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Mount Rainier National Park · seasonal road

Chinook Pass: when it opens, year by year

Last verified Official record 1935–2025NPS page updated May 14, 2026 (source page); history table page: no date on page
SR 410/Chinook Pass between Crystal Mountain Boulevard, about 12 miles northwest of the summit, and Morse Creek, five miles east of the summit (the park's North Entrance road); commercial vehicles are prohibited through the park 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 27
90 years
Earliest opening
Apr 2
2015
Latest opening
Jul 12
1974
Median closing
Nov 18
90 years

The official record

91 years of Chinook 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.
AprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1940195019601970198019902000201020201935: opened May 221935: closed Nov 161936: opened May 251936: closed Dec 101937: opened Jun 21937: closed Nov 131938: opened May 291938: closed Nov 171939: opened May 81939: closed Dec 161940: opened May 171940: closed Nov 101941: opened Apr 161941: closed Dec 161942: opened May 41942: closed Nov 41943: opened Jun 191943: closed Nov 51944: opened May 221944: closed Nov 251945: opened Jun 31945: closed Nov 101946: opened Jun 281946: closed Nov 21947: opened May 161947: closed Nov 61948: opened Jun 141948: closed Nov 51949: opened May 281949: closed Dec 101950: opened Jun 81950: closed Nov 161951: opened May 201951: closed Nov 121952: opened May 181952: closed Dec 61953: opened May 311953: closed Nov 221954: opened Jun 201954: closed Dec 61955: opened Jun 71955: closed Nov 181956: opened Jun 151956: closed Nov 181957: opened May 111957: closed Nov 281958: opened May 251958: closed Nov 101959: opened May 231959: closed Nov 201960: opened May 271960: closed Nov 171961: opened Jun 71961: closed Nov 121962: opened May 211962: closed Nov 261963: opened May 291963: closed Nov 81964: opened Jun 221964: closed Nov 241965: opened May 291965: closed Nov 251966: opened May 271966: closed Nov 171967: opened Jun 41967: closed Nov 291968: opened May 121968: closed Nov 241969: opened May 281969: closed Dec 111970: opened May 301970: closed Nov 121971: opened Jun 191971: closed Nov 21972: opened Jun 251972: closed Nov 111973: opened Apr 61973: closed Nov 101974: opened Jul 131974: closed Dec 191975: opened Jun 141975: closed Oct 291976: opened Jun 131977: closed Nov 161978: opened May 261978: closed Nov 191979: opened May 261979: closed Nov 251980: opened May 231980: closed Nov 191981: opened Apr 301981: closed Nov 211982: opened Jun 111982: closed Nov 171983: opened May 261983: closed Nov 151984: opened May 261984: closed Nov 71985: opened May 231985: closed Nov 101986: opened May 231986: closed Nov 191987: opened May 141987: closed Nov 241988: opened May 141988: closed Nov 121989: opened May 271989: closed Nov 291990: opened May 181990: closed Nov 221991: opened May 251991: closed Nov 201992: opened May 101992: closed Nov 231993: opened May 291993: closed Nov 191994: opened May 281994: closed Nov 11995: opened Jun 81995: closed Nov 81996: opened May 251996: closed Nov 181997: opened Jun 131997: closed Nov 201998: opened May 211998: closed Nov 211999: opened Jul 21999: closed Dec 12000: opened May 202000: closed Nov 292001: opened May 112001: closed Nov 272002: opened Jun 12002: closed Dec 112003: opened May 152003: closed Nov 182004: opened May 82004: closed Dec 92005: opened Apr 292005: closed Oct 262006: opened May 262006: closed Nov 132007: opened May 252007: closed Nov 302008: opened Jun 72008: closed Dec 172009: opened May 232009: closed Nov 92010: opened May 292010: closed Nov 172011: opened Jun 242011: closed Nov 122012: opened May 272012: closed Nov 142013: opened May 182013: closed Dec 32014: opened May 242014: closed Nov 252015: opened Apr 32015: closed Nov 172016: opened May 192016: closed Dec 12017: opened Jun 102017: 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 272022: closed Oct 282023: opened May 272023: closed Nov 112024: opened Jun 22024: closed Nov 22025: opened May 242025: closed Oct 25

1930s

May 23

average opening · 5 yrs

1940s

May 26

average opening · 10 yrs

1950s

May 30

average opening · 10 yrs

1960s

May 30

average opening · 10 yrs

1970s

Jun 5

average opening · 9 yrs

1980s

May 22

average opening · 10 yrs

1990s

May 30

average opening · 10 yrs

2000s

May 20

average opening · 10 yrs

2010s

May 25

average opening · 10 yrs

2020s

May 30

average opening · 6 yrs

Show the full table ↓
YearOpenedClosedSeason (days)
2025May 23Oct 24154
2024May 31Oct 31153
2023May 26Nov 10168
2022May 26Oct 27154
2021May 28Nov 9165
2020Jun 4Nov 12161
2019May 23Nov 21182
2018Jun 11Nov 20162
2017Jun 9Nov 7151
2016May 17Nov 29196
2015Apr 2Nov 16228
2014May 23Nov 24185
2013May 17Dec 2199
2012May 25Nov 12171
2011Jun 23Nov 11141
2010May 28Nov 16172
2009May 22Nov 8170
2008Jun 5Dec 15193
2007May 24Nov 29189
2006May 25Nov 12171
2005Apr 28Oct 25180
2004May 6Dec 7215
2003May 14Nov 17187
2002May 31Dec 10193
2001May 10Nov 26200
2000May 18Nov 27193
1999Jul 1Nov 30152
1998May 20Nov 20184
1997Jun 12Nov 19160
1996May 23Nov 16177
1995Jun 7Nov 7153
1994May 27Oct 31157
1993May 28Nov 18174
1992May 8Nov 21197
1991May 24Nov 19179
1990May 17Nov 21188
1989May 26Nov 28186
1988May 12Nov 10182
1987May 13Nov 23194
1986May 22Nov 18180
1985May 22Nov 9171
1984May 24Nov 5165
1983May 25Nov 14173
1982Jun 10Nov 16159
1981Apr 29Nov 20205
1980May 21Nov 17180
1979May 25Nov 24183
1978May 25Nov 18177
1977—Nov 15—
1976Jun 11——
1975Jun 13Oct 28137
1974Jul 12Dec 18159
1973Apr 5Nov 9218
1972Jun 23Nov 9139
1971Jun 18Nov 1136
1970May 29Nov 11166
1969May 27Dec 10197
1968May 10Nov 22196
1967Jun 3Nov 28178
1966May 26Nov 16174
1965May 28Nov 24180
1964Jun 20Nov 22155
1963May 28Nov 7163
1962May 20Nov 25189
1961Jun 6Nov 11158
1960May 25Nov 15174
1959May 22Nov 19181
1958May 24Nov 9169
1957May 10Nov 27201
1956Jun 13Nov 16156
1955Jun 6Nov 17164
1954Jun 19Dec 5169
1953May 30Nov 21175
1952May 16Dec 4202
1951May 19Nov 11176
1950Jun 7Nov 15161
1949May 27Dec 9196
1948Jun 12Nov 3144
1947May 15Nov 5174
1946Jun 27Nov 1127
1945Jun 2Nov 9160
1944May 20Nov 23187
1943Jun 18Nov 4139
1942May 3Nov 3184
1941Apr 15Dec 15244
1940May 15Nov 8177
1939May 7Dec 15222
1938May 28Nov 16172
1937Jun 1Nov 12164
1936May 23Dec 8199
1935May 21Nov 15178

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

In the park's words

What Mount Rainier says about Chinook Pass

“When the gates open, park visitors can travel SR 410/Chinook Pass between Crystal Mountain Boulevard, about 12 miles northwest of the summit, and Morse Creek, five miles east of the summit.” 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 410 (Chinook Pass) North Entrance to SR123/Cayuse Pass then east to Chinook Pass OPEN” 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.

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: Cayuse 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 — Chinook Pass (official page) · National Park Service
  2. 2.Chinook 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

Chinook Pass questions

When does Chinook Pass open?
Mount Rainier says: Reopens in the spring after snow is cleared (no typical date stated by NPS; see history). Across 90 recorded years the median opening is May 27, ranging from Apr 2 (2015) to Jul 12 (1974). For 2026 the stated date was May 22, 2026.
When does Chinook 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 18 (90 years), earliest Oct 24 in 2025. Closing dates depend on the first lasting snow and are rarely announced ahead.
Is Chinook Pass opening later than it used to?
The 1930s averaged an opening around May 23; the 2020s average is May 30 — about 7 days later. That is the arithmetic of the official table, not a forecast; snowpack, staffing and construction all move the date.
Is Chinook 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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