On the roads to Mount Rainier

There’s more than just the mountain — lesser-known treasures can be found en route

By Maggie Savage and Sharon Wootton | For The Olympian • Published September 23, 2007

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Crispness with a hint of snow in the air, fall color, small-town attractions, wildlife and artistic creations are scattered along the roads to Mount Rainier National Park.

A road trip around the park this year has meant a 100-mile detour because of the closing of storm-damaged state Route 123 from Cayuse Pass to Stevens Canyon Road. Although it might be open Sept. 28, it's not a date to count on, so most of us will be sticking to the west side of the mountain.

Plan on a night or two to browse the towns and take a few park hikes. To start, take your preferred route to the Northwest Trek Wildlife Park near Eatonville, then follow that with stops at Elbe and Ashford before going in the Nisqually (southwest) entrance to the park.

On the way

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park. If you have children, this is a required stop for a narrated 50-minute tram tour to see bighorn sheep, deer, Roosevelt elk, woodland caribou and mountain goats.

Park employees have scattered food close to the road so many of the animals will be practically within reach.

The park also offers special family programs for an additional fee, such as the elk-bugling tours Sept. 29 and 30 and a behind-the-scenes tour Sept. 30.

Sculptures. About two miles before Elbe, stop at Dan Klennert's Ex-Nihilo (Latin: out of nothing) sculpture park, a figment of Klennert's imagination made real, including a giraffe of recycled metal pieces.

Elbe. The November 2006 storms damaged the tracks at the Nisqually River bridge so the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad now leaves from Mineral, a hamlet about 15 minutes away.

Try the 2 p.m. autumn leaves special on the next four weekends, where you'll be pulled by one of seven steam locomotives honored by Trains Magazines.

But stop at Elbe's Artist Depot/train station anyway. It has a classy gift shop with art, including scrimshaw work. The small but historic 1906 Elbe Church is across the tracks from the depot.

Mineral Lake. If you have time, take a short side trip here, perhaps to take the train or check out the original Mineral post office, once the smallest in the country. Enjoy a view of the lake with Mount Rainier in the distance.

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