How High Is Mount Rainier—and Why Do Published Numbers Differ?
The short answer: Mount Rainier is about 14,400 feet high
Mount Rainier is approximately 14,400 feet above sea level.
For a source-specific figure, the National Park Service lists the summit at 14,410 feet, approximately 4,392 meters. A third-party encyclopedia reports a 2025 measurement using the NAVD88 vertical datum of 14,406 feet, or 4,391 meters. Because the underlying federal or geodetic record for that newer measurement was not included in the evidence reviewed here, the 14,406-foot value should be attributed rather than presented as the definitively adopted official elevation.
A third number, 14,411 feet, appears in commercial climbing and travel sources. Those pages do not identify a datum, survey date, measurement method, or uncertainty, so the extra foot should not be interpreted as evidence of greater accuracy.
| Published elevation | Metric value | Source context | Supplied measurement metadata | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,406 feet | 4,391 meters | Third-party encyclopedia | Reported as a 2025 measurement using NAVD88; the underlying primary record was not supplied | A dated, datum-specific figure that requires explicit attribution to the third-party encyclopedia |
| 14,410 feet | Approximately 4,392 meters | National Park Service and archived USGS page | The supplied pages do not state a survey date, datum, method, or uncertainty | The familiar figure published by government agencies, including an archived USGS summary, but not proof of the latest geodetic measurement |
| 14,411 feet | Not established by the supplied evidence | Commercial climbing and travel sources | No datum or survey method supplied | An alternate published value; the commercial climbing source does not establish that it is more accurate |
For ordinary conversation, the difference is minor: all three values describe a mountain roughly 14,400 feet high. For measurement-specific writing, however, the date, datum, and source are part of the answer.
A safe one-sentence formulation is:
Mount Rainier is about 14,400 feet high; the National Park Service lists 14,410 feet, while a cited 2025 NAVD88 measurement reports 14,406 feet.
That wording answers the practical question without hiding the disagreement or claiming that the available evidence settles formal geodetic adoption.
Why sources report 14,406, 14,410, or 14,411 feet
The supplied sources publish three elevations within a five-foot range: 14,406 feet, 14,410 feet, and 14,411 feet. The available evidence does not justify choosing one and declaring the others simply wrong.
When comparing precise elevations, useful considerations include:
- when the measurement was made;
- which vertical datum was used;
- what survey or measurement method produced it;
- the precision and uncertainty associated with the result;
- and whether the published number was rounded.
The 14,406-foot figure comes with two important details: the year 2025 and the reference system NAVD88. That makes it more specifically described than the other values in the supplied pages. Even so, it reaches this article through a collaboratively edited third-party source, not through the underlying survey record. More metadata makes the figure relevant; it does not eliminate the need for attribution.
The National Park Service and the archived USGS page both publish 14,410 feet. These are authoritative government publishers, but the supplied pages do not document the measurement date, datum, method, precision, or uncertainty behind that number. Agreement between agency pages therefore shows that 14,410 feet is a familiar government-published value—not that it is necessarily the latest geodetic result.
The 14,411-foot value warrants still more caution. It appears in commercial climbing and travel coverage, but the supplied pages do not explain how it was measured.
The evidence reviewed here does not establish which factor, or combination of factors, produced Rainier’s particular four- or five-foot spread.
It would therefore be speculative to attribute the discrepancy to:
- seasonal snow depth;
- erosion;
- volcanic activity;
- movement of the summit;
- or survey error.
None of those explanations is documented by the supplied evidence.
The practical editorial rule is simple:
- Use “approximately 14,400 feet” when survey-level precision is unnecessary.
- Use an attributed figure when precision matters.
- Include the date and datum when citing the reported 14,406-foot value.
- Do not treat 14,411 feet as more accurate merely because it includes an additional foot.
What summit elevation actually measures
In this article, summit elevation means the summit’s vertical position relative to a specified reference datum, expressed in feet or meters. “Elevation above sea level” is useful shorthand, but the reference system gives a precise figure its technical meaning.
Summit elevation is not interchangeable with prominence, local relief, route elevation gain, the elevation of a camp, or an administrative threshold.
| Term | What it means | Mount Rainier-related example |
|---|---|---|
| Summit elevation | The summit’s vertical position relative to a reference datum | Approximately 14,400 feet |
| Prominence | A measure of how independently a summit rises relative to surrounding connecting terrain | A separate topographic measurement, not Rainier’s elevation above a datum |
| Local relief | The vertical difference between nearby low terrain and the summit | Rainier rises nearly 10,000 feet from a valley floor to its summit |
| Route elevation gain | The ascent made from a route’s starting point | A route-specific quantity rather than the summit’s absolute elevation |
| Waypoint or regulatory altitude | The elevation of a particular place or a threshold used in a rule | Camp Muir is a waypoint; the park also uses a high-camp reference in its permit rules |
Elevation is not prominence
A mountain can have a high elevation, substantial prominence, or both, but the measurements answer different geographic questions.
Rainier’s metric prominence is intentionally omitted here because the supplied third-party source gives inconsistent metric conversions for that separate measurement. That inconsistency does not affect the summit-elevation answer.
Elevation is not local relief
A University of Colorado Colorado Springs educational page reports that Rainier has almost 10,000 feet of relief from valley floor to summit.
That does not mean the summit is only 10,000 feet above its datum. It means the summit stands nearly 10,000 feet above the valley floor used for that comparison. Local relief helps describe how imposing a mountain appears from nearby terrain; summit elevation places its highest point within a broader vertical reference system.
Elevation is not climbing gain
Gain can also be expressed in different ways. Both are route measurements, not substitutes for summit elevation.
The general statement “climbers gain 14,410 feet on Mount Rainier” is therefore misleading unless a particular journey actually begins at the relevant datum and gains that amount.
Elevation is not a waypoint
Camp Muir is a high-elevation location on Mount Rainier, not an alternate summit measurement. Its elevation identifies the camp’s vertical position; it does not, by itself, state how much a person climbs to reach it.
The required gain depends on the starting point and the route profile. A waypoint elevation and the effort needed to reach that waypoint answer different questions.
Elevation is not a regulatory threshold
The National Park Service also uses a high-camp reference when explaining where climbing permit rules apply. That threshold is an administrative and geographic reference, not a second summit elevation and not a definition of where every climb begins.
When reading a map, itinerary, trail description, or permit rule, first ask what the number labels. A summit, trailhead, camp, route gain, valley-to-summit rise, and regulatory threshold can all involve elevation, but they should not be substituted for one another.
Where Mount Rainier ranks in Washington and the Cascades
Mount Rainier is Washington’s highest mountain, according to the same third-party encyclopedia that reports the 2025 NAVD88 elevation. That source also identifies Rainier as an active stratovolcano in Washington’s Cascade Range and places it within Mount Rainier National Park.
Wording about the Cascades varies by source. The archived USGS page calls Rainier the highest volcano in the Cascade Range. Other references describe it as the range’s highest peak or tallest mountain. These descriptions concern the same geographic ranking, but careful writing should preserve the category used by the source rather than casually treating “mountain,” “peak,” and “volcano” as identical classifications.
The National Park Service also describes Mount Rainier as the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States. Its climbing page identifies it as a 14,410-foot active volcano within the Cascade Range (NPS).
Rainier’s ranking does not depend on whether its summit is labeled 14,406, 14,410, or 14,411 feet. All three supplied figures refer to the same roughly 14,400-foot summit, and the five-foot spread does not change its standing in Washington or among Cascade volcanoes.
It would be inaccurate, however, to call Rainier the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. The supported claims are narrower: it is Washington’s highest mountain and, with the category stated carefully, the highest peak or highest volcano in the Cascade Range.
Its classification as an active stratovolcano is also separate from predictions about future eruptions. Elevation evidence does not support a forecast for an eruption within any specified period.
Summit elevation versus the elevation gained on a climb
According to the National Park Service, reaching Mount Rainier’s summit by any route requires more than 9,000 feet of vertical gain and more than 10 miles of travel. The agency also says technical glacier-travel rope skills are required for safe ascent and descent, and that a permit is required on a glacier or above normal climbing high camps, described as approximately 10,000 feet (NPS climbing guidance).
None of that conflicts with a summit elevation of about 14,400 feet.
Mount Rainier numbers at a glance
- Summit elevation: about 14,400 feet
- Camp Muir: 10,188 feet
- NPS high-camp permit reference: approximately 10,000 feet
- Vertical gain on every summit route: more than 9,000 feet
A third-party hiking source lists Camp Muir at 10,188 feet. That makes it a useful high-elevation reference point, but it remains a waypoint rather than a competing summit measurement. Its elevation is also not automatically the amount gained to reach it.
The park’s approximate 10,000-foot high-camp reference serves a different purpose: it helps define circumstances in which climbing permit rules apply. It does not establish where a summit climb begins.
These distinctions matter when reading route information:
- 9,000 feet of gain describes physical ascent.
- 10,188 feet describes Camp Muir’s elevation.
- 14,410 feet is a published summit elevation.
- Approximately 10,000 feet is used in the park’s permit guidance.
The Disappointment Cleaver is commonly described as a main climbing route in third-party outdoor coverage. Conditions and intermediate points on one route should not be generalized to the entire mountain, even though the National Park Service’s minimum gain and distance statement applies to every summit route.
These numbers provide scale and clarify terminology. They are not a complete climbing guide and do not establish that any reader is trained, equipped, acclimatized, or otherwise prepared for a summit attempt.
What the elevation means for visitors and non-climbers
Mount Rainier’s summit elevation identifies the mountain’s highest point. It does not describe the elevation reached by every park visitor.
A sightseeing trip, roadside stop, or day hike is fundamentally different from a summit attempt. The National Park Service characterizes summit travel as technical glacier mountaineering requiring preparation and glacier-travel rope skills. Most visitors should not interpret “14,400 feet” as the elevation of an ordinary park outing.
For a specific hike, check these details separately:
- trailhead elevation;
- destination or high-point elevation;
- total distance;
- net elevation gain;
- cumulative elevation gain, if supplied;
- terrain and route type;
- current conditions;
- and applicable rules.
Destination elevation and route gain answer different questions. A trail may end at a high elevation but begin relatively high, resulting in a smaller net gain. Another route may include repeated descents and climbs, making cumulative gain greater than the difference between its start and finish. Neither figure can be inferred from Rainier’s summit elevation alone.
Seattle-based trip planners should likewise avoid treating elevation as a complete itinerary variable. The mountain’s height does not, by itself, determine drive time, road access, visibility, weather, trail conditions, trip duration, or whether a proposed outing is feasible. Those questions require location-specific and date-specific information.
For a short itinerary, Seattle Know’s general planning advice is to organize the day around one main anchor and retain a weather fallback. That is first-party trip-planning guidance, not evidence for Rainier’s elevation, and it does not represent an independent survey of the mountain.
Anyone considering glacier travel or a summit attempt should consult current National Park Service conditions, regulations, permit information, and climbing guidance. Access and mountain conditions can change, so an elevation explainer should not be used as a substitute for current official information.
Which number should you use?
For most purposes, about 14,400 feet is the clearest answer. In metric terms, that rounded description is about 4,390 meters. This level of precision is suitable for casual conversation, school-level context, sightseeing, and general travel planning.
Use “14,410 feet, according to the National Park Service” when specifically citing the park’s climbing page. The archived USGS page also publishes 14,410 feet, but neither supplied agency page documents the datum, survey date, method, or uncertainty behind the value.
Use “14,406 feet under a reported 2025 NAVD88 measurement” when discussing the newer datum-specific figure. Keep the attribution explicit because the supplied evidence includes only the third-party encyclopedia entry, not the underlying survey record.
Treat 14,411 feet as an alternate value found in commercial climbing and travel sources. Without a stated datum or survey method, it is not the preferred figure for a careful factual answer.
Here are three model sentences for different contexts.
Quick answer
Mount Rainier is approximately 14,400 feet, or about 4,390 meters, above sea level.
Sourced factual answer
The National Park Service lists Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet, while a third-party source reports a 2025 NAVD88 measurement of 14,406 feet.
Explanation of the discrepancy
Published values differ slightly and do not all provide the same date, datum, method, or precision information; the supplied evidence does not identify the exact cause of the difference.
When writing the more specific values, keep the supported pairs aligned:
- 14,406 feet = 4,391 meters
- 14,410 feet ≈ 4,392 meters
Several feet can matter when comparing source-specific measurements or survey records. For a rounded general description, however, all three supplied figures support “about 14,400 feet.” Attribution is more useful than pretending the source disagreement does not exist.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mount Rainier 14,406 feet or 14,410 feet high?
Both figures appear in the supplied sources, but in different contexts. The National Park Service publishes 14,410 feet, while a third-party encyclopedia reports 14,406 feet for a 2025 NAVD88 measurement.
Because the underlying geodetic record for the reported 2025 value was not supplied, the responsible concise answer is: Mount Rainier is about 14,400 feet high; NPS publishes 14,410 feet, while the reported 2025 NAVD88 figure is 14,406 feet.
What is Mount Rainier’s elevation in meters?
Using the National Park Service’s 14,410-foot figure, Mount Rainier is approximately 4,392 meters high. The reported 2025 NAVD88 value pairs 14,406 feet with 4,391 meters.
For a rounded answer, approximately 14,400 feet is about 4,390 meters.
Is Mount Rainier the highest mountain in Washington?
Yes. Mount Rainier is identified as Washington’s highest mountain. It is also described as the highest peak or highest volcano in the Cascade Range, depending on the category used by the source.
The difference among the published summit elevations does not affect that ranking.
How much elevation gain is required to summit Mount Rainier?
Every summit route requires more than 9,000 feet of vertical gain, according to the National Park Service. The agency also says every route involves more than 10 miles of travel.
That gain is lower than the summit’s approximately 14,400-foot elevation because climbers begin well above sea level.
Is Camp Muir’s elevation the same as Mount Rainier’s climbing gain?
No. Camp Muir’s reported 10,188-foot elevation identifies the camp’s vertical position. It does not state how much a climber gains to reach it.
Elevation gain depends on the route and starting point. Camp Muir is a waypoint, while the route-wide climbing figure describes the scale of a summit ascent.
Mount Rainier is about 14,400 feet high. An archived USGS page and the National Park Service publish 14,410 feet, while a third-party source attributes 14,406 feet to a 2025 NAVD88 measurement. For ordinary use, the rounded figure is sufficient. When precision matters, name the source, date, and datum—and remember that summit elevation is not the same as the climbing gain required to reach it.