We spent two weeks here. The camping was fantastic, all the sites are really nice. The owners were…read morealways available if we had any issues. The restrooms were always kept clean and look as though they have been recently renovated. We were able to ride our bikes from the campground to a forest road giving us access to some very pristine forested land with both paved and gravel roads. We live in Michigan but if we were closer, we'd go back. Highly recommend!

First off this property is gorgeous and just absolutely a visual gem…read more It wasnt however all that peaceful, relaxing or worth the cost in my opinion. #1 -- The campsites are your typical campsite - parking spot, pad for a tent, spot for a fire, picnic table, some trees for shade, access to a bathroom - BUT COSTS $70 a night!!! Very pricey. #2 -- Its loud. The property hugs the main highway, and it echoes, and its loud -- ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT. Not the most peaceful. #3 -- The Bathrooms - ugchh -- 2 toilets and 1 coin operated shower for the entire campground. They were very nice, but for $70 a night I expected more than 1 shower. Our first night there I had to wait close to an hour to use it. Also - coin operated?? COME ON!! I just paid $70 for a dirt patch, and I need to pay $2 more dollars for a 4 minute shower? Also just a note for those who dont mind paying for a shower.....once your time expires, shower is over, water is off. No warm water and not even any cold water. Water done. So this means that when you time your shower wrong, and forgot to bring extra quarters with you into the shower, and are covered in soap when the water completely shuts off...that now means you are finishing your shower in the sink. Numbers 1 & 2 made this place kind of a 4 star for me, but the bathrooms is the reason I would never return. Sorry

Longmire is located at the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park and about six miles east…read moreof the Nisqually Entrance. It was once the site of the park headquarters when Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899. In this area is the Longmire Wilderness Information Center, National Park Inn, a gift shop and restrooms. Longmire is a nice area for a quick pit stop after entering the park. There is some Wi-Fi in the area, but it is a little spotty. The Longmire Museum building was built in 1916 and was the first location of the park's headquarters. Years later, it became a museum with exhibits and a mini bookstore. The Longmire Museum is a small building and opens daily all year round. The exhibits inside the museum tell the story of the early days of the park. There is also a park ranger on hand to answer any questions that you may have. I stopped here and appreciated the ranger giving me a few tips about the park. I then grabbed a few things from the gift store next door and headed to my next destination. Cougar Rock Campground and Christine Falls are a short drive away. There are a number of hiking trails in this area and some picnic tables if you want to hang out and relax here in Longmire.

We live in the biggest town near here so when I looked up hotels that have pools, the Loge Alta…read moreCrystal looked intriguing. It had everything we needed so we packed our bags, grabbed a pizza & wings (knowing there are no dining options up that way) and headed up the mountain. Just prior to our arrival we received a text with our room # and door code. Virtual check in is always preferred. Upon arrival, we unloaded our truck to a well appointed and clean room. I was surprised that it had a true kitchenette with all the necessities. The couch was stained but it wasn't off putting - I'm sure it's seen a lot of use. It pulled out to a full size bed which my teenager slept well on. The bedroom had a queen that I had to share with my 11 year old but it was comfortable and the whole place had just what we needed for bedding and toiletries. The boys wanted to go swimming so we all got dressed and headed to the heated pool. It is older and again stained but clean and well maintained. I could tell that they do a good job with keeping the chemical right (I formerly had to maintain a small apartment pool & tub). While the boys swam, I decided to take the dogs for a walk around. Nice grassy field with poo bags & can for waste. We then just started walking further up the hill past the cabins where I discovered a sign "Trail" so I followed it. It led me to a beautiful waterfall. Had I brought the right shoes, I probably could have kept exploring. Returned to the boys and we wrapped up the night watching a DVD (found in the office after launching an inquiry as to why the Direct TV wasn't working - hello satellite! Lol) Slept through the peaceful night and checked out early around 9am (11am is check out time). I plan to stay again...this time with appropriate footwear.

Enjoyed our stay here. Plenty of room in the one bedroom cottage like room. Had a full kitchen and…read moreliving room. Pool was refreshing. Hot tub was out of order. Staff are located off proper after 6/7 pm. A quick text away of you need something. Check in was easy. Don't even need a key. You get a code texted to your phone. Check out is simply texting you left.

Back in WA for a wedding and the kids and I HAVE to visit La Wis Wis!! We moved to NC in 2018 and…read moreNOTHING comes close to the beauty of this campground!

In August 2019, our family stopped by La Wis Wis Campground, which is about 4 miles east of…read morePackwood, WA on U.S. Route 12. We were searching for the Blue Hole Swimming Area, based on a spectacular picture I found in a Washington state travel magazine. Inside La Wis Wis Campground, the blue swimming hole has a cliff where bold teenagers can jump into the deep, glacially cold water below. The campground is somewhat difficult to find, but once you enter the complex, it's best to ask campers where the Blue Hole Swimming Area is located. When we arrived, the rocky area on the beach felt a bit painful on the feet - if you have water slippers, it might be more comfortable. The river is pristine but frigid (the water comes from a glacier) and has a pretty indigo (light aqua color) from above. My 14 year old son and 12 year old son jumped from the cliff into the blue swimming hole and were cheered by.a crowd of families on the opposite shore! This is a fun and memorable activity if you're visiting Mt. Rainier National Park and would like to do something fun on a hot afternoon with teenage kids. But it's not for the faint of heart. We stayed for about 45 minutes before continuing on to Packwood.

Mowich Lake is great! It has one thing that is starting to be uncommon in campgrounds,…read moreparticularly in National Parks: it's FREE! (first come, first served, no reservations) Yep, this land really is my land and your land, and made for us and shit. It also has pit toilets. Oh, and epic views of Rainier! Put you gotta walk in a bit, no driving your bigass RV up to a itty bitty campsite! It's a great gateway to the Wonderland Trail as well. The only negative is that fires aren't allowed, be sure to bring your favorite stove!

A magical, soul-soothing escape…read more I can't say enough good things about my stay at Wellspring Spa. From the moment I arrived, I felt like I'd stepped into a hidden forest sanctuary. The land itself is breathtaking--towering trees, soft mossy trails, and peaceful stillness that invites you to breathe deeper and slow down. I spent hours wandering the hiking paths and felt like I was in another world. I stayed in the Tahoma cabin, and wow--it was cozy, peaceful, and the bed was incredibly comfortable. (They must have updated them based on what I have read from previous posts!) Every detail in the space felt intentional and grounding. After a day of exploring, soaking in the outdoor hot tub with that stunning view of the trees was exactly what my body and mind needed. And the lofted sauna? Absolutely the coolest (and warmest!) little gem--such a unique and relaxing experience. What really made this place special, though, was the warmth and kindness of the staff. They were so welcoming, thoughtful, and genuinely cared about creating a healing experience for guests. Also: there's a sweet dog who wanders the grounds and melts your heart--truly the cherry on top. Wellspring isn't just a place to stay--it's a place to remember. I already can't wait to come back.

I had a wonderful experience at Wellspring, there has clearly been so much love and whimsy put into…read morethis place. It's the perfect place to come back to after hiking all day at Mount Rainer and lovely as a couple's getaway. My boyfriend and I loved the privacy and thought the cabin was beautiful. It has a well stocked kitchen where we cooked a nice meal and enjoyed the free standing hot tub. We also appreciated their commitment to being environmentally friendly. Thanks for everything Sunny, you're a gem!

The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad is a must-visit, via the vids I watched, this is a nonprofit…read moreheritage railroad offers scenic train rides through the beautiful Pacific Northwest landscape. Another last minute spontaneous visit, an Instagram reel led me here on the day before our trip, but the bad news is last minute kine plans are not the greatest for this one, since we didn't get to go on the railroad. The reel/vids looks amazing and the reason for this visit was to see Fall, and the railroad ride would have been so perfect. FYI, It is best to check info. online for updates. on the website for tickets and railroad info. When we made the drive out, we just took a chance since the updated info. wasn't posted yet and I called numerous times on the way there but no answer. When we arrived the staff mentioned that the online info. has been updated. The next event will be a Christmas holiday theme one. All in all, although it didn't work out, I had a great time, making the most out of this visit, exploring this part of town, Elbe. I am still adding this to my must do/visit list the next time I visit the PNW, but for now I'll just live by all the social media posts.

We enjoyed our time on the train, but the main problem is where the train goes. The people were…read morenice, the train was comfortable, but the train just doesn't have scenic views. For a train enthusiast, it's worth it any way. We got tickets last minute after we finished up early in Mount Rainier. It is super cool to see a functioning steam engine, and you get some great up close views. The train cars have roomy seats that you can flip around to face each other. There are no assigned seats, but there was plenty of room when we went. The staff are very nice, and seem so happy to be working on the train. We took the train to Mineral. It travels through the woods and past some rivers. We saw bear tracks! At the end, it stops at a railroad depot. You can see another train, and if you look from the right direction you can see a view of Mount Rainier. The whole trip takes an hour and fifteen minutes. If you have young ones or train enthusiasts, it's great! But for $40 per person and no real views, it won't be worth it for everyone. You can get much better views by driving into the National Park.

TL;DR: Great lakefront campground with easy access, clean facilities, friendly camp hosts, and…read moreabundant wildlife. Some of the sites are fairly close together but well maintained and well run. Great for fishing, kayaking, or a relaxing PNW lake stay. Bring most of your own food, there's a small nearby store for basics, but limited dining options near the campground. We camped at Mineral Lake Lions Den Campground over Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28) with two adults, two tents, and one vehicle. Overall, it was a peaceful lakefront camping experience with great wildlife, easy water access, and solid amenities. Sites are fairly close together but well maintained and organized. They have tent and RV sites some with power and water. Reservations are made online and the process was simple with instant confirmation. Check-in was smooth. We had about 3 to 4 bars of cell service during our stay. Quiet hours were generally respected. Camp hosts were helpful, friendly and present. Bathrooms were very clean and well stocked, and coin-operated showers were available (we didn't use them). There are dumpsters conveniently located near the sites, which made it easy to keep everything tidy. Firewood is available for purchase on-site ($9 per bundle), which came in handy. There is a road outside the campground, but we didn't notice road noise during our stay. The lake itself was the highlight. Multiple docks make it easy to get right out on the water. We saw plenty of fishing activity, and conditions ranged from choppy water on Friday to glassy calm on Saturday and Sunday. Wildlife was abundant: ducks, ducklings, geese, goslings, osprey, eagles, red-winged blackbirds, and even deer. There's a small local store within walking distance that carries basic supplies and a nice selection of snacks. It's best to bring your own groceries for the stay, as dining and full food options nearby are limited unless you drive into Ashford, Elbe, or Eatonville. The local Mineral store is great for essentials, last-minute items and souvenirs. Overall, really nice spot. I'd be happy to camp there again.