Weekender: National Park Inn

Paradise Found

A winter trip to the National Park Inn

By Rebecca Agiewich

Which way to look? Ahead of us, the peaks of the Tatoosh Range were framed by a bluebird sky. Behind us, Mount Rainier loomed icy and majestic.

As we skied along the Paradise Valley Road on a glorious December day, we kept stopping to take pictures of “the Mountain.” No matter how many times you’ve seen this view, it’s nearly impossible to take your eyes off Mount Rainier when it’s so close and crystal clear: jaws drop, gasps are emitted, shutter buttons are pressed.

A bastion of rustic relaxation

We made very slow progress down the road with all photo stops. Then again, everything about this trip was leisurely, including the fact that we’d slept in until nearly 10 a.m. at the National Park Inn.

In winter, this historic inn located at Mount Rainier National Park’s Longmire area gets few guests, except for the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a bastion of relaxation. In fact, it’s hard to avoid sleeping in because the place is so quiet and the beds are so comfortable.

Our room was cozy yet spare, but its best feature was its great view of Rainier. We arrived late, so I didn’t even bother to look out the window until the next morning. When I finally threw open the curtains, Rainier startled me with its glacier-clad glory.

The National Park Inn was built around 1920, in the famous National Park rustic style, which is prominent at Rainier. Its 25 rooms can hold up to 60 guests. On our mid-December weekend, however, only eight other guests graced the Inn.

With a full-service restaurant, a fireplace lounge, and a front porch serving up views of Rainier, it’s the ideal base camp for a trip to The Mountain. It’s a special treat in winter when it’s so quiet you can practically hear the snow fall.

Breakfasts at the Inn are noteworthy. The scones melt in your mouth, the coffee is strong, and the bacon is salty, crunchy, and just fatty enough to be the perfect fuel for a day of hard play in the snow.

Exploring Paradise

After fortifying (or stuffing) ourselves with a huge breakfast, we drove the 12 miles up to the Paradise area and checked in with the rangers at the Jackson Visitor’s Center. This is a must before setting out on any backcountry trip in the Paradise area. You can partake of guided snowshoe walks in Paradise from the visitor’s center too (reservations required).

Once we got the lowdown on snow conditions and avalanche danger, we donned our Nordic skis and headed down the Paradise Valley Road in the direction of Reflection Lakes – a classic easy ski tour.

The famous clouds descend

At our snail-like pace, we made it about halfway to the lakes before deciding to turn around. The snow had gotten icier and Mount Rainier’s famous clouds were descending. By the time we were ready to drive back to Longmire, visibility was so low we had trouble exiting the parking lot.

Still, even this brief bout of brilliant sunshine and spectacular views had dissipated our Northwest winter blues, acquired after weeks of gray Seattle weather.

Driving down the mountain, we anticipated another relaxing night at the Inn, where the loudest night sounds were the “whoowhooing” of a local owl and the rush of the Nisqually River nearby. We weren’t disappointed.

If you go

• The National Park Inn offers winter packages, including two nights for the price of one Sundays through Thursdays: http://www.mtrainierguestservices.com/accommodations/national-park-inn

• Winter recreation at Mount Rainier: http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-recreation.htm

• Ranger-led snowshoe walks at Paradise (reservations required): http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-recreation.htm#CP_JUMP_142395

• Winter safety at Mount Rainier: http://www.nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/winter-safety.htm

• Craig Romano’s description of the Paradise Valley Road ski: http://www.visitrainier.com/pg/nordic_ski_paradiseValley/Paradise-Valley-Road-Cross-Country-Skiing-at-Mount-Rainier