Mount Rainier National Park will commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by allowing visitors into the park free of charge on Jan. 18. National parks across the U.S. are doing the same thing. At Mount Rainier, where park entrance normally costs $20 per vehicle, visitors will have access to the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center at Paradise from 10 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. and the Longmire Museum rom 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The snow play area at Paradise will be open to sleddingon flexible plastic sleds, inner tubes and plastic saucers. Hard toboggans and sleds with runners aren't permitted because of the increased potential for injuries, park officials said. Ranger-guided snowshoe walks at Paradise are offered on weekends and holidays through March 27. Each walk lasts two hours, departing at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Signups are on a first-come, first-served basis at the Jackson Visitor Center information desk. Participants should dress in warm layers with hats and gloves, and wear footwear suitable for snowshoes. Sunglasses, sunscreen and water are also advised. All vehicles entering the park, including those with four-wheel drive, are required to have tire chains with them on any day up until May 1. Road conditions can deteriorate quickly at any time due to winter weather, and mandatory chain use may be required by park rangers. Tire chains can be rented outside the park in Ashford and in the park at the National Park Inn at Longmire. The main gate at the southwest (Nisqually) entrance to the park remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unless hazardous conditions require temporary closure. The gate on the road from Longmire to Paradise is closed nightly at 5 p.m. to ensure visitor safety. Additional entrance fee-free days in 2016 are scheduled for April 16-24, Aug. 25-28, Sept. 24 and Nov. 11 in conjunction with holidays or special observances.
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