“The snow-play hill at the Paradise area of Mount Rainier National Park finally has enough snow to open this Saturday, Jan. 18, according to the parks Twitter feed. And theres a bonus: Entry to the park is free on Monday, Jan. 20, in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. birthday holiday. Park entry most days is $15 per vehicle.

The snow-play area usually opens by late December and stays open through mid-March, but the opening was delayed until sufficient snow collected to meet the parks five-foot minimum, deemed enough for safe sliding while protecting delicate alpine meadow vegetation.

The gated road between Longmire and Paradise is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily,” quoting Brian J. Cantwell in the Seattle Times.
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