Very beautiful visitor center. It reopened in 2025 after being closed for renovations and I have to…read moresay, the architecture is GORGEOUS with vaulted ceilings and large windows to let in the surroundings. There's wood paneling which helps you feel immersed into nature. There's an informational desk about the area, helpful for visitors newish to the area or those with questions. The gift shop is also accessible with the usual offerings of post cards, tchotchkes, and such. Do note that the restrooms are accessible outdoors at the side of the building. There's a pay area part of the center which is $5/18+, $2.50/7-17, free for 6 years old or younger, and family $15 for 2 adults and children 7-17 years old. They also honor veteran's disabled pass, WA state disabled pass, and senior limited income pass. It's definitely worth the admission, since there's a lot of exhibits explaining the geology of the area, the flora and fauna, the native peoples, and the later commercial and recreational uses of the area. There's even a place where you can walk into a huge mock up of Mt St Helens! Very fun. They have a short film playing about the eruption too. I didn't get to explore much outside as it was super rainy, but I saw a boardwalk trail out in the back. I did not see Mt St Helens due to the weather, but I'll be back when the weather is nicer!

Surprisingly complex and very informative. The variety of exhibits is great. And the native…read morenarratives put the mountain's significance into perspective. Easy access from I-5. Take the time to stop

It was neat to see the salmon jumping up "the river." Since it wasn't the right season that is all…read morewe got to see, but we met a lady who worked there and she was super knowledgeable and answered all our questions. The welcome center was nice and had a cool and interactive way of showing how many salmon actually make it from one place to the other.

Stopped by the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery on our travels to stretch our legs. It ended up being a fun…read morelittle place to stop! They had a visitors center with an interactive salmon egg exhibit. Very cool! Clean restrooms as well. Outside they had the sign to the adult salmon collection, but when we got to the top, everything was closed up. However, they had jumping salmon over in the juvenile raceways! We saw quite a few. Plus this place is less than a mile off the highway!

Really awesome visitor center on the south side of Mt Rainier national park. During peak months in…read morethe summer, the parking situation can be a bith frustrating. We were lucky and patient and snagged a great spot close to the entrance after making a couple of rounds. This is the place to use the restroom, fill up water bottles at the water fountain, and grab souvenirs at the gift shop. While the shop was small and difficult to maneuver, the rangers were stationed in a wider area so it was easier to get those commemorative stamps and ask your questions. We also visited the little cafeteria for lunch. They had high chairs that we were able to grab and sit our toddlers down. It's line up in the respective line for your food item, load it onto your tray, and pay at the cashier stand type of self service. They had walking tacos, so a bag of chips, opened up and you pick shredded chicken or beef with the fixings (lettuce, cheese, salsa, packets of sour cream). It was actually quite satisfying. Unfortunately the cup of clam chowder we got was quite thin and lacking in ingredients, though it did have a nice smokey flavor from the bacon.

This is a nice visitor center in the Paradise area of Mt. Rainier Natl. Park. It's warm, has a cute…read morelittle museum upstairs and a gift shop. And a cafe downstairs. Cozy seating. Nice for a rainy, snowy, cold day. If you hike up the loops, you can see a waterfall and a glacier. And marmots are popular!

The views are incredible and the staff at the gift shop were friendly and patient despite the long…read morelines. Unfortunately, this administration decided that funding the national parks was unimportant therefore there were minimal staff and maintenance. Fortunately, it appeared that most patrons were very respectful and mindful of the need to pick up after themselves.

When you go to Mount Rainier, this is one of the main stops you want to go to. This is the large…read morevisitor center in Paradise and is one of the most visited locations. If you want to let the kids out to stretch, use the bathroom and get a bite to eat, you can do it here. The parking lot will be full but if you keep circling around, you'll eventually find someone leaving. The chicken tacos with rice and beans were actually pretty good. Worth trying if you're needing a bite to eat. The top floor of the visitor center has a lot of different exhibits that tell about Mount Rainier and the wildlife in the area. Would recommend stopping if in the area.

I really enjoyed this visitor center and the surrounding area. It was a bit of a drive because I…read morewas staying in Packwood, but it was worth it. It took me over an hour to get here. I wanted a different view and perspective of Mount Rainier after spending time on the Skyline Trail the day before. Sunrise is the highest point that can be reached by vehicle at Mount Rainier National Park at 6,400 feet. The visitor center has some nice exhibits and a gift shop. Park rangers are available to answer questions. There is a larger gift shop with food and snacks in the building next door. The nearby nature trail around the visitor center has picnic tables for eating and relaxing. Mount Fremont Lookout Trail is next to the Sunrise Visitor Center and is a popular trail to hike. The views are gorgeous from this location. The parking lot is huge, but does fill up during the day. Sunrise is only open in the summer months.

This is a really nice NP visitor center. It's not quite as big as the main one at Paradise, but it…read morehas a good size gift shop, educational area, and in a separate building nearby they have a little cafe for snacks. There is a bathroom there but I didn't have a chance to use it since they were cleaning right when I got there. I think it has running water though, it looked like it would. This visitor center has a nice big parking lot just like the one in Paradise but don't be fooled - it'll still fill all the way up. By the time we were leaving around noon, people were parking in non-spot areas along where the trail and the road run along each other.