Mount Rainier Guide – Nisqually Entrance

What to Do In & Near the Park, Where to Stay & Eat

Whether you live locally or are visiting Western Washington from out of state, Mount Rainier National Park is one of the most popular, top destinations in the Pacific Northwest. It is such a stunning sight to see any time of year and the Longmire / Paradise area of the park is the most popular area of the park to visit.

We’ve put together a very comprehensive guide on the best hikes for this area of the park, things to do outside of the park, best places to stay & eat both in the park & outside of the park! While we love visiting the park, there are also some awesome hikes outside of the park nearby, fun activities such as the steam train, animal parks & pioneer farm to check out, too.

Don’t forget – Mount Rainier has new timed entry requirements from Memorial Weekend to Labor Day weekend, starting May 24, 2024. You will need a timed entry ticket to visit the park between the hours of 7am – 3pm for the Paradise & Sunrise entrances. If you don’t get a timed entry pass when they release several months before, they will also release more tickets at 7pm the night before. Otherwise, you’ll need to visit either before 7am or after 3pm.

Mount Rainier National Park has 4 main entrances::

Nisqually – southwest entrance (closest town is Ashford)
Sunrise / White River – northeast entrance (closest town is Greenwater)
Carbon River – northwest entrance (closest town is Wilkeson)
Stevens Canyon / Ohanepecosh– southeast entrance (closest town is Packwood)

If you want to visit Mount Rainier year-round, the one Mount Rainier National Park entrance that is open all year is the Nisqually entrance in Ashford, WA. (The other areas of the park are closed from typically Oct/Nov to May/June/early July). Make sure to check out a Mount Rainier map to see the different areas of the park.

I’d always recommend checking out the Mount Rainier webcam before you visit anytime to see the conditions at the park & mountain visibility. The Mount Rainier live webcam will tell you real-time conditions for how much snow is there, if the mountain is visible & more.

This is also the most popular entrance as visitors & locals alike love to visit the Paradise area of the park. You’ll find the most places to stay with the closest proximity to Mount Rainier here in Ashford/Elbe area, too.

The town of Ashford, WA is right at the entrance of Mount Rainier National Park with a population under 1000 people, and the town of Elbe is even smaller with a population of under 100 people. The larger town that is closest to the Nisqually entrance is Eatonville (population under 3000) & the closest cities will be Puyallup, Tacoma & Olympia.

Lodging

Mount Rainier Lodging

Paradise Inn, Mount Rainier

Paradise Inn is the closest location if you want full access to Mount Rainier as this is located right next to the Paradise Visitor Center at 5400 ‘ elevation. It’s such a unique, rustic, beautiful lodge. There are 121 guest rooms, full service dining room, cafe & comfy lobby. Paradise Inn is typically open mid-May – end of September, so this is not a year-round location. There is also no wifi, but there is cell service.

National Park Inn – Mount Rainier/Longmire

The National Park Inn is another National Park lodging option in Mount Rainier & the only option that is open year-round. But it is very limited for stays with only 25 guest rooms in this historic lodge. There are no tvs, telephones or internet – just a quiet place to relax among the towering trees at Longmire.

Cougar Rock Campground – Mount Rainier near Longmire

The Cougar Rock campground is located past Longmire in Mt Rainier National Park (around 3100 elevation) & it’s open from late May – early October typically (typically opening around Memorial Weekend). There are almost 180 sites here with flush toilets & water access.

Ashford/Elbe/Mineral

The best place to stay when visiting the Paradise area of Mount Rainier, but outside of the park, is in one of these small towns to be closest to the park. There is limited large scale lodging like hotels, though, but they do offer inns, cabins, vacation rentals & a couple campgrounds. The cities of Puyallup & Tacoma are the closest cities if you’re looking for a larger hotel.

Our preferred place to stay when visiting Mount Rainier is a vacation rental / cabin to have access to a kitchen (since there are limited restaurants in this area) as well as more space & the many other amenities you’ll have. And there are many more options to choose from, too!

Cabins/Vacation Rentals:

There are a number of vacation rentals to check out when visiting Mount Rainier – Paradise entrance. We loved staying in a local vacation rental in Ashford because it was so close to the park to be able to go easily to & from the park and it was so close to the other activities around the area as well. Find cabin rentals here.

Mt Rainier National Park Cabins – Kelton’s Cabin

We stayed in the Kelton’s Cabin recently, part of Mt Rainier National Park Cabins, which was the perfect base camp for visiting Mount Rainier as well as exploring Ashford & Elbe & checking out local hikes around the area. Mt Rainier National Park Cabins has 13 cabin options that are very affordable in Ashford, Packwood & Mineral. They start at rates as low as $65/nt & $125/nt for luxury cabins (like the one we stayed in).

Use our code: Rainiersummer for an extra 10% off the cabin rental!

This cabin was just 10 minutes from the park entrance and was so spacious, with room for at least 6-8 people. It offered an outdoor hot tub & massage chair, perfect to relax & unwind after a long day snowshoeing. And it was dog-friendly, which worked well as my husband & pup joined us on the last day for adventures around the town.

Having a large kitchen stocked with all of the necessary tools & pantry essentials made it so convenient to make our meals at home, so we could maximize our time in the park.

Motels/Inns in Ashford/Elbe:

These are all very small motels/inns with limited guest rooms, so these will book out fast.

Gateway Inn & Cabins – this is right at the entrance to the park with cabins, motel rooms & RV sites in Ashford
Nisqually Lodge – this has 24 rooms & is 5 miles from the entrance in Ashford
Paradise Village – there are rooms as well as cabins located in Ashford
Whittaker’s Bunkhouse – located in Ashford next to the Basecamp restaurant & store
Hobo Inn – located in Elbe in train cabooses
Alexander’s Lodge – 12 rooms in this historic inn in a quaint Victorian style house

Big Creek Campground

Big Creek Campground is the closest campground to the national park and it’s a national forest campground. They can fit tents, trailers & RVs. There are vault toilets, fire pits, picnic tables & pedestal grills.

Puyallup

If you want a larger hotel, I recommend looking at Puyallup as the closest larger city. It will take about 45 minutes – 1 hour to get to the Mt Rainier park entrance from Puyallup. Here are some hotels to check out :

Mount Rainier Stops or Hikes – Nisqually Entrance

These are a few of our favorite stops along the road to Longmire & Paradise & just beyond Paradise Visitor Center. We have more detail about all of our favorite hikes at Mount Rainier too (which includes all the areas!

In the winter, we love to go snowshoeing at Mount Rainier, so check out our tips for Mount Rainier snowshoeing too. And the sledding area at Paradise has been closed the last few years, but hopefully it will open again soon – so here we have all of our tips for Mount Rainier sledding.

Trail of the Shadows

The Trail of the Shadows hike is located near Longmire ranger station/National Park Inn & it’s a nice, easy hike for families. It’s just .7 miles round trip which is a self-guided loop to explore the old growth forest around the National Park Inn & the history of the Longmire Springs Resort. It’s also a nice option for winter when the road to Paradise is closed & this is a great snowshoe walk if there is snow at Longmire.

Narada Falls

Narada Falls is located on the drive between Longmire & Paradise, right before you get to Paradise. It’s a must-visit spot as this is not really a hike, but just a shorter walk down to this beautiful 168 ft waterfall that’s hidden from the road. It’s .2 miles RT & 100 ft elevation gain on your way back up from the falls. Definitely a beautiful waterfall whether it’s sunny or rainy outside.

Carter Falls

Carter Falls is a great hike for a rainy day as the main focus of this trail is the pretty waterfall! It’s a 2.8 mile hike with 660 ft elevation gain. It also should be open year-round as it’s closer to Longmire & Cougar Rock campground areas (although it’s only accessible if the gate to Paradise is open – as it may be closed mid-week during winter/spring)

Comet Falls

The Comet Falls hike is along the road headed towards Paradise (after Longmire) & it’s a great moderate level hike. It is 3.8 mi RT & 1250 elevation gain to the falls. You’ll follow a whitewater creek upstream & find Comet Falls which is 301 feet tall. There are numerous small waterfalls/cascades along the way to make it interesting.

If you want a longer hike, add on the Van Trump Park trail (this is 6 miles long & 2150 elevation gain). You’ll find gorgeous Mount Rainier views from the meadow (filled with wildflowers in the mid summertime) & you could also even see views of Mount Adams & Mount St Helens from the trail.

Christine Falls

The viewpoint for Christine Falls is not a hike, but just a pull-off & little walk down off the side of the road. This waterfall is about halfway between the Nisqually entrance & the Paradise Visitor Center. You can see Christine Falls from the road but there are turnoffs right after you pass the waterfall on the way up. Pull off at one of the pull-outs and you could walk to the viewpoint from the road. But I much prefer the viewpoint down a little dirt trail off to the right side of the road – you’ll have an unobstructed view of the entire waterfall this way + the stone bridge! So pretty!

Myrtle Falls

My favorite trail that gives the most bang for your buck up at Paradise Visitor Center area is the portion of the Skyline trail that heads to Myrtle Falls. This is very short & flat – .8 miles round-trip & 150 elevation gain, so its perfect for most ability levels (especially for those who are adjusting to the elevation difference at Paradise which is 5400 ft). This is a nice option for families & those in wheelchairs as it is paved (although it is not accessible to access the waterfall as it is down some stairs)

This is really one of the most gorgeous views of Mount Rainier with flatter trails up at Paradise. Once you get closer to the falls, you’ll find stunning views of the mountain, a pretty waterfall with the mountain view for little effort & the beautiful Tatoosh mountain range the opposite direction. Plus, it’s very easy to add on if you want a longer hike from there – either head to the left to the Golden Gate Loop trail or the Skyline Loop Trail .

Skyline Trail

If you want the #1 best family hike at the Paradise area of Mount Rainier, it’s the Mount Rainier Skyline Trail loop! This is the single best hike because of all it encompasses & absolutely breathtaking Mount Rainier views the whole way. But it is popular, but not crowded usually (although you will see a lot more people in the first half mile or so each way). I have not yet done the entire loop, but I’ve done many sections & my daughter did the entire loop & it’s her favorite all-time hike ever!

This hike is 5 1/2 miles long & 1450 elevation but it’s very well-maintained with some great newer, improved sections too. This hike gives you a very up-close view of Mount Rainier & her glaciers, as well as cascading waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and many areas of wildflower beauty in the spring & gorgeous fall colors in September & October. You will also see some interesting wildlife (we almost always see multiple marmots when hiking this trail)

Reflection Lakes

This location is only easily accessible in the summertime when the Stevens Canyon road is open which leads to the main Reflection Lake (there are others you can see via hike). You will get a unique view of Mount Rainier with the lake to create some cool photos with the reflections. And I’ve found that even on the busiest days when parking may be difficult to find at Paradise, this lake is often easy to park & walk without the crowds & still enjoy the mountain views.

Bench & Snow Lake

Just beyond Paradise & Reflection Lake on the Stevens Canyon road is the parking for the Bench & Snow Lake trail. This trail is 2.5 miles out & back with 600′ elevation gain. It also is only accessible in the summer/early fall – typically June – September while the Stevens Canyon road is open. It’s a good family hike as it has a variety of things to look at with some Mount Rainier views, but also two beautiful alpine lakes & the Tatoosh mountain range. Definitely grab the bug spray for this hike, though! Even in early July when there were still a few snow patches, we did find a lot of bugs.

Things to Do in the Area

Ashford

High Rock Lookout Hike

If you’re looking for a moderately challenging hike with absolutely stunning Mount Rainier views NOT in the national park, then High Rock Lookout is the hike for you! This hike is located in Ashford & it is the site of a lookout tower (which is currently being repaired & then will be returned to the mountain). This is a little over 3 miles & 1365 elevation gain so it’s a moderately steep hike, but definitely doable. It’s not a hike I would bring young kids to, though, as it’s definitely exposed with sheer dropoffs at the end (not for those afraid of heights either!).

But the reward is worth it if you do go out to the lookout platform with 365 degree views of Mt Rainier, Mt Adams & Mt St Helens. Even if you don’t go all the way to the lookout, you’ll see great views of Mt Rainier on the way up.

Ashford County Park

Right in the town of Ashford is the 80 acre Ashford County Park, which features a nice playground with large play structure, an over 1 mile walking path, large lawn for outdoor games & outdoor amphitheater. This is a great place to get the wiggles out for your kids if you are on your way to Mount Rainier or visiting the town of Ashford.

Elbe

Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad

The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad is back this last year after a few years closed. This is such a fun, unique activity to do in the Mount Rainier area, as you’ll ride a vintage train pulled by a 100 year old steam engine. They have an open air car, historic passenger cars & baggage car (which is a gift shop & concession stand). You’ll encounter some beautiful Mount Rainier views as well as ride through pretty, lush forests, across farmlands & rivers.

The typical scenic train rides are 12 mile round trip tours from the towns of Elbe to Mineral & back, taking an hour & fifteen minutes. But they also offer quite a few unique train rides too such as brunch train rides, wine tasting train rides, dinner rides, the Polar Express (coming back in 2024), Halloween, Easter Bunny & much more. So make sure to check out all the options.

Another option they offer in the summer are RailCycles, which are 4 seat pedal-powered rail bikes that you can pedal along a 1.5 mile track for a beautiful ride thru the area around Mount Rainier.

Horseback Riding

If you love to explore an area by horse, EZ Times in Elbe offers guided horseback riding trips. They offer a variety of 1, 2 & 3 hour nature trail rides up thru the mountains & forests in the area between Elbe & Ashford. They also offer adult-only river rides along the Nisqually river for a unique experience. Or saddle up to enjoy the sunset hour through one of their trail ride areas. You can also choose a group ride or a private ride. We chose an off-season time to go (my daughter got this as an experience gift) & we were the only ones on the ride, so you never know! We loved this experience & it was a beautiful area to ride up into the mountains above their farm.

Eatonville

Northwest Trek

Northwest Trek is one of the top activities in the greater Seattle/Tacoma area as it’s such a unique experience. This is a wildlife park featuring animals native to the Pacific Northwest out in their natural habitat. They have 2 areas – a walking tour of animals which is similar to a zoo but with a lot more space & room for the animals (you’ll find bears, mountain lions, beavers, owls & more). And the 2nd part of Northwest Trek is the Tram Tour, where you’ll get an up-close view of bison, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, elk, moose, caribou & more (the tram tour is currently suspended, so it’s a driving tour with your own vehicle & a guide car leading the way).

Plus, they have an amazing KidTrek playground, a wildlife-themed playground that kids will love! And there is also a children’s discovery center (best for ages 3-8) where kids can read wildlife books, play in a puppet theater, check out activity tables & crafts & more with on-site naturalists.

Pioneer Farm Museum & Ohop Indian Village

The Pioneer Farm museum & OHOP Indian Village is an interactive, educational farm to learn the history of the Ohop tribe as well as the pioneer families who settled in this area during the 1880’s. This is a “hands on living history” farm with educational tours to teach you the history of the area, but you’ll learn by actually doing these activities from those times.

They offer two different types of tours – Pioneer Farm Tour & the Native American seasons tour. The Pioneer Farm tour is 1 1/2 hours long & you’ll visit 2 homestead cabins, wood shop & schoolhouse built in the 1880’s & do chores that kids living in pioneer times would have done. Activities include: grinding grains, scrubbing laundry, churning cream, carding wool & more. You’ll also visit the animals, do barn chores (gathering eggs, milk the cow/goat, work in the blacksmith shop, heat up a horeshoe & more.

Little Mashel Falls Hike

This family friendly hike is just past the town of Eatonville and it’s a gorgeous hike with 3 large waterfalls. If you go to all of the waterfalls, it’s about 4 1/2 – 5 miles long with 500 ft elevation gain. There are several different places to park, but the best option is the Bud Blancher trail parking lot just outside of town.

If you only want to hit one waterfall, the middle waterfall is typically the most popular as it’s the most full & you can possibly walk behind it (depending on weather, usually summertime). But all of them are beautiful to see (the Upper Falls is a bit harder to get down to it, but you can still see the falls if you take the trail that way & stay up on the ridge. This trail is known for being very muddy, so just make sure to be prepared for the mud with boots.

Restaurants

I’ll share the restaurants in order from closest to Mount Rainier to further away, in case you are looking for somewhere to eat when leaving the park. If you want to eat in the park, the Paradise Visitor Center has a small cafe & we love visiting the Paradise Inn (in the summer) for ice cream & treats after a long, hot hike!

There are a few more restaurants in Ashford that we haven’t tried yet (some are only open seasonally), such as Wildberry restaurant (this is open only in the summer typically) & the Ukrainian restaurant at Paradise Village Lodge. There are also more restaurants to eat in Eatonville, as it’s larger than Ashford & Elbe, but I’m highlighting our favorite restaurants in this town.

Copper Creek Restaurant

The Copper Creek restaurant is one of the closest restaurants to the Mount Rainier entrance in Ashford, so it makes for a nice option after a long day at the park. This restaurant is actually the oldest continuously operating full restaurant in the state – opened in 1946. It’s also one of the few restaurants open several weekdays throughout the year close to Mount Rainier, so perfect for a visit when you’re checking out the snow. The menu is pretty standard American fare, serving breakfast, lunch & dinner.

Rainier Basecamp Bar & Grill

The Rainier Basecamp Bar & Grill in Ashford is a favorite of ours to stop after a trip to Mount Rainier or visiting the Ashford area as it’s such a fun setting. It’s located at Whittaker’s Mountaineering Mount Rainier basecamp location, where you can rent or buy gear for snowshoeing, hiking, climbing, use their accessible bathrooms, ask hiking questions of the outdoor store staff & more. The menu is casual consisting of items like pizza, sandwiches, burgers, salads & more. They have a little bit of indoor seating, but they have a large area of outdoor seating, which is also dog-friendly. We love their outdoor seating as it’s it invites you to sit & stay awhile around the firepit or sitting at a picnic bench, with live music frequent on the weekends. Make sure to check their hours as they are only open on weekends in the winter time, but spring/summer/fall, they do open 7 days a week.

Elbe Market Country Store

We love the cute, little town of Elbe & the Elbe Market country store is definitely a nice stop when you are driving thru Elbe. This building was built in 1906 & it’s now a great stop for coffee, ice cream or other treats & snacks. Grab items to bring with you for a day at the mountain or stop on your way home after a busy day outdoors. They also have fun items to shop for in their country store.

Mt Rainier Railroad Dining Co / The Hobo Inn

If you have driven thru Elbe on the way to Mt Rainier, then you have definitely seen this restaurant, the Mt Rainier Railroad Dining Co as part of the Hobo Inn. This restaurant is located in the railroad cars on the side of the highway right in town – it’s hard to miss with its brightly colored collection of cabooses. They offer a restaurant as well as several rooms in the cabooses for a unique place to stay. I have never eaten here, but it definitely would be a fun experience due to the unique setting.

Mill Haus Cider Co

Mill Haus Cider Co is definitely my favorite place to eat in the Mount Rainier area and it’s only been around a few years (since late 2021), but what a wonderful asset to this area! It’s worth the drive out here *just* for the restaurant & experience, too, since it’s so unique! This is a restaurant & outdoor community space, taproom with craft ciders & now they have a distillery opening too. There is a small indoor space, but the real gem is their gorgeous outdoor space. They have plenty of covered spaces & warming areas with bonfires, heaters & more so you can enjoy the outdoor space any time of year. It’s so fun in the warmer weather, too, as they have musicians playing concerts, outdoor lawn games & just people hanging out & enjoying the location. Their menu consists of small bites, flatbreads, salads, street tacos & sliders. It’s all delicious! Definitely a must-visit when you’re visiting Mt Rainier or anytime!

Tea Garden Cafe

The Tea Garden Cafe is a cute little cafe we discovered this year in Eatonville driving by when i saw signs with featuring a few of my favorite things – bubble tea & crepes! They have some unique boba drinks, too, with fun, holiday & seasonal specials. We love trying different boba drinks when we come here, they are delicious. They also have delicious smoothies & espresso drinks which we’ve tried. Their drinks are definitely the highlight here!

Chopstix

Chopstix is a great option for dine-in or takeout in Eatonville as they offer Chinese, Vietnamese, & Teriyaki. They have large portions & the food is flavorful. And it’s so easy to find as it’s right on the highway coming in/out of town, so it makes a great post-hike or post-adventure meal for us!

We hope this Mt Rainier guide is helpful for you if you are visiting Mt Rainier at the Paradise/Longmire areas of the park! Let us know your favorite things to do in this area!