Mount Rainier National Park receives nearly 1.75 million visitors per year.  Mount Rainier National Park encompasses 235,000 acres and offers a wide variety of natural landscapes and recreational opportunities for students.  Geologic features such as glaciers and volcanic formations, alpine, sub-alpine and lower elevation western forests, wildlife, wildflowers and miles of back country trails are just a few its of attractions.  Moreover, there is rich cultural history of Mount Rainier and the surrounding region which adds to the already significant benefit to using Mount Rainier National Park as an outdoor classroom for Mount Rainier Institute students.

“The mountain” is visible to millions of people living in western Washington.  This visibility creates a deeply embedded connection to Mount Rainier for nearly everyone residing around it.  This “connection” can be leveraged in the programs offered by Mount Rainier Institute.  Each program will spend at least one full day in Mount Rainier National Park.  For many students, this may be their first time in a National Park.