By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch It's Mount Rainier National Park's party, and the guest list could be long. Park officials expect big crowds and packed parking lots for the National Park Service's Centennial Weekend Aug. 25-28. Special events and free park admission are part of the draw. Mount Rainier and its visitors already have been experiencing hour-long waits at park entrances, particularly on weekends. And that's without the good weather that's expected and the waived admission fees for the centennial weekend. The free passes are in recognition of the National Park Service's anniversary date of Aug. 25, 1916. Mount Rainier National Park, having opened in March 1899, has a longer history than the Park Service and is the fifth-oldest park in the national system. For the first day of the four-day salute to the Park Service, park officials are planning special activities at Longmire, Ohanapecosh, Paradise and Sunrise between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. " At Longmire, rarely seen items from the park's museum collection will be displayed at the historic former gas station. And every hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., programs will feature stories about people from the park's past. Walking tours of the Longmire district will be offered from 10:30 to 2:30. " At Ohanapecosh, Junior Ranger activities for children will be held every half hour from 10 to 1:30, followed by a Park Service birthday celebration and a Junior Ranger ceremony at the amphitheater at 2 p.m. " At Paradise, visitors can roam the plaza outside the Jackson Visitor Center to learn about the work that goes into running the park. Examples will include tracking foxes and rescuing mountain climbers. A centennial celebration at 2:30 p.m. will feature remarks by Randy King, the park's superintendent. " And at Sunrise, demonstrations and guided walks will explain the work of archeologists, botanists, ecologists and geologists. A centennial celebration will be held in the picnic area at 2:30 p.m. Park officials hope some visitors will choose to mark the Park Service's anniversary by giving back via service projects. Starting at Longmire and Paradise at 9 a.m. and lasting about four hours, volunteers can help with maintenance projects at the Longmire Stewardship Campground and Paradise's trails. Tools and gloves will be provided.
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