How to have a Mount Rainier Elopement: Your Guide to Elope
How to Elope in Mount Rainier National Park
(Updated for 2026)
Getting married in a National Park is a dream come true when you as a couple love the outdoors, hiking, camping, and being fully immersed in the towering evergreens and epic mountain landscapes. Mount Rainier National Park is one of those parks that blows your mind and exceeds all expectations with miles and miles of trails, endless waterfalls, stunning glaciers, and astounding quiet nooks.
John Muir said it best of all….”Of all the fire-mountains which, like beacons, once blazed along the Pacific Coast, Mount Rainier is the noblest.”
Can you get married at Mount Rainier?
Yes, you can get married at Mount Rainier! However, it is important to know this comes with rules + regulations. In this elopement guide, we will answer all of your logistical questions about getting married in the park!
To help make your experience smoother, here is a step-by-step checklist on how to plan a Mt. Rainier elopement which will be covered in greater depth throughout this article:
- Decide when you’re wanting to elope
- Pick the perfect location for your elopement
- Apply for your marriage license
- Apply for any necessary permits
- Select your elopement vendors
- Choose where to stay for your Mt. Rainier getaway
- Invite your guests (If you’re bringing any along!)
- Get married!
Can you get married ON Mount Rainier?
Mount rainier has many, many peaks within it. Most adventure elopements in the park take place around the mountain or on it up to some elevation. However, you could elope ON Mount Rainier at the summit if it is just you two (permit regulation) and if you have the the physical capability of getting to the top. Most people that summit Mt Rainier do so with a guide and the success rate is 50% so we do not recommend planning that for your day of. If you plan to summit the mountain you will need a permit to do so. You will also still need a wedding permit.
How do you get married in Mt. Rainier?
Legal requirements: How to get a Washington Marriage License:
First things first, let’s get things set on the legal side. Mount Rainier is located within Washington state, so you will need to follow WA state laws for your ceremony no matter where you live. You will need an officiant and two witnesses who are 18 years old or older to legally become married in the state of Washington.
When you decide to elope with Adventure + Vow you either get yourself two witnesses or an officiant and one witness! Officiating services are included with all of our packages, free of charge. We’ve never had any trouble finding a second witness somewhere along the trail, so don’t let that stress you out if it will just be you two and no guests.
Prior to the ceremony you will need to apply for your marriage license. The rules vary from state to state but most states within the United States require you to obtain a marriage license from the state where you will be getting married in. The process is quick and easy and only requires about 20 minutes of your time if you’re doing it in person. We 100% recommend making an appointment if they’re available with the county where you’re looking to obtain the license so that you don’t run into any problems leading into your wedding day.
Specific to Washington state, there is a three day waiting period before your license can be used for your ceremony, so if you plan to obtain the certificate in person, be sure to plan your travel plans around this! Most county offices have bank hours and are closed on the weekends, so it’s definitely something you need to be mindful of.
Once you have the license in hand and 72 hours have elapsed, you must get married within 60 days or the license becomes invalid. Fees for your marriage license are different per county. After you have held your ceremony and the documents are signed, your officiant is legally required to turn it back in for you!
If you’re having family or friends along for the elopement, it’s actually a very simple process if you’d like someone close to you to officiate your wedding. All it takes is a quick moment to visit The Universal Life Church online and registering as a minister. If you want to feel fancy, there is an option to have the hardcopy credentials mailed to you, however the state of Washington doesn’t actually require seeing any of these items so whoever you’d like to hold your ceremony can sign up for free.
So what if you’re travel plans, time off from work, or any other reason doesn’t allow you to be in Washington State Early enough to obtain a marriage license before your wedding? Well fortunately, some counties do allow mailing options for people from out of state. One county that allows this is Whatcom County.
Be mindful that the same rules apply, so while everything is being done by mail shipping, this shipping time counts towards the valid period of your license. It may be a bit to think about, but once you have your dates locked down, it’s an easy process.
Mount Rainier Elopement Permits
The next step is getting everything squared away with the National Park! You will need a Special Use permit to hold a wedding or elope at Mt Rainier. This process is simple, but you want to plan with enough time to get everything done correctly. You will need to apply with the National Park Service as early as you know your plan, but preferably at least six weeks in advance. The requirements are different depending on the park, but with Mt. Rainier, your wedding permit covers bringing along a photographer!
If you decide to elope with less than 45 days before your wedding date, then our suggestion is to call and email the park ranger to see if you will have enough time to process the proper paperwork. There isn’t a guarantee that they’ll be able to push the permit through, but being friendly and supplying as much information as you can definitely goes a long way with their willingness to help. There is an application fee of $250. Keep in mind it is $30 to enter the park (per car) unless you have a yearly pass. To apply for your Mt Rainier Wedding permit click here.
Where can you elope in Mt Rainier?
Other things to consider when planning your wedding day at Mt. Rainier and when applying for your permit directly from the National Park Service Webpage:
Party size determines which locations may be used for wedding ceremonies. Note that while this is current, this can change at anytime and you need to directly pull this info when planning from the park.
- 1-12 participants: may use certain pre-determined locations, which may include select trails, picnic areas, roadside locations, and campground amphitheaters.
- 13-24 participants: may use certain pre-determined locations, which may include picnic areas, roadside locations, and campground amphitheaters.
- 25-60 participants: may use certain pre-determined locations, which may include roadside locations and campground amphitheaters.
- 60 + participants: may use campground amphitheaters.
We highly suggest if you are planning an elopement in Mount Rainier National Park to plan to elope with 8 people total or less in order to be able to get married at the best locations, for the best experience and in order to follow leave no trace.
The park lays out some basic rules to that will guide you down the path of selecting your location, but the park is huge and you may be asking where to say those vows to each other! If you have been to Mount Rainier before, consider trails and spots you’ve hiked that made you feel the happiest, most in awe or most connected. Think about places that were your favorite and you shared great memories together or what are some locations you haven’t hiked to yet, but have always wanted to!?
If you have never been, seek advice from your photographer, share with them what you envision and do research on the trails. Consider the time of day, are you willing to set out and get to your ceremony location at sunrise or are you more of a sunset chaser? Just as their names point out the Sunrise area of the park is beautiful at sunrise and vice versa for Sunset point. The National Park rangers are great resources for locations within the park and are plentiful with information as well.
Ceremonies in the park may not:
- Impede the activities of other park visitors.
- Areas may not be roped off or blocked in any way to the general public.
- Modest decorations may be allowed (additional permissions required).
- Additional permissions may be required for professional photography/videography; please include photographer contact information in the application form.
- The setting up of chairs, tents, or awnings is not permitted.
- Throwing of rice, confetti, etc. is not allowed.
ALWAYS, always practice Leave No Trace when visiting or saying ‘I Do’ in the National Parks. When planning and thinking of guests, decor and more keep in mind that you are in a park that other folks and critters are inhabiting and enjoying.When visiting Mt Rainier it is SO important to never stand in the meadows!
Best Locations to elope in Mt Rainier for portraits
If you are eloping just two people you can hold your ceremony (almost) anywhere. If you are eloping with a group before for after you can go to other parts of the park for portraits of just you two. Here are some of our favorite places for a perfect elopement:
- Mount Fremont
- Tolmie Peak
- Different sections of the Wonderland Trail
- Several of the waterfalls
- Off the beaten path trails on the South side of the Park
- Trails off of the Sunrise Visitor Center
- Tipsoo Lake Area
After hiking around the entire mountain, we would say on average you can expect to hike 5-10 miles for some of the very best locations in the park!
Mount Rainier Wedding Venues
If you wanted to have an arch at your wedding, tables, chairs, and all of the curated elopement details your heart desires, then there is still the option to hold your event at an Airbnb. This of course 100% depends on the owners approval for your elopement, so be sure to verify this with the owner.
I will mention that we have definitely been to Airbnb’s with far more than 16 people and that our couple had received the permission of the host to hold their elopement there. There is typically light music but our couples have yet to celebrate with a full blown college party vibe. So with the official rules in mind we can not advise an event greater than 16 people on someone else’s property, but we aren’t the rental property police. So if you receive permission to have your guests there and the owner tells you you can have photographers on site, Adventure + Vow is excited to come along.
If you want a traditional wedding venue near Mount Rainier here are our top suggestions:
Forest Service Land around Mt Rainier
If you do not want to deal with the permit process, don’t want to deal with the business of the park or it’s too late to pull a wedding permit, there are definitely other options. Hiking trails are abundant right outside the boundary of the park that still provide beautiful 360 views of Mt. Rainier, with fire lookouts as well as waterfalls. Many of these locations are in the National Forest, which would not require a permit for your ceremony so long as it is below 75 people. One of the most epic views of Mount Rainier we have seen is located on Forest Service land outside of the park, it is a six mile hike that you can backpack to, which we highly recommend!
Important closure information
It is important to be aware that the Carbon River bridge is closed until further notice due to safety concerns, and it is not possible to cross it. This bridge gives visitors access to the Mowich Lake area and other popular trails in the National Forest. This closes access to 1/4 of the the park without backpacking the North Loop or the Wonderland Trail.
What does this mean for your elopement??
You may not be able to go to the location you originally wanted. Being open to locations you maybe haven’t heard of or open to a longer hike may be important.
Know that the closure could cause other locations to be busier than usual. That means trails in general, parking areas, picnic areas and the entry gates. Be sure you are planning ahead and allowing yourself more time.
When will this closure end?
The bridge will cost 50+ million dollars to fix and currently the funds are not available. I would expect this closure to be in effect until at least the end of the 2026 season, however, this is a closure that could impact the area for many years.
Below is a photo from Bill and I’s post post-elopement hike with Indy. We are so sad this will no longer be accessible until the road gets re-opened!
How to get to Mount Rainier?
If traveling from out of state to get married at Mt Rainier, the best airport to fly into is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. The park is only an hour and half drive from the city. Be sure to enter from the right park entrance for your ceremony’s location!
The different entrance points are well over an hour from each other, and the only way to drive is around the mountain. If you are choosing to stay in the park, there are several camp grounds you can camp at like White River campground or Cougar Campground. To find neat camping near by the National park or places to stay try Hip Camp or Airbnb. With a short drive from the city you could also stay in Seattle. Keep in mind that during season, the park is busy and places can book out early. Plan ahead!
The main entrances to the park: + where to stay for each
- The Southwest entrance, closest to Paradise and we recommend staying in Ashford (39000 WA-706, Ashford, WA 98304)
- The Southeast side, close to things like Tipsoo or Reflection Lake and we recommend staying in Packwood (46°45’20.6″N 121°33’29.0″W)
- The Northside entrance to the park is closest to Sunrise Visitor Center and we recommend staying somewhere near Crystal Mountain or Enumclaw (White River Entrance, Enumclaw, WA 98022)
- Northwest side which is closest to Mowich Lake area and Spray Park, we recommend staying in Buckley or closer to the entrance section of the park in the tiny towns. (Ashford, WA 98304) PLEASE KNOW: This is the area that is currently closed and only accessible via backpacking until further notice.
Mount Rainier Timed Entry Reservations
During busy season (Late spring through early Fall) the park has a timed entry system you must get reservations for. Our best advice is to avoid this for your elopement by starting at sunrise to avoid the traffic that builds up at the gates. However, that is not a must. If you would like to learn more about the timed entry system and get your ticket you can here.
The Best Time of Year to Elope in Mount Rainier
This active volcano creates its own weather conditions due to its massive size and high elevation compared to the surrounding mountain ranges. Choosing when to visit really depends on what you’re looking for weather and experience wise.
- Winter – This time you can only access the Paradise area of the park and typically only on the weekends. Skiing and snow shoeing is very popular in the park and a great activity to consider for your Winter mountain elopement. Weather can be unpredictable and you must carry chains. If you choose a Winter date we recommend being flexible in your dates and to know you may not see the mountain under the clouds. Either way, the snowy PNW mountains and trees are beautiful!
- Spring – This time of year you can still not access the Sunrise area of the park. Snow is still very present, while it may not be actively snowing.
- Summer – This time of year you can access all of the park by early/mid July. This is the busiest time in the park, but for good reason with great weather and possible wildflowers.
- Fall – Early Fall is beautiful and there is lots of color in the park with crisp temperatures. During the height of fall foliage it can be really busy. Things slow down after that, but it is important to know road closures and snow can start mid October.
The best time to elope in Mt Rainier is from July through September.
Wildflower Elopement in Mt Rainier
A lot of people choose to elope in Mount Rainier for the stunning wildflowers. I would say Mt Rainier is the best place in Washington to see wildflowers in general. There is a wild variety of flowers in the park like lilies, daisies, fireweed, lupines and more. If you want to plan your elopement around wildflowers this is the date range I would consider: July 20-August 15th. The wildflower season is always dependent upon snow fall that winter, rain that spring and temperatures for the year.
How Much Does it Cost to Elope in Mt Rainier?
The average cost of an elopement tends to be between $8,500 to $18,000 based on a poll I conducted in late in 2023 from past eloping brides. However, it all depends on your budget and what is important to you. Some couples can elope for only $1,000 where as others may choose to spend over $30,000.
Cost breakdown that you can plug in your own costs:
- Travel including driving, gas, flight, stay, food (this greatly depends but lets say $500 – $3000+)
- Officiant (our services include this, but outside of that it could cost $300 – $1800)
- Flowers ($25 from the market or by a florist could be $500+)
- Photo/Video (Click the link to see our packages!)
- Marriage Paperwork $72
- Permit if needed $250
- To get into the park $35
- Your attire ($500 – $5000)
- and any random thing! Every elopement looks different so it’s hard to come up with exact numbers unless we’re helping you plan your day. Some examples here could be vow books, gifts and so forth.
Mt Rainier Elopement Packages
We are an elopement photo + video team based in Washington. Our Elopement packages for Mt Rainier are available between June and October yearly. If you are up for some wild weather and snowshoeing we are open to Winter dates as well. Our elopement packages all include:
- A seasoned licensed Officiant + 1 Witness, or 2 Witnesses, free of charge
- In person + virtual location scouting to guarantee the best lighting all day long
- An even more in depth welcome package to elopement planning guide
- Vendor recommendations from our list of trusted elopement professionals
- Assistance on pulling your own permits, who to talk to, and the important things to say
- Timeline creation built around your dream experience
- Sneak peaks sent the day of the elopement
- Printing rights to your stunning images right from your digital gallery.
- Guidance on preserving your images forever and how best to print them.
- An amazing experience to kick off your journey as newly weds!
What is there to do in Mt. Rainier on your Elopement Day?
The great thing about escaping to this mountain wonderland is that there are so many options and opportunities for things to do! The choices span all four seasons and include everything from easily accessible for family and friends, to a private getaway in the woods with just the two of you!
Here are our top recommendations for adventurous ideas for your elopement day in Mt. Rainier
- Go backpacking
- Snowshoe through the park!
- Of course, hiking
- Share a well deserved picnic on a mountain peak
- Summit Mt. Rainier!
- Kayak – there is one lake in the park you can kayak on
- Camp in a front country campground
- See a waterfall
Here are some ideas for activities nearby Mt. Rainier
- Go for a horseback ride with a view of the mountain
- Take the gondola ride up to Crystal Mountain
- Visit BaseCamp bar and grill in Ashford, WA for food and drinks right outside the park
- More of a coffee person? Visit The Mountain Goat in Packwood, WA
This barely scratches the surface of all of the things that you can do here. Whether it be peeping at fall leaves, enjoying the wildflowers of the summer, embracing the sun of spring, or having a snowball fight in the winter, the only limit is what your vision is for the day!
I hope this information is helpful to you. Please feel free to reach out or comment below with any questions you may have. We would love to hear about your dream Mt Rainier Elopement plans!
Mt Rainier Elopement Photographer
Hi, we are Traci and Bill!!! Your elopement photographers that are deeply invested in creating a day perfect for your love story.
Why should you hire us for your big day in Mt. Rainier? We got married here too! We did our own 74 mile, 5 day backpacking adventure, pulling all types of last minute permits, planning for our photographer all of the locations, and adapting on the fly when weather turned ugly.
We can not wait to help you also experience the magic of this mountain on your big day. Say hello!
Let’s Get in Touch!
Review from a past Mt Rainier Bride
“The day of our elopement was an absolute DREAM. Traci made sure that we did every single one of the activities on our list, without making us feel rushed at any point in time. They gave us the space and freedom to truly enjoy every moment of our day together (both spontaneous and planned). Traci and Bill are truly a power couple (I swear they can read each other’s minds)… they work together seamlessly to capture every candid and intimate moment without anything feeling staged or overdone.
And the final products… our highlight video and gallery were both breathtaking. They captured every moment of our day so perfectly… the artistic vision behind each image and the way Bill wove our personal vows together in our video… we don’t have the words to describe how incredible it is. Working with Adventure and Vow was a 10 out of 10, 5 star experience…if you’re considering an elopement, you can’t go wrong with Traci and Bill!”
– Monica + Sam | Packwood Elopement
Check out more Washington elopement stories + inspo
Meet your team!
Hi – it is Traci, Bill and Malachi
Over the years, we’ve helped hundreds of couples plan and document intentional, meaningful elopements in wild places.
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Whether you’re just getting started or deep in the details, we’re here to support and inspire you. When you’re ready, reach out to book a free consult call and start planning your day with us.
