Longmire Accessibility

The Longmire Administration Building on a sunny day.

NPS Photo

 

 

The Longmire Museum

NPS Photo

Longmire is a National Historic District located in the southwest corner of the park, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of the Nisqually Entrance. Learn more about Longmire history, hiking and attractions or watch Visit Longmire: Gateway to Mount Rainier for a short video introduction to the Longmire area. The article, Longmire: Designing a National Park Style, provides an overview of the history of the area.

Parking

The main parking lot is behind the museum, inn, and gift shop, it has:

• about 80 standard parking spaces

• 1 van-accessible space

• a drop-off area at the rear entrance to the National Park Inn

There is a smaller parking lot to the right of the Longmire Administration Building, it has:

• 1 standard accessible space

Public Buildings

Longmire Museum

The museum is a historic building with a bookstore and exhibits. The doorways and walkways are narrow, with the narrowest at 29 inches. Paths to the museum are paved but are not level and can be steep. The museum front desk has a lower area at the front that is accessible to a person in a wheelchair, and a card reader for purchasing. There is an exhibit outside the entrance to the museum with a cross-section of a large tree; the rings are labeled with historic events. You can access public wifi from the porch of the museum.

Wilderness Information Center

Located in the first floor of the Longmire Administration Building, the accessible entrance is on the southeast corner of the building; the path is paved. The front entrance has two uneven flagstone steps. Much of the building is office space and not open to the public..

Transportation Exhibit / Historic Gas Station

The Transportation Exhibit is located in the historic gas station (no gas available). The exhibit is accessible and audio description is available in the NPS App under What to See > Longmire Area > Longmire Exhibits.

General Store

The General Store gift shop is accessible from the parking lot via a bumpy asphalt path. Some of the aisles inside are narrow, with three 30-inch wide areas, and one 23-inch wide area. Assistance is available from staff to reach items on higher shelves. The card readers at the checkout are accessible to a person using a wheelchair.

Restrooms

Restroom Building
Restrooms are located in a small building between the Longmire Museum and the historic gas station, accessible via a path from the parking lot. Paths to the restroom are paved, but are not level and can be steep.The restrooms are designated 'men' and 'women':

Women’s restroom:

• a baby changing table
• 4 stalls total, 1 is wheelchair accessible
• running water, with covered pipe under the sink
• flush toilets

Men’s restroom:

• a baby changing table
• 2 stalls total, 1 is wheelchair accessible
• 2 urinals
• running water, with covered pipe under the sink
• flush toilets

National Park Inn
There are also restrooms located in the National Park Inn, behind the front desk if you are entering from the parking lot, or to the left if you are entering from the front of the building. The restrooms are designated 'men' and 'women'.

Women’s restroom:

• a baby changing table
• 2 stalls total, 1 wheelchair accessible
• running water, with covered pipe under the sink
• flush toilets

Men’s restroom:

• no baby changing table
• two stalls, one is wheelchair accessible
• running water, with covered pipe under the sink
• flush toilets

There are no restrooms available in the Wilderness Information Center, museum, or gift shop.

Water Fountains and Refill Stations

There is a water refill station on the basement level of the National Park Inn. The basement level is accessible via an entrance on the left side of the building as you approach from the parking lot, across from the gift shop.

Wifi and Cell Service

There is no cell service in Longmire. Public wifi is somewhat weak and can usually be accessed from the porch of the museum and from inside the National Park Inn.

Paths

Asphalt paths lead from the parking area to the inn, gift shop, and museum. The asphalt is bumpy in some areas. Some of the paths can be steep, there are several routes to each building.

 

Lodging

• National Park Inn: Has two accessible rooms with roll-in showers on the first floor. A ramp is on the left side of the front porch if you are facing the building, there is also an accessible entrance at the back of the building.

Dining

• Restaurant: There is an accessible dining area inside the National Park Inn. The dining room tables have 25 inches of clearance from the floor; the space between the table legs is 22 inches wide. You can also dine or sit on the front porch of the inn which has 6 accessible tables and many chairs.
• Snacks and beverages: Available for purchase in the lobby of the National Park Inn and in the General Store, both have refrigerators with cold drinks.
• Coffee/espresso: Available for purchase at the front desk of the National Park Inn.
• Water: There is a water refill station on the bottom floor of the National Park Inn, accessible from the left side of the building if you are coming from the parking area.

 

Table and grill at Cougar Rock picnic area

NPS Photo

Picnic Areas

There is a picnic table with room for a wheelchair on the side of the National Park Inn closest to the parking lot. There are several picnic tables near the General Store and Wilderness Information Center; but none have paved, even access. Nearby picnic areas include:

Cougar Rock Picnic Area
Picnic area has accessible parking, restrooms, and picnic tables at the north end of the picnic area.

Kautz Creek Picnic Area
Picnic area has accessible parking, restrooms, and picnic tables.

Camping

Cougar Rock Campground

• Sites C2, C7, C20, and R5 have paved parking areas, accessible picnic tables, fire rings, and firm gravel tent pads. The sites are mostly level, with a 2-10 inch (5-25cm) ledge up to tent pad.
• Loop A and Loop C restrooms, closest to the main road, are accessible. Most other restrooms have stairs.
• The amphitheater is accessible via a ramp. There is no designated parking area.

 

NPS Photo

Viewpoints

There are several viewpoints in and around Longmire, which can be reached via car or a short walk, including:

• The parking area in front of the Longmire Community Building has a great view of Mount Rainier with the Nisqually River in the foreground.
• The historic Suspension Bridge is open to cars or pedestrian traffic and has a view of the Nisqually River and Mount Rainier.
• The National Park Inn front porch has a view of Mount Rainier and is a good place to sit and relax, protected from the weather.

Trails

Longmire

• Trail of the Shadows - 0.7 mile (1.1km) loop around a wetland through a lush forest. Mount Rainier viewpoints are available at the beginning of the trail. The furthest part of the loop has several steep areas with bumpy terrain that is difficult to push a wheelchair up or down. There are several wooden bridges and a long wooden boardwalk. The half of the loop closest to the parking area and bordering the highway has many exhibit panels and is flatter and wider, with gravel paths that wind around the area that was once a hot springs resort.

Surrounding Area

• Kautz Creek Viewpoint - Parking lot is large and located around 3 miles from the Nisqually Entrance. Cross the street to travel along a short boardwalk to a view of Mount Rainier. The parking area has an incline. The boardwalk is mostly level, with a ledge at the end of the boardwalk.
• Westside Road - A 9 mile (14.5km) long gravel road that gains 2100 feet (640m). Open to pedestrians and bicycles. There is a parking area located 3 miles up the road, the road is gated after the parking area. After the gate, the first mile or so of the road is relatively flat, paved in sections and gravel with expansive views of cliffs, a giant rockslide, and a river. Note that this is a geohazard area. Move immediately uphill at least 150 feet if the ground shakes and/or you hear a rumbling noise.The road climbs steeply after the view of the river, with a packed dirt and gravel surface. It winds upward through a dense forest.

 

Things to Do

• Take the self-guided tour of Longmire.
• Enjoy views at Christine Falls, Glacier Bridge, and Ricksecker Point.
• Take the boardwalk to the Kautz Creek overlook.
• Picnic at Cougar Rock Picnic Area.

Winter in Longmire

Much of Longmire remains open in winter. The road sometimes closes due to weather, check the forecast and the road status to prepare for your trip. The paths in Longmire are routinely cleared of snow, but the area can be very icy; sometimes the ice is hard to see, proceed with caution. The National Park Inn and the museum stay open in winter but the Wilderness Information Center is closed.

NPS Mobile App

The NPS App is accessible and includes alt text for images. Mount Rainier National Park does not have cell service in many areas; download the NPS App prior to coming to the park. Features available include:

• Exhibit panel descriptions
• Things to do in the park
• Details about amenities
• News, calendar, and passport stamp locations
• Audio description tours of the visitor centers

 

 

Area Maps:

 

Map showing the accessible features of Longmire

 

Cougar Rock area map highlighting accessible features

 

Explore other areas of Mount Rainier National Park: