National Park Inn

Paradise Inn- we were truly impressed by its beauty and welcoming atmosphere. The rooms were spotlessly clean, and the cozy fireplaces throughout the lodge added a warm, relaxing touch—always lit and inviting. One of the highlights was the front desk, which offered a wide selection of games that made for great family bonding time. Each day, we were treated to a pianist playing beautiful music in the common area, which created a serene and elegant ambiance. It’s clear that a lot of thought and care has gone into making the lodge feel special. Unfortunately, our experience at the on-site Paradise Restaurant left a lot to be desired. The menu was extremely limited, the food was overpriced, and the portion sizes were very small. Most disappointing of all, the quality of the food was seriously lacking—it was, frankly, quite unappetizing. If you’re planning a stay here, I highly recommend the lodge for its charm, comfort, and atmosphere—but consider dining elsewhere.

We just the property after staying one night (June 19, 2025). We know from staying at other National Park lodges that accommodations are usually rustic due to the age of the property. The room we stayed in (9) was small but clean and the tub only bathroom was spotless. New looking large soaking tub with a handheld shower head for convenient rinsing. Bed linens were clean and fresh and the bath towels were fabulous! The check in staff was attentive and courteous, answering all our questions and providing good information. We ate dinner and breakfast at the on-site restaurant and although quite pricy, the food was good. Service was okay- a tad slow and it did take a while for our food to come both times even with only a small handful of people dining. In the little sitting g room there was a wonderful assortment of puzzles and games which we took advantage of after dark. The price for the room was pretty high for the actual accommodations, but you definitely are paying for the beautiful location!

We really enjoyed our stay here. As long as your expectations are realistic, you will too. For starters, it's inside the park entrance, so you have a head start on everyone else heading up to the Jackson Visitor Center in the morning. I booked a room with a private bath, which meant we did not have to share with others. My wife was very relieved about this. They say there's no wifi or cell service, but we got one bar with Verizon sitting at our window, and there's a spot near the ranger station where I got two or three, so I could sit at a picnic table and do whatever internet stuff I needed to do if it was too slow in our room. Yes, it can get hot, but we kept both windows open (our room was on the corner) and used a fan to keep the air circulating. It might be an issue in August, but in late June it was fine. We enjoyed the general store too and would have liked to try the restaurant but didn't get the chance. Front desk staff were always kind and helpful.

Beautiful historic inn with tons of charm and original architecture. The room was clean, the beds were comfy, and the staff were incredibly helpful. We loved the afternoon tea with a piano player and the unique lanterns featuring local plants. Dinner at the restaurant was delicious, and the coffee shop was great for quick bites. Best of all, it’s just steps from the visitor center and trailheads, no need to fight for parking. Highly recommend for anyone wanting nature with a touch of comfort.

Perfect location and cozy place to stay to experience Mt. Rainier on a cloudy Mother's Day weekend! We loved having a quiet weekend at this wonderful inn. The beds were comfortable, towels and bathrobes/slippers were very nice! We didn't mind the shared shower at all- it is private and clean, and the shared bathrooms were fine and close to the room. Everything was very clean and all the staff were friendly and helpful. We loved coffee on the patio watching for Mt. Rainier to peek through the clouds. There was tea and cookies in the study in the afternoon after our hike and we returned to the study later in the evening to play games and visit with other travelers, by a roaring fire. The dining room was excellent! Loved the pot roast and bison meatloaf for dinner and the prime rib/salmon at the Mothers Day buffet were excellent! We highly recommend visiting at this time of year!

This place is so quaint. My partner and I stayed for one night before doing an overnight camping trip. They accommodated a late check in. The room was clean and simple. The showers and bathrooms are shared spaces but we did not encounter any other guests in these areas and it felt like we had the place to ourselves. The staff works late and was even able to help us with a corkscrew at 11pm. Did so with a smile. The highlight of the stay. Miss Pia, in the restaurant. We got breakfast before heading out to explore the park and were delighted with the beam of sunshine that is the waitress named Pia. Her jokes hit 100% of the time, and her laugh was one you will hear for the rest of your life. She was a true gem. Breakfast was simple but hearty and the restaurant also served up a decent latte as well.

FYI: do NOT stay in this hotel if you have allergies, asthma, don’t like hot rooms, or cannot tolerate sleeping with windows open. The room was extremely musty, had dust-covered curtains, and the window (with a screen) was wide open when we arrived. The room is VERY small. The bed is less than 5 feet from the door and 3 feet from the sink. Barn door style private bathroom for toilet and shower. So if anyone uses the sink while another is sleeping, it will wake them up. FYI: when we went, the outside day temp was only 55° and 40° at night, but the small room was so hot and stuffy, even with the single window open. The small floor fan was insufficient. Unfortunately, my partner struggles with allergies and could not tolerate the allergens in the room so we had to check out after 1 night. We were supposed to stay another night (had already paid), and the employee at the front desk was not apologetic or considerate at all. Obviously no refund offer so they just ate our money for the second, unused night. There is no WiFi or cell service. We only chose this hotel for its proximity to the park to get an early day hiking, but I would never stay here again.

Ate dinner here on July 5. Dinner was good but odd experience, we stopped im to eat and host told us we had to wait 45m to sit down even though there were maybe 5-6 tables in use. The place was over half empty but we waited 45m to sit down. One we were seated though, great experience! Burger was good, location is great just a couple miles from the entrance.

Such a cute place! Room had a fan and space heater. Had all our necessities. Bed was comfy. Follow the park maps, not Apple Maps! Dislikes: service is SLOWWWW. Slow to check in. Slow to get seated at the restaurant. Slow. Lovely, but they're definitely enjoying the process so plan ahead in terms of timing.

13 years later and still a terrible experience. Ashford is short on dining options so I crossed my fingers and headed to Longmire for dinner. Friend got Beecher's Mac and cheese which was clearly microwaved from a box, but at least Beecher's cheddar is really good so the taste was good but not $20 good. I ordered the pot roast which came gray, buried in brown packet gravy and full of gross fat. Dessert was a s'mores lava cake but man it was so gross we didn't even eat it. Also microwaved and rubbery. It's off-season and there are hardly any folks up there, so rather than churn out shitty food, maybe it would be better for their reputation to just close during the slow season. But I have been there in the summer and the food was bad then too. Oh, and it cost $110.

It was fun to be able to stay within mt rainier national park but it comes with some cons. No ac, the room was quite warm. Some rooms have a shower in the room other rooms need to use the shower rooms. We had our own shower. Restaurant in the lobby. Restaurant was short staffed, ordering and getting food took quite some time but the server was kind.

Helpful staff. Comfortable bed. Nice amenities in the bath. Enjoyed afternoon tea. Loved sitting on the porch

The park service has done a nice job of using older buildings for lodging. The rooms are small but adequate, especially since we are there to see the park, not sit in a room. The bed was comfortable. The general gathering areas are great fun for meeting folks from all over. Food was excellent and the wait staff very friendly. We enjoyed our stay!

Very meh experience having lunch at the inn on a Saturday afternoon. We were excited to find a restaurant inside the park that wouldn't take too long to drive to however the menu wasn't super exciting. We weren't even sure if they were open when we walked up. They need an open sign out front or better signage. We decided to see if they were open "just in case" and we were super hungry. We were told a few of the items weren't available upon our arrival, no biggy. I had the broccoli cheddar soup and burger and my hiking partner had the chefs grilled cheese. Over all okay food. Nothing amazing. We were also told they don't do breakfast. The waiter was quite friendly and helped us with directions.

My review is for the restaurant. We had lunch and the food and service was excellent. The chef's grill had slices of pear and apple. The club sandwich had a delicious huckleberry sauce. The prices are a bit high but it was worth having a nice meal.

Would recommend a Bahn Mi with Tofu, comes with tons of fries on the side in all dishes: tomato soup was nice; BLT was good and so was Chefs grilled cheese sandwich, the Nisqually salad was meh.

***Review is solely for the National Park Inn's take-out dining, during COVID-19. We ate breakfast here on 9/5/2020.*** We stopped by the National Park Inn at Longmire on the last morning of our 6-day backpacking trip around the breathtaking (both from the natural beauty and from our own exhaustion) Wonderland Trail circling Mt. Rainier. So we were a little hungry for real food after 5 days of mostly bars and freeze-dried meals. This may or may not have slightly enhanced our enjoyment of the food. But I think I would've enjoyed the food we got regardless! (Note that we weren't looking for Michelin-starred food; we were looking for something tasty and filling, and we found it!) FOOD: + Harvest Hiker Omelet ($13.50): eggs, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, red onion, heirloom tomatoes, Tillamook cheddar, breakfast potatoes, and toast; also came with strawberry jam, butter and ketchup in individual packets. We all really enjoyed this omelet - the veggies seemed fresh, the mushrooms and tomatoes were delightful, and the potatoes were a perfect complement to the omelet. Toast could've been a little more toasted, but it might've been the steam from the omelet as well, since it was packed in a closed container. + Washington Marionberry Pancakes ($11): two pancakes and smoked bacon; came with butter and maple syrup in individual packets. The bacon was quite good! The pancakes were huge and super filling. Good amount of marionberries. Would highly recommend liberally using the butter and maple syrup if you're thru-hiking and looking for calories. + Mountaineer Omelet ($13.50): eggs, ham, sweet peppers, Tillamook cheddar, breakfast potatoes, and toast. J thought this omelet was just okay. + Orange juice ($3): this was a bottle of Treetop orange juice. Nothing special, but wow, this was the most refreshing drink 6 days into backpacking. PRICING: The food we ordered was reasonably priced for the quality and amount. I was quite stuffed after splitting the Harvest Hiker Omelet and Marionberry Pancakes with a friend and barely finished my pancakes, even though I had been pretty hungry. A few of the other breakfast items didn't seem as worth it to me, such as the Backpacker Breakfast for $10 (two hardboiled eggs, a slice of toast, and half an avocado - are avocados super expensive in WA? Asking for a Californian) but to each their own. I didn't get to try anything else this time so I can't judge completely. Don't forget that you're in the mountains, a long drive up from the nearest grocery store, and someone had to drive all the ingredients up! Also, you're eating in a historic building and gazing out at some gorgeous national park scenery. Enjoy it while you're there! ORDERING & PICK-UP: You order in the lobby area and give them your name - there are clear directions on which side to enter/exit from, plastic barriers up, reminders to mask up and stay 6 feet apart from others, and hand sanitizer provided. Then head out to the covered back patio area, where there's tables and seating with a decent amount of spacing and some views (trees and mountains and sometimes clouds, but that's cooler than the parking lot). When the food is ready, they'll bring it out and call your name. No indoor seating at this time.

There are few choices for lodging in the Park, with COVID Paradise is closed, sad as that is the place to be. This place okay, is a good 30' or so drive to Paradise or 45' or so to Reflection Lake and Pinnacle if serious hiking is your game. I guess your car or a tent is an alternative. Scored a last minute Labor Day cancellation and one night, came early did Pinnacles and checked in at 4. Bare bones, think a old motel6, at least for me far better than many of the accommodations I saw driving in outside the park, sure there will be better but further out which is a big deal if proximity to getting a early start to hiking! Good food options are nil, bring your own to cook or have to do the Inn restaurant in the lodge. Due to pandemic it is only doing take out, you can grab a table outside but if there is a rush be prepared for a good long 30' wait for food. The beers are fairly priced, the entrees are pricey and pretty marginal, barely passable, but then you could be trying to cook on a campfire instead. Come early and stake your table or you will be out on a picnic table yonder. If you plan an early start for hiking plan your own breakfast as they start serving way to late for you. How are the rooms, rustic and very basic with no AC and only a fan, and of course no internet WiFi. The bathroom are recently remodeled but just Motel6 level at best. Some of the rooms have what some might call a view of the Mountain, but not one you can easily admire. Now why three stars passing grade? Would I stay again, yup we are reserving for next year, for proximity to early start hiking is priceless. Beats being another 30' out or roughing in a tent I have to take down and pack.

We love stopping here to shop the little store see the old buildings and get a bite at the hotel restaurant (you may not need reservations midafternoon). There is quite a bit to see and do close by including walking trails. We often drive through the park using less busy East side entrance coming in. There was a 3 hr line up on the West side this day. Do not forget you can get your NP Sr lifetime card when you are only 62 for $80! Warning!!! They are doing road construction and you cannot go all the way through the park now Mon-Thur. But the roads needed it. Also do not drive a low setting auto now as there are some big dips and abrupt road level changes.

I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say that the only good thing about it was that it was located in the national park. From the moment we arrived, we only had bad experiences. We checked in at around 5 PM, and there was a power outage. Check-in process took about 45 minutes, the staff were extremely disinterested and were just relying on each other to do the work. Nobody was ready to take any responsibility. I, my husband, my father-in-law and my nine month old infant baby had one room. The power of still gone for a couple of hours after we checked in, and we had to sit in the dark room because of that. Later that night, while I and my husband had gone away on a walk, someone from the staff came to our room and told my father-in-law that we had booked the room for three people, but because we had a nine month old infant with us, we were actually four and were therefore breaking the rules. We would have to look for alternative accommodation and would need to leave immediately as there were no more rooms available for four people in the lodging. Their tone was extremely threatening, and they left before I and my husband could return. It was ridiculous that they were counting a 9 month Old baby as the fourth person. Also, the next day they never followed up on it. If it was that important for them to have the baby shown as an adult human, why did they not follow through with their threats and rules. It just felt like plain harassment. The next day we went to the gift shop, and although there was no power outage, for some reason their card machine was not working and they were writing down each persons credit card details on a piece of paper. It was so ridiculous, I have never seen something like this, and we did not bother to buy anything. While booking our room, we had paid the $90 per person advance package for breakfast. When we arrived, although we had a reservation we had to wait 30 minutes before we could be seated, while the dining room was practically empty. After seating, it took an unbelievable one and a half hours for them to take our order and bring out our food. The whole breakfast affair easily lasted 2 1/2 hours because, their cooks were overwhelmed, but there were hardly three families in the entire restaurant for breakfast. Also, the food was bland and pre-prepared, not freshly cooked. It was specially difficult for us because we had an infant with us and all our later plans for the day Got the derailed because of this extremely late start to the day. Overall, I do not recommend anybody to stay at this place, it was easily the worst experience I've ever had not just the national park, but in any hotel accommodation, period. PS - the accommodation does not have refrigerators, microwave or any self serve coffee machines.

My wife and I recently stayed at the National Park Inn for one night during our honeymoon. She and I both enjoyed the place. If you are looking for a hotel with all the modern amenities, you may be disappointed. The hotel did not have wi-fi, no television in our room and no coffee maker. They had a restaurant but the seating area was closed and there was no wait staff. We had to order our dinner from the front desk and eat it in an adjacent lounge which was rather smoky with a fire going in the fireplace. They also had a general store, which was nice. It closed at six o'clock. I would recommend staying here if you are looking for a place to disconnect. My wife and I sat in our room, enjoying each other's company talking and reading. We opened the window and enjoyed the silence of the park. It was so peaceful and we both commented on how relaxed we were. The staff were very friendly and helpful. We were also able to wash two loads of laundry, which was nice. Stay at the National Park Inn if you just don't need to be connected to your phone and bask in the natural beauty around you. I would recommend that if you do stay, bring plenty of snacks and drinks in case you get the munchies later in the evening.

This place was a joke. First it was over $500 to stay for 2 nights and they debit your account $250 for a deposit that they don't refund to you within 24 hrs of checkout. (that's not included in the room price) Second, The room had no working heater and the low temp was 28' so their fix was to give us 2 oil heaters and plugged them in. Not to mention, the bathroom was atrocious (black mildew) I'll stop there. We knew there was no TV or Internet, However, there was no phone in the room to call the front desk nor was there even a refrigerator or microwave. We were not even offered a break on the price or a refund if we choose to leave! Third the restaurant was WAY over priced for the under cooked $30 cheese burger to the over cooked Kids chicken strips and fries (I had kids meal due to the crappy adult menu). I will say, we drove to Eatonville and while there we were referred to the Cruiser Café and it was great. Last but not least... The reason we went to the mountain, to play in the snow.. BUT, for some reason this year RAINER Staff will not let you go sledding with your kids. One wasted Holiday vacation and money. For the price we paid they could have invested in star link for $100 bucks a month and still made money on their overpriced room and board. (there is reception at Paradise) Never going there again.

Came here for lunch and wasn't very impressed. During COVID, they are serving hot dishes for take-out only. We got a cheeseburger and fries. After waiting for quite a while, our food was ready. Thought the cheeseburger was just ok. Enjoyed the fries. But all in all, it wasn't the best and we probably won't want to come back here again (at least while they're only doing take-out).

Stopped in here for lunch. Very pleasant surprise. All 3 of us ordered something different and all 3 meals were delicious. Two of us were hoping for something healthy after existing on fried food and pizza in Packwood for a couple days. It delivered. Charming restaurant. Our server Pia was delightful. I would definitely eat here again!

Two reviews: lodge and dining room Lodge: Amazing, charming and newly renovated hotel celebrating its 100th anniversary. Rooms are small, walls are thin so we heard every word our neighbors uttered. Beds are comfy, shower dated (we were in the un-renovated Annex). But, to stay in the Lodge is a privilege. The public spaces are amazing. Our evening reading while a piano played, tea and cookies in the afternoon, and just being there was a joy. Prepare to be unplugged: mobile phone service is non-existent, and there is no internet or wifi. My wife bought a phone card to stay in touch with family (how 1970s!) Dining Room: We ate dinner here while staying at the Lodge. Like the lodge, the dining room is stunning, all wood, rustic, charming. I just want to hang out here all evening. We ordered fish entrees and salads, mine was a Caesar salad topped with grilled salmon. This item was not on the menu so the chef accommodated my request. Spouse had a special of salmon with asparagus and a molded rice pilaf in a broth, according to the chef/server, a deconstructed soup. Both were good. Spouse had an excellent local beer, I had a Washington state Riesling which was overly syrupy sweet. Good service, efficient, friendly. Cost a bit high, you pay for the privilege of eating an elegant meal in that amazing setting. Ratings: atmosphere and location 5+, food 4, service 4, value 3-4.

Trying to reach the front desk will get you voicemail 99 % of the time. That is simply unfortunate, but unforgivable as a business practice. The excuse is always well we have limited staff, and unacceptable. The concessionaire needs a flood of complaints to the National Park Service and to the non profit associations that fund raise for Mount Rainier National Park. The are so many positive aspects of a visit to Mt Rainier National Park and that only makes the poor phone access so much more horrible. The loss of business opportunity should be a huge factor to the profit making concessionaire. Why is it not???

Stayed here for a few nights in the spring... Took a half hour to check in because the desk attendant was no where to found. When we got to the room, was probably over 90 degrees j Inside (was 50 degrees outside) because the heat was blasting and making a very high pitched drone that kept us up all night Room was very small- no amenities. No refrigerator, microwave, tv or WiFi. I probably would not stay here again.

Totally Rude!!! Gift shop closes at five pm - had the nerve to slam the door in our faces, locking us out at 4:45pm! As my son rounds the corner, I hear em chuckling... listening closer, the guy behind the door laughs again (guessing he's the boyfriend of the staffer) and as he laughs, he's stating "their looking in the widows aren't they?!" - laughing more - to which I Replied - No, I'm still on the other side of this door, that has a sign on it that states you are open until 5:00pm?! What's up?! Is the gift shop closed?! He nervously laughed again - this time repeating what I said - to which I added "as a service provided by the state are you Closed now or still open for ten minutes?! - he then opened the doors, explaining they in fact weren't closed! Apparently both were completely startled by this corrective action cause the girl started scrambling to defend their rudeness explaining her cash register was completely broken - out of service so we couldn't buy anything but they were still opened but we could definitely look around if we wanted to... as I entered. Although I'm pretty sure I was ruining the date night thing they had going on - I decided to go in - most likely in spite for just having the doors slammed in our faces because there really wasn't anything worth purchasing in there anyway - I don't tolerate being treated so rudely from anyone so I guess I more than wanted the employee to be ashamed of their behavior. Management needs to make sure nothing like this happens again... unless they too think it's funny to slam the doors in peoples faces - in which case, all should know! Sad...

Tried the duck special for dinner and enjoyed every bite. Looking forward to trying their dining room again soon.

You can skip this place! Tiny room, we barely have room to move in it. They gave us a room with only bathtub and we had to shower with cups. Never experienced this. The food there was too expensive so we skipped eating there. Service was unpleasant and even rude. No ice machine, they said it's due to Corona, i asked to get ice and they charged me for it. On top of this, the place had no WiFi!

It's so sad that such an amazing property and location can be run into the ground like this. Terrible staff, ignoring customers and basic principles of service. Food was awful, and excuses related to COVID don't really fly when every other hotel is managing just fine after a year and a half of adjustments. If you can't get staff, you clearly don't pay enough - bizarre when the rooms are this expensive. I'd give this sad relic a miss.

This place needs a complete redo. The food is terrible and is reheated to the point of not being able to eat. Broke 2 knives trying to cut a pork chop. And the breakfast is non existence unless you like tired coffee cakes and over ripe bananas. The desk personnel is doing triple duty with check ins, heating food and making change for purchases which are way overpriced. What a disapointment for what should be a great experience. Looks like a greedy management corporation is ruining another american landmark.​

This place sucks. I've been by here in the past but never went inside, and I'll admit it looks great from the outside, however as a guest it sucks. The rooms are tiny; like REALLY tiny. At $200+ for a room, it expected at least a few more feet of room. And the lady running the front desk was rude and unhelpful. She wouldn't let me check in 20 minutes early, but when I came back a couple minutes later, some guy was at the desk and he didn't give me any trouble. Aside from the rooms, there's a huge issue with parking. They don't have any guest-specific parking where it's reserved for people who are paying $200+ per night to stay there, and the issue with that is all of the day tourists who are just there to hike the nearby trails fill up all the parking before you're even allowed to check in. That's because check-in is at 4pm and everyone and their brother is already there by noon. The only real appeal of staying here is the convenience of the location, but do yourself a favor and just stay literally anywhere else just 5 minutes away outside of the park entrance.

This is just a review for the restaurant. We came here for breakfast and had a good experience. We had the corned beef hash and meat lovers omelet. Food was tasty and filling. It's certainly not a bargain meal, but I thought the price was reasonable for the location. As others have noted, it does seem like there's probably only one chef in the kitchen. We got there around 7:30am, before there was much of a rush, so the wait time wasn't too bad, but I'm sure it would be worse later in the morning. The highlight was our server, Pia. She was super cheerful and very attentive, making sure that our coffee was always refilled, checking in to see if we needed anything, and bringing the check promptly.

This is a review for the restaurant, and it was not great. Steamers (clams in white wine broth) with linguine was bland. Fish and chips: fish was good but chips were soft and limp. The two dishes came to over $40 for two people, which felt expensive given the lackluster food. Convenient location and lack of alternatives will probably keep this place afloat. If you are willing to drive a little outside of the park, Copper Creek and Wildberry are much better.

Stayed overnight here on 09/07/17 for the experience. It was an interesting experience, but one I am not likely to repeat unless we stay at Paradise Inn to compare. The check in process went smoothly. We were asked our dining time preference so I said 6:30 pm. The Inn has lovely history - pictures on the walls of days passed, a huge porch with rocking chairs to relax, and a sturdy, rugged feel. The room felt a little outdated but there is charm in the furnishings. The bed frame and chair were wood carved. Note: no air conditioning (it was pretty warm that day!), no wi-fi, and no television. This isn't a hotel and you shouldn't expect it to be if making reservations. Dined here for dinner and breakfast, and of the two I definitely preferred breakfast. We asked to be seated earlier than our dinner "reservation" by 30 minutes and this seemed to fluster the staff. But they were helpful and met our request without any objection. I've posted pics of the dinner menu and to say I was shocked at the prices is an understatement. I felt the breakfast menu was definite affordable than the dinner menu. I had the pesto primavera (good but heavy on the garlic, which I was still tasting 24 hours later) and my husband had a Caesar salad. We both had water and they do provide you with out-of-the-package dinner rolls. The rolls filled in the gaps for the salad eater. Overall the dining experience was fine. I wouldn't say it exceeded any expectations I may have had but the accommodations and food were acceptable.

My wife and I stayed at the National Park Inn for three nights. When we checked out, there was an incorrect charge on my invoice. When I returned home, I called the front desk every day to request that the charge be removed from my credit card. After a week, I finally received a return call and was given the number that I needed to call for the person who could resolve my concern. Every day for another week (so far), I have left messages on her voice mail as well as the voice mail for the managing director, but neither of them has responded. This was very frustrating and was the worst customer service that I have ever experienced. I have still not received a refund, nor a return call or email.

Mt. Rainier has always been a favored vacation spot for my family, but we usually spend most if not all of our time at Paradise or Sunrise. My mom and I decided to spend a couple of days at Longmire in 2013, exploring the area more fully. It's a really beautiful spot. We got lucky with the weather - it was perfect. We were there in early June, which can often still be cloudy and cold, but it was sunny and warm (but not too hot). The main thing to do is to go on hikes -- after all, you're mostly here for the scenery. Near Longmire there are quite a few trails, ranging from easy to strenuous. Some, like the Kautz Creek Trail and Wonderland Trail, are one-way trails you can go as far as you like before turning around. There's also the very easy loop trail, the Trail of the Shadows, that has some interesting historical information about when Longmire was first settled as a health resort. If you're looking for something more strenuous, the Rampart Ridge trail branches off from this one. There's a National Park information center that can help you figure out the best hiking options, as well as letting visitors know about any trail closures, blockages, etc. There's also a small museum, though when we visited it was closed. The lodge's rooms are fairly basic - many don't have private bathrooms (although ours did). They provide shampoo but no conditioner. The beds were comfortable, though. No phones in the rooms, though people can leave messages for you at the front desk. There's no TV or cell phone service here, but for us the point was to disconnect from technology for a few days. You really need to approach it with that mindset. The food in the restaurant is not that good, and very expensive. I preferred the breakfast over the dinner. The dining room looks and feels like a cafeteria. With the menu, it's like they're trying to be upscale, but the quality of the food unfortunately doesn't reflect the prices. But consider that you're partially paying for the location. Hours are also somewhat limited - the last seating for dinner is at 7 Mon-Thurs, 8 Fri-Sat. Relaxing on the porch before dinner was very enjoyable. This park gets visitors from around the world -- we enjoyed chatting with a British couple. If you're there in the afternoon, they have complimentary tea and scones, which was perfect! They also have a common room area with board games and puzzles, if the weather is bad. Since the weather was great, we had an awesome view of the mountain from the back porch. At dusk, deer will come to graze on the plants in the garden area and will come within a few feet of the porch - they are used to people. The gift shop has some nice pottery and jewelry, but a lot of the Mt. Rainier trinkets are unfortunately made in China. I would have liked to see more local items. It's not perfect, but we enjoyed our stay, especially as the main purpose was to unplug. If you're bothered by the lack of TV, you'd probably do better to stay at one of the hotels outside the park boundary (there are quite a few). I'm kind of torn between 3 and 4 stars, because while the location is beautiful, the amenities could be improved. I guess I'll settle on 3, but it's more like a 3.5.

3rd time eating there. This place still sucks. Huge prices, small portions, bad taste, slow service.

You certainly can't beat the location (unless you find another with a view). Right near the visitor center and small museum in Longmire sits the National Park Inn and Restaurant. The Paradise Inn Dining Room was supposedly nicer, but it was closed when we were there. I had the famous Buffalo Bourbon Meatloaf ($17.95). I imagined that we would be stuck with whatever they offered since there weren't many places to eat in the area. The meatloaf wasn't as dry as I'd feared, and I actually liked it. The servers were nice and prompt. The restaurant isn't exactly fancy, but I wished I were wearing something nicer than a polo shirt and khakis. Maybe it's just because some of the other guests were dressed better than the sterotypical American shorts and T-shirts (perhaps they were German tourists). My wife and daughters enjoyed their food, also. After dinner I wished there were a takeout coffee place nearby. We sat on the porch in big wooden chairs and listened to the sounds of birds and looked up toward the misty mountains to the north. We needed to head on over to Yakima, so we didn't get as much time as we'd have liked to soak in the ambience. We should make reservations and stay at the Inn next time.

If you want to stay in the Park and prefer sleeping indoors, your choices are the Inn or the accommodations at Paradise. The Inn is quieter, smaller, and less crowded than Paradise, which is crawling with tourists ready to set out on the trails in their flip flops and skinny jeans. The Inn is located about 10 miles from the park entrance, in Longmire. It's walking distance to several trails, including Trail of the Shadows (across the street), and a Wunderlin trail head (next to the transportation exhibit). The area is heavily wooded and looks out on Mt. Rainer. We stayed in room 14, which is one of the rooms which shares a bathroom and shower. The room had a view of the Mountain, a comfortable bed, a coffee maker, an inoperable hair dryer, two terry cloth robes, disposable slippers, and a sink. House keeping did not replace our shampoo and soap on day two. I am not sure whether this was an oversight or if guests are expected to make what they are initially given last. The front desk was happy to provide me with more, but I was a bit annoyed by the chore of getting redressed and negotiating for soap when all I wanted was a hot shower after a day on the trails. Rooms facing the Mountain enjoy a gorgeous view, but also considerable noise from the deck below. It was not possible to nap in the room in late afternoon/early evening because of the incessant thumping from people walking on the deck. Speaking of the deck: the Inn features a deck with eight or so chairs facing the Mountain. The chairs desperately need to be washed. One the first evening we sat on the deck, my hair kept sticking to the back of the chair. I investigated and, to my horror, I realized that a circle of black grime on the back of the chair from *other people's heads* (shudder) was grabbing at my hair. Each chair is grimy in its own horrific way. After that, I carried a hand towel with me to the deck to lay on the chairs. The Inn needs to power wash the chairs or replace them. The bathrooms at the Inn are also grimy. The women's facilities on both the first and second floors smelled strongly of urine, and there was mold growing on the second floor sink. Shared bathrooms should sparkle, and the Inn should clean the facilities deeply more often. The shower (across the hall from our room) was clean, but the drain needed cleaning. A sign on the shower door ("Occupied/Not Occupied") would be helpful. The Inn has a cozy den, with a large fireplace and a collection of puzzles and games. Tea and scones are offered in the den from 3-5pm each day. There is beverage service and plenty of people, us included, enjoyed wine they brought from home. We did not eat in the restaurant, but enjoyed food we brought from home on the Inn patio each day. The Inn was happy to provide us with small plates, and overall provided friendly, accommodating customer service. There is a gift shop next to the Inn with trinkets and a small collection of food. Beer was very reasonably priced at $1.50/bottle (Alaskan, Moosedrool, Fish Tail) or $1/can (Rainer, Coors Light). There are picnic tables outside the shop, which, speaking from experience, is an excellent place to drink a beer and eat some potato chips after a long hike. Overall, we enjoyed our stay at the Inn, but several simple changes and some deep cleaning would make the stay better.

We wanted to stay within the Mount Rainer National Park. Worries about the rating but the entire experience was really good. We came in on a Wednesday evening and left Thursday afternoon. Our room was very basic (no internet, phone service, or TV) but it worked fine for what my husband and I needed. Quiet time away. We had dinner in the restaurant and the food was good. They had wine and beer with dinner which was a nice surprise. Afterwards we headed into the game / rest area which had a nice fire place. Met quite a few new people and had fun conversation. Next morning rose to a hearty breakfast and hiking. Went to Paradise Inn by 8am (closed as of end of September)... too foggy to see anything. Would be beautiful in summer. On way back down, stopped at a couple of different waterfalls that were just beautiful! Ask front desk for maps of the waterfalls and trails. Came back and hiked up the trail out front of Inn (1.7-4.9 mile trails). Hiked the longer trail that circles back to the Inn. Be prepared as the first part of the trail is straight up for the first 2 miles. Take some water. The trails have some of the largest and most extraordinary trees I have ever seen. No sighting of Mount Rainer the entire time there as it was foggy but still a fun experience . Don't come expecting luxury but do come expecting great views, friendly service, and lots of great hiking. We will come again!

My stay at The National Park Inn at Longmire, Mt, Rainier, Washington, was, unfortunate.  There was no single incidence that resulted in this rating (my stay was brief and comfortable) but, rather, a series of just minor head shakers. When I arrived, my hopes were high.  The young gentleman at the front desk was cheerful and attentive, gave me a couple choices.  I asked for the double bed, because, well, the other was bunk beds. Both had shared toilets and showers.....  I came to Mt Rainier to photograph.  This was a very spur of the mpment trip, soooo... I set about figuring out my itinerary for the next two days...  I knew sunset was approx 6:30, and the eclipse was around 2:30, with the full eclipse progressing from 3:20 till 4:30.  This much I knew, but figured i could go online and get the hard data later at dinner.  I'm glad I paid attention to the restaurants specials board.  5 pm to 7 pm for dinner.  I thought that a little inconvenient.  I was hoping to eat around 7:30-8 after taking sunset photos...Oh well.  I made a 5pm reservation, and proceede to scout locations. Upon returning, I got my room key, apparently room 17, not room 19.  Went to shower and change (I'd been driving most of the day) and my room had bunk beds...  not a problem, really, but I went to the front desk to check. This was my first red flag.  I mentioned that I thought I asked for the room with a double bed, and he said 'No, there were no double beds available.  Only bunks."  I was fairly direct, and said "No, I clearly remember you offering both, and I aked for the double.  I'm a tall guy, and usually need to sleep crosswise on hotel beds." (I looked in #19 on my way down. Uncleaned and vacant double bed) He apologised for the mix up, but nothing else.  Oh, well.  I showered, changed, went downstairs, ordered a martini which I enjoyed on the great front porch, drinking in the Mountain as well.  I stopped at the front desk on my way to dinner, to ask for a wifi code.  No wifi.  Oh well. Dinner was mediocre...  I ordered the fried trout with sweet pea risotto and a green salad with blackberry vinaigrette.  The server was new (his second day, apparently) but willing to find out the details I asked him.  The greens were heaped on the plate, making it hard to dress my salad without making a mess, but as I picked the spoiled leaves out and set them on my bread plate, I found I had plenty of room.  The bread was packaged wheat rolls, the kind mom used to get for thanksgiving dinner, and crusty stale on the bottom.  The trout was good, pin boned and with the skin on, but the risotto was nothing more soupy rice made with that yellow chicken broth, or condensed, canned chicken soup with with with no liquid added. NOT arborio rice.  Maybe I SHOULD have gone with the Cassoulet...  Oh, well... I came back from the sunset, ordered a coffee nudge, and joined several other guests in a sort of common room, with a fireplace and games and books and such, and met a few very nice folks.  As I headed to my room, I overheard the Concierge telling a gentleman the eclipse started at 12:30...  Apparently there was internet access, just not for customers, and I verified that he was talking about the eclipse.  My research indicated otherwise, but since I didnt have wifi, i set my alarm for midnight.  The room and bed(s), though small, were quite cozy... As I was shooting the eclipse at 3:30am, i began to think about the gentleman that wanted to see the eclipse, and felt bad for not correcting our host.  I also began to remember some of the wonderfull guest service people I've met, and how they would research my requests for information as if it was their passion, too, often giving more maps, data and research than I would have ever done.  I believe this front desk man googled eclipse, picked the top listing, and found a time for the midwest, as did I.  A couple more clicks, and he would have seen the Pacific time frame.  Oh well. Back too bed for a couple more hours sleep, and now breakfast.  Now, it could be that I'm just under-rested from all my activities, but I don't think so.  I love eggs benedict, and they offered a delicious sounding smoked salmon hash with hollandaise.  I asked about the hollandaise...yes.  Knorr powdered mix.  For $17, one should know how to mke hollandaise, which costs less and is easier to make than the canned product, so I ordered the bacon and eggs.  Pre-cooked bacon, and though the hashbrowns o'brien were brown, there was absolutely no crunch, and the spattering of wrinkled green peppers hardly said o'brian to me.  But the kicker, I guess, this morning for me, was the coffee.  $2.75...For hotel patrons.  There was a coffee maker in my room...  I should have brewed my own pot and brought it down with me. Oh well.

If you are going to stay at Mt. Rainier, stay here vs. Paradise Inn (Paradise was not nice and the guy next door snored and there may have been mice in the dropped ceiling). Yes, the rooms are small but you cannot expect something big when you are staying at a Natl park in. There are fans (no ac), hairdryers in the rooms and small coffee pots (always a bonus). We had a queen with a bath, corner room. We had two windows which afforded us a nice breeze. It was quiet, no snoring from neighbors here. It was fabulous actually. Convenient and the porch (which we enjoyed every evening) had a wonderful view of the mountain. It was worth it to us! The food at the restaurant was good. I had trout with a risotto salad. The trout was fresh and the risotto salad added a nice lemony flavor to the fish. It complimented it well. The hubby got the pork chop. It was good, juicy. The dessert stole the show. We both got the blackberry cobbler a LA mode. Certainty worth it; warm, sweet, tart, delicious! I got it on night two as well. The hubby got the Lahar sundae the second night and enjoyed it. They have a nice wine list and a few beers to chose from. Overall it was good, solid, and convenient.

Review of dinner. The host at reception desk was annoyingly rude when asked about custom menu. Took a long time for the waitress to come over. Said that the wait time for food is 30min. Initial version of their salad was crappie, not washed. The 2nd version was good. Overall poor service but an ok food at the end after I insisted, overpriced though. Management - take care of this, treat your customers as they should be treated.

They have the Impossible burger! - The vegan burger during lunch! Although they should offer some vegan mayo and not sure of the bun is vegan - could bring up their game. Also dinner options are not veg friendly.

Gather around, kids, it's story time: I spent $208 for a lodge that is simply running on their location. That's it. Yes, it's convenient, but the smart folks that travel here the first time will not stay here again. On the outside, it's lovely and full of character. Once you walk into the door, all charm and historic details have long since been removed. Cheap carpet, zero personality and Motel 6 bath towels and accommodations. No conditioner in the bathroom. Front desk wasn't sympathetic to our room having ZERO heat. We were offered a space heated and basically patted on the head. Our waiter for dinner was lovely. Our meal was SO overpriced. One burger (we shared) one order of sprouts, one cocktail and one beer - with tip was $60...all because of convenience. The burger alone was $20. Save yourself and your wallet the heartache and stay at Copper Creek Inn. We stopped here for lunch after leaving the lodge and was shocked at the food, accommodations and price! We will stay here next time. I've stayed at lodges all over the country and am sad because this place could be so much more.

Stayed for 1 night in August - they are always booked up way ahead but this was a cancellation. You are paying for the convenience of being in the park and very near to Paradise. Reasonably priced, bathroom and shower down the hall that were just fine. It was hot but the rooms all had fans which was nice. Nice to sit out on the front porch and have a beer and look at the view. The restaurant food was actually pretty good - better than the restaurant at Paradise - although the dining room is sort of enclosed and dark and not very atmospheric. Staff was also really nice - I left an ipod in the room, and it was found and returned to me. Even if you don't stay here, you can stop and have a beer on the porch - we've done that before. Well worth it!

We got to the mountain right as they were closing the paths. We drove 4 hours to get there and decided to eat at the Inn before we headed back. The service wasn't Completely terrible. But it took a while for them to get to us and get our drinks/food. When the food came out, it was all dry, not very hot, bland and just plain gross. WAY overpriced as well. 18-28 is what you're paying for gross food.

So this was not a luxury experience by any means, but we loved our stay nonetheless. It was clean, comfortable, and the staff friendly and helpful. We found the showers to be hot and the beds to be very comfortable and plush - perfect after a day of hiking. We did get a room with the dedicated ADA bathroom - very worthwhile to get for the huge bathroom alone. If you want to stay in the park, it's either here or Paradise Inn, which is only open during the summer and which is located much higher up and way off the main road, which makes it hard to get anywhere from there (other than the immediate Paradise area), so it is far less convenient. We did eat breakfast in the dining room one morning. Two thumbs up for the solid good and huge portions. Again, not luxury stuff, but more than enough to power you up for a day of hiking. And the coffee was way better than I had been expected, which is always a major plus when getting up at the crack of dawn to beat the crowds to Sunrise. In sum - basic, decent accommodations - a bit pricey - but worth it for the location. And as they say, location location location.

We stayed here on a recent trip to Mount Rainier. We had some extra unplanned days on our recent early June trip to Washington & decided to hit up Mount Rainier. We love hiking and had all of our gear, so thought we'd make a couple of days of it. It was cloudy the ENTIRE time we were there. And I mean CLOUDY. There were no views of Mount Rainier the entire time we were there. That being said, we had several great hikes that were recommended by one of the rangers. We debated about staying here or at Paradise. I wanted to stay at Paradise because the lobby area was very cute, cheaper room rates, and there was a winter wonderland outside. We live in Arizona, so traveling to SNOW in June was awesome! However, Longmire had more accessible trails, so we headed back this way. By the time we checked in & finished our evening hike, everything was closed at the hotel. We hung out in our small room & cooked ramen that we had brought to camp with & drank some wine from our stash in the car. Then we called it a fairly early night. I have no huge complaints with the hotel, except to mention that it was pretty pricey (over $100 for a small room with a shared bathroom) and with very little amenities. I would recommend people stay at Paradise if possible, if only to hang out in the lobby by the fireplaces. If we make a trip back to Rainier, we will likely be coming at a better time of year (late July) and backpacking & camping. Also, their credit card machine was broken when we checked in, which REALLY slowed down the process when we were in a bit of a hurry to get on the trails!

The beds are awful; they are too soft and broken down. I left with major back pain. At $200 plus a night, you would expect a bed that doesn't damage your back. If you need a moderately firm bed do not stay here; you will regret it.

DINING: Review is for dining only. I ate lunch here after hiking around park. I think this place had basic food here. There are no gourmet items here as would be expected in a National Park. Best bet is to stay with basic hamburger, salad or soup. Servers were nice and friendly. Somewhat crowded around 1:00pm.

Best dinner in Ashford. Food was very good service was the best and the place looks great too. Keep up the great work.

This is a review for the restaurant. Had lunch here twice in between hikes in the surrounding area. Both times were good. Not 'blow you away' amazing but a solid performance. Frankly, you eat here if you are in the park to enjoy the outdoors. Driving back down the mountain to find somewhere better to eat doesn't make sense - you'd be burning precious daylight hours doing it. That's why it's more expensive too - the price is due to the location. Service is attentive if not a little forgetful - let's call it characterful! The salads were fine (don't go for the smoked salmon add on option). Chilli is fine. The split pea and ham soup was out of this world delicious!

Wish we had gotten a room at paradise ! But all in all great experience ! The restaurant could use work. Menu was tailored exclusively to an older generation, the kind that still enjoys liver! Room was small as expected. Great escape!

This is a nice and cozy inn in Longmire. You almost feel like you're staying at someone's house. The room is basic. But the bed and bathroom was comfortable. Be ready to cope without a TV or internet; but you knew that right? The food at the restaurant was okay, not great (the food at Paradise Inn is surprisingly much, much better). The best part, though, is the view of Mount Rainier from the porch. It was so soothing to just grab a book and a drink and hang out and admire the view from the porch. Sure, the Paradise Inn is a great place too, but I'd pick this place for the relative quiet and the porch view. And this place is open year-round.