Mt. Rainier Gondola

About the Mt. Rainier Gondola

Crystal Mountain is no longer just for skiers and riders. With the new gondola anyone can to travel to Crystal Mountain’s summit to enjoy the breathtaking view of Mt. Rainier and Northwest cuisine at the Summit House, Washington’s highest elevation restaurant.

With a travel time of just under 10 minutes, riders reach the summit in half the time of the previous two-chairlift-system, and arrive dry and warm. The new Doppelmayr gondola travels almost 2,500 vertical feet from the base of Crystal to the top of the mountain. This allows Crystal Mountain to be open year-round. This project is part of the approved Master Development Plan.

Summer Scenic Gondola Hours

Summer operations for 2011 have ended. We will begin our 2012 summer season on June 16th. Join us daily during the winter for snowy scenic rides on the gondola.

Winter Scenic Gondola Hours

Crystal Mountain is currently open daily throughout the winter!
Sun-Friday 9am-3:30pm (last upload 3:30pm, must download by 4:00pm)
Saturdays 9am-5pm or later depending on Summit House operations

Summit House Restaurant

The Summit House is perched at 6,872’ at the top of the Mt. Rainier Gondola. The views are complimented by exceptional food and service. Join us this winter for lunch, First Tracks breakfast, apres or dinner!

Learn about our the Summit House Restaurant

Gondola Facts

-Base 4,400 feet
-Top 6,856 feet
-Vertical rise 2,456 feet
-Trip Time 9min 39 sec (approx)
-13 Towers
-22 cabins, with option to add another 13
-Uphill capacity; 600 people per hour, 900 after additional cabins are added
-Cabin interval: 53 seconds, 32 seconds after additional cabins are added
-Speed: 800ft/min.
-Cost: $8 million (approx)

Gondola Construction Photos & Videos

Gondola Construction Photos
News & Video Update #3
News & Video Update #2
News & Video Update #1