Chinook Pass (Mather Memorial Parkway)
WA 410Cayuse Pass to American River (east of Chinook Pass) · Washington
SR 410's All-American climb over the northeast shoulder of Mount Rainier, with the famous Tipsoo Lake hairpins at Chinook Pass.
Branching east from Cayuse Pass, this stretch of SR 410 swings through a tight set of hairpins past the alpine tarn of Tipsoo Lake to crest Chinook Pass at 5,430ft, where a log overpass marks the east gate of Mount Rainier National Park. The view of Rainier filling the windscreen on the approach is the reason people drive it. East of the summit the road unwinds in long sweeping descents along the American River, so the character shifts from technical switchbacks to flowing curves. It is a high pass, snowbound and gated shut from roughly November to late May. Mind a high-altitude summit prone to sudden weather, late-lying snow and rockfall on the cuttings, and slow RVs and tour traffic in peak summer.
Where it runs
Character
Elevation
470 m rangeKnow before you go
- High-altitude summit weather and late-lying snow
- Rockfall on cut slopes
- Slow RV and tour traffic in summer
Sources
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Chinook Pass (Mather Memorial Parkway).
