Camp Muir
Encyclopedia
Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir
, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers on Mount Rainier
in Mount Rainier National Park
The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,080 foot elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier
on Mt. Rainier
. Camp Muir is the most-used base camp for those attempting to climb to the mountain's summit. Camp Muir is between the Nisqually and Paradise Glaciers.
The larger "public" shelter hut was built in 1921 to plans supervised by Daniel Ray Hull
of the National Park Service
. The 12 feet (3.7 m) by 25 feet (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." 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 were approved by Park Service director Stephen T. Mather. The single-story guide shelter measures about 10 feet (3 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m), and is the oldest stone structure in the park. 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.
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.
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.
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers on Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a United States National Park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. It was one of the US's earliest National Parks, having been established on March 2, 1899 as the fifth national park in the United States. The park contains...
The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,080 foot elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier
Cowlitz Glacier
The Cowlitz Glacier is a large glacier on the southeast flank of Mount Rainier in Washington. The body of ice covers and has a volume of 6 billion ft3 . The glacier starts at an elevation of and flows southeast downhill. An adjacent glacier, the Paradise Glacier, is connected to this glacier...
on Mt. Rainier
Mount Rainier
Mount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
. Camp Muir is the most-used base camp for those attempting to climb to the mountain's summit. Camp Muir is between the Nisqually and Paradise Glaciers.
The larger "public" shelter hut was built in 1921 to plans supervised by Daniel Ray Hull
Daniel Ray Hull
Daniel Ray Hull , sometimes stated Daniel P. Hull, was an American landscape architect who was responsible for much of the early planning of the built environment the national parks of the United States during the 1920s...
of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The 12 feet (3.7 m) by 25 feet (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." 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 were approved by Park Service director Stephen T. Mather. The single-story guide shelter measures about 10 feet (3 m) by 24 feet (7.3 m), and is the oldest stone structure in the park. Two stone pit toilets were built at Camp Muir in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, one of which survives and is used for storage.
There are 12 approaches to the summit from Paradise
Paradise, Washington
Paradise is the name of an area at approximately on the south slope of Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, United States. The area lies on the border of Pierce and Lewis counties and includes the Paradise Valley and the Paradise Glacier which is the source of the Paradise...
. Camp Muir provides 7 of those. Of the 7, 4 are grade
Grade (climbing)
In rock climbing, mountaineering and other climbing disciplines, climbers give a climbing grade to a route that concisely describes the difficulty and danger of climbing the route...
II, 2 are grade III, and 1 is grade II-III.
Camp Muir was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on March 13, 1991. It is part of the Mount Rainier National Historic Landmark District
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, which encompasses the entire park and which recognizes the park's inventory of Park Service-designed rustic architecture.