Mount Rainier · Fuhrer Finger
Fuhrer Finger · Paradise
SR 706 blocks Nisqually Entrance access October 23 at 9 PM through October 24 at 6 AM Pacific. NPS identifies Stevens Canyon via SR 123 as the Paradise alternative during that window; Longmire–Paradise gates remain weather-dependent.
Checked 2026-10-23 · NPS Road Status ↗The Route
The Finger follows a south-side snow couloir above the Wilson Glacier into the upper Nisqually terrain.
- ParadiseNisqually approach
- Wilson GlacierLower glacier
- Fuhrer FingerSnow and ice couloir
- Wapowety CleaverUpper transition
- Summit SlopesUpper mountain
Nisqually & Wilson Approach
The reference approach leaves Paradise via the Nisqually Moraine Trail, crosses the Nisqually near 6,200 ft and ascends Wilson Gully. The Wilson Glacier approach reaches camps around 9,500 ft on the cleaver between Wilson and Nisqually.
Finger & Upper Mountain
The Finger couloir connects with the upper Nisqually slopes near Wapowety Cleaver, whose top is around 13,000 ft. The guide describes an ascent-route descent or a carryover onto Disappointment Cleaver; these are different descent itineraries.
Route in the Mountain
The rangers' June 2021 aerial set identifies the Finger as the wavy hourglass-shaped feature just west of the Nisqually Icefall. The imagery provides geographic context, not a current snow or crevasse map.
Terrain Along the Route
Glacier approach followed by a narrow couloir and upper snow slopes.
Fuhrer Finger, not the parallel Thumb or Wilson Headwall. Published gain figures conflict, so no single gain or total distance is displayed. Source accounts describe reference terrain, not current route conditions. Reference Set: 2026-10-23.
Weather
Current forecasts open at the providers below. NWS forecasts describe a terrain grid cell, not an exact summit.
Access
Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park, WA
Trailhead & Approach
Paradise is reached by the park road from Longmire or Stevens Canyon. These are south-side approaches, not the White River trailhead.
Roads & Closures
SR 706 blocks Nisqually Entrance access October 23 at 9 PM through October 24 at 6 AM Pacific. NPS identifies Stevens Canyon via SR 123 as the Paradise alternative during that window; Longmire–Paradise gates remain weather-dependent.
Route & Endpoint
Fuhrer Finger, not the parallel Thumb or Wilson Headwall. Published gain figures conflict, so no single gain or total distance is displayed.
Climbing Registration
NPS requires registration for glacier travel or travel above 10,000 feet. The climbing fee and the required permit are separate.
Camping & Reservations
The park manages camp and climbing-route capacity through its wilderness permit system. Check the official process for your dates and chosen camps.
Seasonal Registration
The September 8, 2026 ranger update identifies self-registration at Paradise and White River. Station staffing and access change seasonally.
Camp & Approach Reference
The route guide documents a Wilson-side camp around 9,500 feet and occasional platforms at 10,000 feet. These are alpine camping locations, not serviced campsites or a Camp Muir approach. The Nisqually and Wilson crossings precede the couloir itself.
Alpine Camp Rules
Camping is limited to permanent snow or ice or previously used bare-ground sites. New rock windbreaks and cleared tent sites are prohibited. Camp only in the zone on the permit.
Source information checked 2026-10-23. Road snapshots are dated separately.
Reports
Ranger Finger Update · May 2018 (Historical)
Open the original route-specific report and check its publication date and coverage.
Ranger Aerial Photos · June 2021
Open the original route-specific report and check its publication date and coverage.
Fuhrer Finger Ranger Archive
Open the dated ranger posts for this route family. Some neighboring variants share an archive; check the line and publication date inside each report.
Route Reference
Route guide with separate Finger, Thumb and Wilson Headwall descriptions.
Park Trail & Camp Updates
Official updates cover lower approaches and backcountry camps separately from upper-mountain climbing reports.
Links open the publishers’ report pages. Reports are not automatically imported or filtered to a forecast date.
Sources
Other Mount Rainier Routes
- Mount Rainier · Disappointment Cleaver · Disappointment Cleaver from Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Emmons-Winthrop · Emmons-Winthrop · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead
- Mount Rainier · Kautz Glacier · Kautz Glacier · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Liberty Ridge · Liberty Ridge · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead
- Mount Rainier · Ingraham Direct · Ingraham Direct · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Fuhrer Thumb · Fuhrer Thumb · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Wilson Headwall · Wilson Headwall · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Gibraltar Ledges · Gibraltar Ledges · Paradise
- Mount Rainier · Success Cleaver · Success Cleaver · Longmire / Wonderland Trail
- Mount Rainier · Tahoma Glacier · Tahoma Glacier · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Sunset Ridge · Sunset Ridge · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Central Mowich Face · Central Mowich Face · Westside Road Entrance
- Mount Rainier · Edmunds Headwall · Edmunds Headwall · Mowich Lake · Historical Approach
- Mount Rainier · Ptarmigan Ridge · Ptarmigan Ridge · White River Campground / Glacier Basin Trailhead