GMU 53 Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park: a federal wildlife sanctuary, closed to all hunting — a source herd, not a hunt unit.
South Cascades — Mount Rainier National Park (closed to hunting) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
364
sq mi
Public land
100%
approx.
Elevation
1,600–14,411
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
"GMU 53" corresponds to Mount Rainier National Park, a ~363-square-mile block of the South Cascades centered on the 14,411-ft volcano. As a unit of the National Park System, the park is closed to all hunting under federal law — there is no open season for any species, and firearms may not be discharged. It functions as a protected core and wildlife source for the surrounding huntable GMUs (e.g., 513 South Rainier, 516 Packwood, 653 Mashel and the units east of the crest). The park holds elk, deer, black bear, mountain goat, and cougar, but they are here for viewing and research, not harvest. Hunters should treat this polygon as a closed boundary and plan their season on the adjacent national-forest GMUs.
Terrain
The greatest vertical relief in Washington: old-growth valley floors around 1,600-2,000 ft on the Nisqually, Ohanapecosh, White, and Carbon rivers rising through subalpine parklands to the glaciated 14,411-ft summit of Mount Rainier. Extensive glaciers, alpine ridges, and deep forested valleys define the park.
Cover: Lowland and montane old-growth Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western redcedar in the valleys; silver fir and mountain hemlock at mid-elevation; subalpine parkland meadows (Paradise, Sunrise, Spray Park) grading to rock, permanent snow, and glacier at the top. Wetter, denser forest on the west and south, drier forest toward the northeast corner near Chinook and Cayuse passes.
Landmarks: Mount Rainier (14,411 ft) · Nisqually River / Paradise · Ohanapecosh River · White River / Sunrise · Carbon River · State Route 410 / Chinook Pass (northeast park boundary) · State Route 123 / Cayuse Pass
Access
Entirely federal National Park Service land and closed to hunting. Public recreational access (hiking, camping, sightseeing) is managed by the Park Service via entrance stations, timed-entry reservations in peak season, and paid park entry — but no hunting access is available. Park boundaries adjoin Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest lands where hunting is legal; the huntable GMUs begin at the park line (for example, the SR 410 / Chinook Pass boundary marks the edge of adjacent units). Discharge of firearms and take of wildlife are prohibited throughout.
Managers: National Park Service — Mount Rainier National Park
Access points: SR 706 to Nisqually Entrance / Longmire / Paradise (southwest) · SR 123 / Ohanapecosh (southeast) · SR 410 White River / Sunrise entrance (northeast) · Carbon River / Mowich Lake (northwest)
Species notes
Roosevelt Elk
common lowElk of the South Rainier and adjacent herds summer in the park's high meadows and winter on lower national-forest ground outside the boundary. They are protected inside the park (no hunting) and are best regarded as the source population feeding hunts in surrounding GMUs like 513 (South Rainier) and 516 (Packwood).
- →Do not hunt inside the park — it is closed. Hunt the adjacent GMUs (513, 516, and units east of the crest) where these elk range outside the boundary.
- →Scout park-edge national-forest drainages where elk move across the boundary during the season.
- →Use the park's summer elk observations only to understand herd distribution, then hunt legal ground downslope.
Blacktail Deer
common lowColumbian black-tailed deer occupy the wetter western and southern forests of the park, transitioning toward mule deer on the drier northeast side near the Cascade crest. All deer are protected inside the park; the huntable populations are on the surrounding national-forest GMUs.
- →No deer hunting is allowed in the park; hunt the bordering national-forest GMUs instead.
- →Note the blacktail-to-mule-deer transition near the crest when planning hunts in the adjacent eastside units.
- →Treat park deer sightings as scouting intel for legal ground outside the boundary.
Mountain Goat
common lowNative mountain goats inhabit the park's alpine cliffs and ridges and are fully protected. Goat hunting in this region occurs only by rare once-in-a-lifetime permit in designated hunt areas on national-forest land outside the park — never inside it.
- →Goats in the park are off-limits; the only legal goat hunting is by drawn permit in adjacent USFS hunt areas.
- →Use park alpine areas for wildlife viewing, not hunting.
- →If pursuing a regional goat permit, study the exact hunt-area boundaries, which exclude the park.
Black Bear
common lowBlack bears are common in the park's forests and subalpine berry fields but are fully protected — no bear hunting is permitted. Bears here are a viewing and food-storage consideration, not a huntable resource.
- →No bear hunting inside the park; hunt the surrounding Mount St. Helens / South Rainier area GMUs on legal ground.
- →Practice strict food storage in the park to avoid habituating bears.
- →Observe park bears on berry crops as insight into regional feeding timing for hunts outside the boundary.
Pro tips
- →Mount Rainier National Park is closed to all hunting — plan your hunt on the adjacent GMUs (513, 516, 653, and eastside crest units).
- →Firearms discharge and wildlife take are prohibited throughout the park; know exactly where the boundary falls before you hunt the edge.
- →Use the park as a source-herd reference: early snow slides elk and deer onto huntable national-forest ground below.
- →The SR 410 / Chinook Pass line and other park boundaries mark where legal hunting begins in surrounding units.
- →Gateway towns (Ashford, Packwood, Enumclaw, Greenwater) are the practical bases for hunting the ring of legal GMUs.
Watch out for
- !This is a National Park — hunting is entirely prohibited for all species; there is no open season here.
- !Discharging a firearm or taking wildlife inside the park is a federal offense.
- !Do not assume the park boundary is obvious in the field; verify it against the GMU/park map before hunting adjacent ground.
- !Peak-season access to the park requires timed-entry reservations and paid entry, and high roads close seasonally with snow.
- !Any elk, deer, goat, or bear you see inside the park is protected — only pursue game on legal national-forest GMUs outside the line.
Logistics
Gateway towns are Ashford (Nisqually/southwest), Packwood (Ohanapecosh/southeast), and Enumclaw/Greenwater (White River/northeast). These serve as bases for hunters targeting the national-forest GMUs that ring the park. Inside the park, expect timed-entry reservations and paid entrance in peak season and no hunting; plan hunting logistics around the adjacent Gifford Pinchot and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest access roads and the WDFW GMUs that begin at the park boundary.
Nearest towns: Ashford, Packwood, Enumclaw, Elbe, Greenwater
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Washington sources:
Research sources: National Park Service — Mount Rainier National Park (federal land, hunting prohibited, park facts) · WDFW Game Management Units — Mount Rainier National Park boundary as GMU limit · NPS Mount Rainier — wildlife (elk, deer, black bear, mountain goat, cougar present)
FAQ
- How big is GMU 53 in Washington?
- GMU 53 (Mount Rainier National Park) covers about 364 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,600 to 14,411 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in GMU 53?
- Approximately 100% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: National Park Service — Mount Rainier National Park. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for GMU 53?
- Roosevelt Elk, Blacktail Deer, Mountain Goat, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Washington agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put GMU 53 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.