Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, accessed through the Paradise Entrance. The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,188 ft (3,105 m) [2] elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier. Camp Muir is the most-used high camp for those attempting to climb to the mountain's summit. Camp Muir is between the Nisqually and Paradise Glaciers.

Camp Muir
Shelter at Camp Muir
Camp Muir is located in Washington (state)
Camp Muir
Nearest cityParadise, Washington
Coordinates46°50′8″N 121°43′53″W / 46.83556°N 121.73139°W / 46.83556; -121.73139
MPSMt. Rainier National Park MPS
NRHP reference No.91000176[1]
Added to NRHPMarch 13, 1991
Camp Muir from the northeast
The snowfield approaching Camp Muir

The larger "public" shelter hut was built in 1921 to plans supervised by Daniel Ray Hull of the National Park Service. The 12-foot (3.7 m) by 25-foot (7.6 m) single-story one-room shelter was initially constructed of dry-laid stone. It replaced a smaller shelter which was used as a shelter for climbing guides. A dedication plaque at the entrance to the large shelter plaque reads "Erected in memory of John Muir, 1921."[3] The guide shelter was built in 1916 by a climbing organization, the Mountaineers. It was designed by Seattle architect Carl F. Gould, a member of the Mountaineers and was approved by Park Service director Stephen T. Mather. The single-story guide shelter measures about 10 feet (3.0 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m), and is the oldest stone structure in the park.[4] Two stone pit toilets were built at Camp Muir in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of which survives and is used for storage.[5]

There are 12 approaches to the summit from Paradise. Camp Muir provides 7 of those. Of the 7, 4 are grade II, 2 are grade III, and 1 is grade II-III.[6]

Camp Muir was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1991. It is part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District, which encompasses the entire park and which recognizes the park's inventory of Park Service-designed rustic architecture.[1]

Climate edit

Climate data for Camp Muir 46.8362 N, 121.7335 W, Elevation: 10,187 ft (3,105 m) (1991–2020 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 21.5
(−5.8)
20.8
(−6.2)
21.7
(−5.7)
25.6
(−3.6)
34.3
(1.3)
40.7
(4.8)
51.0
(10.6)
51.5
(10.8)
46.6
(8.1)
36.2
(2.3)
24.5
(−4.2)
20.1
(−6.6)
32.9
(0.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 16.1
(−8.8)
14.1
(−9.9)
13.9
(−10.1)
16.7
(−8.5)
24.3
(−4.3)
30.0
(−1.1)
38.9
(3.8)
39.5
(4.2)
35.3
(1.8)
27.1
(−2.7)
18.8
(−7.3)
15.1
(−9.4)
24.2
(−4.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 10.8
(−11.8)
7.4
(−13.7)
6.1
(−14.4)
7.8
(−13.4)
14.3
(−9.8)
19.3
(−7.1)
26.8
(−2.9)
27.4
(−2.6)
24.0
(−4.4)
17.9
(−7.8)
13.0
(−10.6)
10.0
(−12.2)
15.4
(−9.2)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 20.36
(517)
16.12
(409)
15.76
(400)
9.74
(247)
5.05
(128)
4.24
(108)
1.44
(37)
1.81
(46)
4.47
(114)
10.82
(275)
18.05
(458)
18.88
(480)
126.74
(3,219)
Source: PRISM Climate Group[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 3, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ Harvey, David (September 30, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Camp Muir Public Shelter". National Park Service. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  4. ^ Harvey, David (September 30, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Camp Muir Guide Shelter". National Park Service. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  5. ^ Harvey, David (September 30, 1982). "Pacific Northwest Regional Office Inventory: Camp Muir Pit Toilet". National Park Service. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  6. ^ Mike Gauthier, Mount Rainier: A Climbing Guide, The Mountaineers Books, ISBN 0-89886-956-0
  7. ^ "PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University". PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University. Retrieved October 4, 2023. To find the table data on the PRISM website, start by clicking Coordinates (under Location); copy Latitude and Longitude figures from top of table; click Zoom to location; click Precipitation, Minimum temp, Mean temp, Maximum temp; click 30-year normals, 1991-2020; click 800m; click Interpolate grid cell values; click Retrieve Time Series button.