Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [286]
Cougar Rock Campground, miles northwest of Longmire, has an amphitheater for ranger programs. Ohanapecosh Campground, 11 miles north of Packwood, Washington, on Wash. 123, also has an amphitheater. Sunshine Point Campground is located one-third of a mile from the Nisqually Entrance, and White River Campground is 5 miles west of the White River Entrance. Ipsut Creek Camp Campground is miles east of the park's Carbon River Entrance.
There are two walk-in campgrounds that often have spaces available even on weekends. Mowich Lake Campground is in the northwest corner of the park, at the end of unpaved SR 165, and the sites are only 100 yards from a parking lot. If you're prepared for a longer walk in, consider the Sunrise Campground, about a mile from the Sunrise parking lot. A backcountry permit is required.
A permit is required for all overnight stays in the wilderness. Backcountry camping is free with a permit obtained at any of the ranger stations, although the first-come, first-served permits are grabbed up quickly. Reservations ($20 per permit) can be made by mail or fax beginning in mid-March for the period from May through September. For information, call ☎ 360/569-HIKE or visit www.nps.gov/mora/recreation/ rsvpform.htm.
Other camping options are in the nearby Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The La Wis Wis Campground, in the national forest's Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, 10024 U.S. 12 (P.O. Box 670), Randle, WA (☎ 360/497-1100; www.fs. fed.us/r6), is along U.S. 12 and the Cowlitz River, near the southeast entrance to the park. The campground has numerous tall trees and offers some sites that can accommodate RVs up to
24 feet long. Reservations (☎ 877/444-6777; www.reserveusa.com) are available.
Numerous other National Forest Service campgrounds lie along U.S. 12 east of White Pass and along Wash. 310 east of the park. These campgrounds represent your best chance of finding a campsite on a Friday or Saturday night in summer. The campgrounds along Wash. 410 tend to be less crowded since they are harder to reach and are not near any fishing lakes. National Forest campgrounds are also within a few miles of the southwest and northeast entrances, and dispersed camping is permitted in some areas. Check the forest service website (www.fs.fed.us/r6) for additional information.
Where to Stay
For information about or reservations at the lodgings inside the park, contact Mount Rainier Guest Services, 55106 Kernahan Rd., East, Ashford, WA 98304 (☎ 360/569-2275; fax 360/569-2770; www.guestservices.com/rainier).
There are a number of places to stay in the surrounding communities in addition to those reviewed here. For a list, contact Seattle's Convention and Visitors Bureau (☎ 206/461-5840; www. seeseattle.org) or the Enumclaw Chamber of Commerce (☎ 360/825-7666; www.enumclawchamber.com).
INSIDE THE PARK
The Paradise Inn, built in 1917, closed in late 2005 for a major overhaul that is expected to cost more than $10 million and last until at least spring 2008. The renovation includes replacing the foundation, but the inn will retain its historic look, with stone fireplaces and massive wood timbers.
National Park Inn
At the Longmire Entrance, off Wash. 706 (mailing address: 55106 Kernahan Rd., East, Ashford, WA 98304). ☎ 360/569-2275. www.guestservices.com/rainier. 25 units, 18 with bathroom. $98 double without bathroom, $132–$181 double with bathroom. B&B package from $132. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Located in Longmire in the southwest corner of the park, this rustic lodge opened in 1920 and was fully renovated in 1990. Relatively small and open year-round, the National Park Inn makes a great little getaway or base for exploring the mountain. The inn's front veranda has a view of Mount Rainier, and inside there's a guest lounge with a river-rock fireplace that's perfect for relaxing on a winter