MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK – Mount Rainier is named after British Rear Adm. Peter Rainier, a friend of Captain George Vancouver. Vancouver gave the peak its name on May 8, 1792 while exploring the Pacific Northwest. The national park, established in 1899, was subsequently named after the majestic mountain.
Of course, the Native American tribes who lived in the area had their own names for the mountain dating back thousands of years before the arrival of Vancouver. They called the noble mountain names like Tahoma, Takhoma, Tkobed, Tkomen, Nutselip and Tacobet. In one translation, Takhoma translates to “the mother of all waters.” “Large snowy mountain” is another translation.
Many tribes lived near or around the magnificent mountain, and it can be seen from hundreds of miles away because of how it looms over the landscape. The current park was the ancestral home to the Cowlitz, Muckleshoot, Nisqually, Puyallup, Squaxin Island, Yakama and Coast Salish peoples.
National Park News
