National Register of Historic Places

Camp Muir

Paradise, Pierce County, Washington
Listed
March 13, 1991
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
91000176

About this property

Camp Muir, named for the naturalist John Muir, is a high-altitude refuge for climbers in Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, accessed through the Paradise Entrance. The shelters comprising the camp are situated at a 10,188 ft (3,105 m) elevation between the Muir Snowfield and the Cowlitz Glacier on Mount Rainier. Camp Muir is the most-used high 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-foot (3.7 m) by 25-foot (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 was approved by Park Service director Stephen T. Mather. The single-story guide shelter measures about 10 feet (3.0 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.

Location

Paradise, Pierce County, Washington
46.83545, -121.73266

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Edith Creek Chlorination House
Industrial
2.9 mi
Mount Rainier National Park
Listed
3.3 mi
Paradise Inn
Industrial
3.4 mi
Paradise Historic District
Listed
3.4 mi
Summerland Trail Shelter
Industrial
4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Camp Muir listed on the National Register?

Camp Muir was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 13, 1991.

What type of historic resource is Camp Muir?

Camp Muir is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Camp Muir?

The period of significance for Camp Muir is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Camp Muir?

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