The towns surrounding Mount Rainier are adorable, but small, with minimal restaurants and amenities. Lodging tends to book up quickly around the park, so plan your accommodations ahead of time.

To see as much of the park as possible, we recommend following this itinerary traveling from town to town, visiting between July and October (read about why these months here).

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Lodging within the park

Ashford (near the Nisqually Entrance)

Packwood (near Stevens Canyon Entrance)

Greenwater (near White River Entrance)

Enumclaw (near Carbon River Entrance)

Disclosure: We’ve included affiliate links with recommended lodging recommendations in this post. If you click through and reserve lodging, we’ll receive a small portion of that sale. You won’t be charged more, and we haven’t been paid by any of these retailers to share their information. These are all our genuine preferences.

Lodging within the park

You’ll need a timed entry reservation to enter the park during peak season, but having lodging reservations is one way to get around the requirement. Act quickly when rooms go one sale because because reservations go quickly during the summer months.

National Park Inn

This inn is located at Longmire, just a short drive from the Nisqually entrance. There is plenty of parking, a restaurant on-site, and a few trails to hike nearby. Rooms sleep between two and four, with options for shared or private baths.

Paradise Inn

The Paradise Inn is located at the highest driveable point on the south side of the Rainier. This is where you’ll find incredible views of the mountain, wildflowers in August, and tons of trails to hike. Parking here is not reserved and does fill up so we’d recommend getting into the park before 7 am or after 4 pm for a stress-free experience. It’s open seasonally, between late-May and September. It has 121 rooms, sleeping between two and four, with options for shared or private baths.

Ashford (near the Nisqually Entrance)

Ashford is the closest town to the Nisqually entrance – the only park entrance open year-round. You’ll find seasonal rental gear at Whittaker Mountaineering, the Cannibal Hot Tub, and a few great restaurants. The Copper Creek Inn and Wildberry are our favorites.

Luxury:

Wellspring Spa and Resort

Treat yourself to a relaxing stay in the forest with hot tubs, saunas, and spa services on site. Each cabin is different, but our favorite are the deluxe cabins with hammocks, jetted tubs, and fireplaces. Cabins sleep between two and 14.

Mid-range:

Copper Creek Inn

Tucked in the woods above the Copper Creek Inn Restaurant are these homely cabins. They sleep between two and 13, and eating a meal at the restaurant is a must. Bonus – the restaurant offers to-go picnics and pies as well – perfect for taking on hikes!

Rainier Cabin

Stay in this Vrbo to have a private cabin in the woods with a private hot tub. Plus, they have laundry, a BBQ, kitchen, and complimentary snowshoes. This cabin sleeps up to two.

Paradise Village

Inspired by Ukraine’s rich culture and hospitality, Paradise Village has many ways to help you relax after exploring the park. Eat at their homely restaurant, book reservations for bee therapy, the sauna, or the cannibal hot tub, and enjoy rooms that sleep between two and six.

Budget:

Rustic Studio Cabin

This small cabin has everything you could need – a kitchen, hammock, and fireplace. Outside, you’ll find a firepit surrounded by the forest and a creek running through the property. This cabin sleeps up to two.

Packwood (near Stevens Canyon Entrance)

Stay in Packwood for seasonal access to both the Paradise and Sunrise Visitor Centers, as well as the White Pass Ski Area. It’s the largest town near Rainier, so you’ll find more options for groceries and restaurants here.

Luxury:

Riverfront Retreat

Stay here to have the Cowlitz River right outside your front door. If you’re lucky, you’ll see elk, too. This beautiful tiny home sleeps up to four.

Large cabin

This home is perfect for a larger group (up to nine). It has spacious living spaces, a game room, outdoor spaces, a fenced yard, and it’s pet-friendly.

Mid-range:

Hotel Packwood

This is an adorable, recently renovated, historic hotel. It boasts of air conditioning – a rare (and usually unnecessary) commodity here in western Washington. Rooms sleep up to two.

Charming A-Frame

We love this cabin’s floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the trees. It makes for a great home base with a well-stocked kitchen, laundry, and a BBQ grill. With two bedrooms, it sleeps up to seven.

Budget:

Minimalist Hideaway

This tiny home has one bedroom and sleeps up to four. You’ll love that it comes with a BBQ, fire pit, laundry, and full-size kitchen.

Greenwater (near White River Entrance)

We love the town of Greenwater, but it’s the smallest town near Rainier. There are a handful of restaurants in town, but you’ll need to grab groceries in nearby Enumclaw if you’re interested in cooking for yourself.

Stay here to be close to Crystal Mountain (check out their adventure park), and for the closest access to the Sunrise Visitor Center.

Luxury:

Riverfront Chalet

This traditional cabin has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, and sleeps up to ten. It has a great deck overlooking the White River with elk as common visitors.

Luxury Lodge

This is not your average rental home. This log cabin is completely customized, with exposed beams, a rock fireplace, high-end kitchen, custom furniture, and a hot tub. With three bedrooms it sleeps up to ten.

Mid-range:

Red Chalet

This home has an ideal setting – located just a few steps from the White River. Warm up and enjoy the views from the hot tub or inside with the fireplace. With one bedroom and two baths, it sleeps up to eight.

Cozy Mountain Retreat

This home is on the smaller side but still feels spacious. We love that it’s pet-friendly and sleeps up to eight.

Enumclaw/Buckley (near Carbon River Entrance)

Enumclaw and Buckley are located about an hour and a half away from both the Carbon River Entrance and Sunrise Visitor Center. If lodging is sold out elsewhere, this is a decent alternative.