-county-wa.md)
- [Things to do with kids in Seattle — November 2026](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/events/2026-11) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/seattle/events/2026-11.md)
- [This weekend in Seattle](https://grassyknees.com/seattle/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/seattle/this-weekend.md)
- [Things to do with kids in Seattle](https://grassyknees.com/seattle) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/seattle.md)
