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Mountain passes

Washington mountain pass conditions

Road surface, weather, temperature and restriction information for Washington's mountain passes, with the Cascade crossings used on trips out of Tacoma first.

Passes closest to a Tacoma trip

Chinook, Cayuse, White, Snoqualmie and Crystal first, where WSDOT reports them.

All Washington passes reported by WSDOT

Passes versus park roads

These are two different systems reported by two different agencies. WSDOT reports state highway passes. The National Park Service reports the roads inside Mount Rainier National Park, including gate opening times at Nisqually and the seasonal road to Paradise. Check both before a park day: a pass can be open while a park road is still gated, and the reverse also happens.

Mount Rainier road conditions (National Park Service)Mount Rainier guideTraction and winter checklist

Traffic, camera, travel time, mountain pass, road weather, toll and ferry information is supplied by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). Tacoma Trekker is an independent Tacoma visitor guide and is not WSDOT, the Washington State Patrol or any official transportation agency. Conditions change quickly; check the official WSDOT page before you drive.

Mountain pass questions

Is the road to Paradise a mountain pass?
No. Roads inside Mount Rainier National Park, including the road from Longmire to Paradise, are managed and reported by the National Park Service. WSDOT reports on state highways such as SR 706, SR 410 and SR 123 up to the park boundary, and on named mountain passes like Chinook and Cayuse.
Which passes matter for a Tacoma trip?
Chinook Pass and Cayuse Pass on the SR 410 and SR 123 corridors are the passes tied to the eastern and northern approaches to Mount Rainier, and both close seasonally. White Pass on US 12 is the southern alternative. Snoqualmie Pass on I-90 is the main year-round crossing of the Cascades.
What do the restrictions mean?
WSDOT publishes restriction text for each direction, such as traction tires advised or chains required. Tacoma Trekker shows that text unchanged. Restrictions are legal requirements and can change within hours during a storm.
When do the Mount Rainier passes close?
Chinook and Cayuse passes close for the winter and reopen in late spring, with the exact dates set each year by conditions. Check the pass condition above and the National Park Service road status before planning a loop through them.

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