Mount Rainier NP To Stop Using Cash for Admission

(Mount Rainier National Park, WA) -- The National Park Service says you won't need cash to enter Mount Rainier National Park, but you will need a credit and/or debit card. Starting May 26th, the agency says MRNP will adopt and implement a fully cashless fee system that only accepts card payments for admission and campgrounds.

If paying with a card is not an option, the Park Service says you can buy a pre-paid pass from local vendors before you enter the park. Those vendors have not yet been identified, but are expected to be ready by the system launch date. The MRNP Annual Pass, private vehicle, motorcycle, individual passes and backcountry permits may also be purchased online.

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As for campgrounds, payments for first-come, first-served camp sites will be cashless. That doesn't entirely mean cash is no good inside the park. Concession-run hotels, bookstores, and restaurants inside MRNP will still accept cash or card payments.  Advance campground reservations will continue to be available through the National Park Service website.

"Entrance fees are an important source of revenue national parks use to improve the visitor experience,” said Greg Dudgeon, park superintendent. “Moving to a cashless system helps the park manage visitor dollars more effectively. Going cashless reduces the amount of time park staff spend handling cash, increases the amount of fee revenue available to support critical projects and visitor services, and improves accountability while also reducing risk.”