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Mount Rainier National Park · seasonal road

Cayuse Pass: when it opens, year by year

Last verified Official record 1973–2025NPS page updated May 14, 2026 (source page); history table page: no date on page
SR 123/Cayuse Pass within the park boundaries between the southern park entrance near Packwood, WA, and the SR 410 junction; commercial vehicles are prohibited Typically opens: Reopens in the spring after snow is cleared (no typical date stated by NPS; see history). Closes: Closes each winter due to snow levels and avalanche danger (no typical date stated by NPS; see history).
2026 opening
May 22
scheduled
Median opening
May 7
51 years
Earliest opening
Mar 18
1981
Latest opening
Sep 29
2007
Median closing
Nov 22
52 years

The official record

53 years of Cayuse Pass

Each dot is a date from the park’s (or WSDOT’s) published table: gold opening, brick closing. Missing dots are years the table leaves blank.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec197519801985199019952000200520102015202020251973: closed Dec 131974: opened May 301974: closed Dec 311975: opened Apr 301975: closed Dec 11976: opened May 161977: closed Dec 31978: opened Apr 41978: closed Dec 111979: opened Apr 241979: closed Jan 91980: opened Apr 231980: closed Dec 61981: opened Mar 191981: closed Dec 11982: opened May 11982: closed Dec 31983: opened Apr 81983: closed Nov 251984: opened Apr 81984: closed Nov 181985: opened Apr 201985: closed Nov 181986: opened Apr 111986: closed Nov 291987: opened Apr 41987: closed Dec 11988: opened Apr 171988: closed Nov 191989: opened May 21989: closed Jan 51990: opened May 181990: closed Nov 251991: opened May 41991: closed Dec 81992: opened Apr 11992: closed Dec 21993: opened May 291993: closed Nov 191994: opened May 241994: closed Nov 11995: opened May 251995: closed Dec 51996: opened Jun 231996: closed Oct 91997: opened May 241997: closed Nov 211998: opened Apr 261998: closed Nov 241999: opened Jun 41999: closed Dec 12000: opened Apr 222000: closed Nov 302001: opened Apr 212001: closed Nov 272002: opened May 72002: closed Dec 132003: opened Apr 192003: closed Nov 192004: opened May 22004: closed Dec 82005: opened Apr 222005: closed Nov 52006: opened Jul 12006: closed Nov 132007: opened Sep 302007: closed Nov 302008: opened May 252008: closed Dec 172009: opened May 162009: closed Nov 92010: opened May 12010: closed Nov 172011: opened May 272011: closed Nov 122012: opened May 102012: closed Nov 142013: opened May 42013: closed Nov 212014: opened May 172014: closed Nov 252015: opened Apr 32015: closed Nov 172016: opened May 12016: closed Dec 12017: opened May 202017: closed Nov 82018: opened Jun 122018: closed Nov 212019: opened May 242019: closed Nov 222020: opened Jun 62020: closed Nov 142021: opened May 292021: closed Nov 102022: opened May 282022: closed Oct 262023: opened May 272023: closed Nov 112024: opened May 262024: closed Nov 22025: opened May 242025: closed Oct 25

1970s

May 3

average opening · 5 yrs

1980s

Apr 14

average opening · 10 yrs

1990s

May 18

average opening · 10 yrs

2000s

May 23

average opening · 10 yrs

2010s

May 12

average opening · 10 yrs

2020s

May 29

average opening · 6 yrs

Show the full table ↓
YearOpenedClosedSeason (days)
2025May 23Oct 24154
2024May 24Oct 31160
2023May 26Nov 10168
2022May 27Oct 25151
2021May 28Nov 9165
2020Jun 4Nov 12161
2019May 23Nov 21182
2018Jun 11Nov 20162
2017May 19Nov 7172
2016Apr 29Nov 29214
2015Apr 2Nov 16228
2014May 16Nov 24192
2013May 3Nov 20201
2012May 8Nov 12188
2011May 26Nov 11169
2010Apr 30Nov 16200
2009May 15Nov 8177
2008May 23Dec 15206
2007Sep 29Nov 2961
2006Jun 30Nov 12135
2005Apr 21Nov 4197
2004Apr 30Dec 6220
2003Apr 18Nov 18214
2002May 6Dec 12220
2001Apr 20Nov 26220
2000Apr 20Nov 28222
1999Jun 3Nov 30180
1998Apr 25Nov 23212
1997May 23Nov 20181
1996Jun 21Oct 7108
1995May 24Dec 4194
1994May 23Oct 31161
1993May 28Nov 18174
1992Mar 30Nov 30245
1991May 3Dec 7218
1990May 17Nov 24191
1989May 1Jan 4248
1988Apr 15Nov 17216
1987Apr 3Nov 30241
1986Apr 10Nov 28232
1985Apr 19Nov 17212
1984Apr 6Nov 16224
1983Apr 7Nov 24231
1982Apr 30Dec 2216
1981Mar 18Nov 30257
1980Apr 21Dec 4227
1979Apr 23Jan 8260
1978Apr 3Dec 10251
1977—Dec 2—
1976May 14——
1975Apr 29Nov 30215
1974May 29Dec 30215
1973—Dec 12—

Table source: wsdot.wa.gov/travel/roads-bridges/mountain-pass-closure-and-opening-da

In the park's words

What Mount Rainier says about Cayuse Pass

“SR 123/Cayuse Pass will open within the park boundaries between the southern park entrance near Packwood, WA, and the SR 410 junction.” source
“Both passes close each winter due to snow levels and avalanche danger and reopen in the spring after snow is cleared.” source
“State Route 410/Chinook Pass and SR 123/Cayuse Pass through Mount Rainier National Park will reopen for the season by 8 a.m. Friday, May 22, in time for Memorial Day weekend.” source
“SR 123 (Cayuse Pass) South Entrance to Cayuse Pass OPEN” source
“A portion of State Route (SR) 123 located within Mount Rainier National Park will be closed to all vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles from 6:00 am Tuesday, September 2 through 6:30 pm Tuesday, September 30.” source
“Ohanapecosh on SR 123 is generally open via Hwy 12 from Yakima or Packwood from late May to early November.” source

Worth knowing

  • History table: WSDOT 'Mountain pass closure and opening dates' (same page as SR 20). The table has no 2026 row for SR 410 or SR 123 even though the May 14, 2026 NPS/WSDOT release scheduled both to reopen 'by 8 a.m. Friday, May 22, in time for Memorial Day weekend'; both showed OPEN on the park road status page updated September 28, 2026. So opened2026 stays null and the schedule is in opened2026Scheduled.
  • WSDOT table footnotes: * Due to Construction; ** SR 410 North of Chinook Pass Closed 11/1/93 Due to Construction; *** Temporary Closure Date; # Due to Winter Storm Damage; ## For Repair of Winter Storm Damage. Marks appear as openedMark/closedMark on the rows.
  • 2025 detail not in the table: a portion of SR 123 inside the park south of Cayuse Pass was closed to all vehicles for construction from Sept 2 through Sept 30, 2025 (NPS release dated Aug 27, 2025), while the table shows the 2025 season closing Oct. 24.
  • NPS directions page: 'Ohanapecosh on SR 123 is generally open via Hwy 12 from Yakima or Packwood from late May to early November.'

About this page

Dates are the park’s and WSDOT’s own, captured on 2026-10-05 and re-checked at every build. Medians and extremes are arithmetic on the published rows; we do not forecast. Weather closes passes without notice, so check live alerts for Mount Rainier before you drive. Other seasonal roads in the park: Chinook Pass, Stevens Canyon Road, Sunrise Road, White River Road, Paradise Valley Road, Ricksecker Point Road, Longmire to Paradise road.

Sources · 3

  1. 1.Mount Rainier National Park — Cayuse Pass (official page) · National Park Service
  2. 2.Cayuse Pass — historical opening dates table · Washington State DOT
  3. 3.Seasonal road pages and historical opening-date tables on nps.gov and wsdot.wa.gov, read and quoted · National Park Service; Washington State DOT

FAQ

Cayuse Pass questions

When does Cayuse Pass open?
Mount Rainier says: Reopens in the spring after snow is cleared (no typical date stated by NPS; see history). Across 51 recorded years the median opening is May 7, ranging from Mar 18 (1981) to Sep 29 (2007). For 2026 the stated date was May 22, 2026.
When does Cayuse Pass close for the season?
Mount Rainier says: Closes each winter due to snow levels and avalanche danger (no typical date stated by NPS; see history). In the official record the median closing is Nov 22 (52 years), earliest Jan 4 in 1989. Closing dates depend on the first lasting snow and are rarely announced ahead.
Is Cayuse Pass opening later than it used to?
The 1970s averaged an opening around May 3; the 2020s average is May 29 — about 26 days later. That is the arithmetic of the official table, not a forecast; snowpack, staffing and construction all move the date.
Is Cayuse Pass open right now?
Check the park's road-status page (linked under Sources) or its alerts: our “Is Mount Rainier open?” page shows the live NPS alerts.

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