Schrier visits Mt. Rainier to review large repair projects

The National Park Service is still working on Stevens Canyon Road, and will soon start rehabilitating the Ohanapecosh Campground

By Ray Miller-Still • July 12, 2023 1:30 am

Rep. Kim Schrier visited Enumclaw’s most famous landmark — and one of the country’s most popular national parks — last Monday.

The purpose of the trip was for the congresswoman, who represents South King County and District 8, and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams to review “high-priority” park infrastructure projects, a media release read.

One of the projects is rehabilitating Stevens Canyon Road.

Stevens Canyon Road is the only road that connects the east and west ends of the park. According to the National Park Service (NPS), a detour has been in place since the summer of 2022 due to ongoing construction; at this time, visitors have to drive around on Hwy US-12, through Morton and Packwood, in order to get from one end of the park to the other.

By the time the construction is finished, the project is expected to have cost $39 million.

The only time the road is fully open is during weekends from Friday at 8:30 p.m. to Monday at 6 a.m., and holidays, and Labor Day weekend. Otherwise, you can still use portions of Stevens Canyon Road to access The Grove of the Patriarchs on the east side, or Stevens Creek on the west side.

The other project being focused on is the rehabilitation of the Ohanapecosh Campground.

This project, which will repair three of the eight loops of the grounds, two comfort stations, the sewage collection lines, and more, is expected to start in late 2024 and be completed by the fall of 2026. The project cost is estimated at about $2.9 million.

According to the NPS, the Ohanapecosh Campground is the largest in the park, and attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year. The campground will be closed while the roads are being repaired or work being done on the sewage lines, but NPS hopes to avoid construction during the camping season, a spokesperson said.

The goal of these projects is to improve the park experience for the 1.7 million visitors that come every year and, maybe more importantly, continue supporting nearby communities with that tourism.

According to the NPS, park visitors spent about $67 million in gateway regions like the Plateau.