Car access to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park will be closed on weekdays this winter due to staffing challenges. Mount Rainier National Park announced the changes on November 29, saying the public would only be able to access the Paradise area on Saturdays and Sundays for the 2022-23 winter season. "It was definitely disappointing to hear because Paradise is an iconic winter destination in the Pacific Northwest," said Kyle McCrohan, the President of the Cascade Backcountry Alliance.  McCrohan said although he was disappointed in the news, he understands the staffing challenges the park is dealing with. He says it is important for the public to do what they can to help the park restore access to Paradise. "I have a friend who is an EMT and she's volunteering at Paradise on the weekends to help ensure that there are EMTs on staff so that they can open the road to Paradise, said McCrohan.  The park will also not open sledding runs at Paradise this year, and winter camping at Paradise will only be available on Saturday nights. Sledding is not permitted in other parts of the park. McCrohan said for many people, the weekday closures mean they will have zero access to Paradise this season.   "A lot of winter recreationists have unusual schedules," said McCrohan. "Maybe they're a nurse or they're a firefighter and they only have weekdays off. So for them, this essentially means they've lost all access.” The park said it would revisit the Paradise access schedule if staffing levels change. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/paradise-mount-rainier-car-access-limited/281-ad6d7a73-998f-4b95-adc7-f0ebafc8976b