Ashford

Ashford is a town in Southwest Washington that serves as a gateway to Mount Rainier National Park.

Get in

WA-706 is the only road through the town. The rural highway connects to the rest of western Washington via WA-7, and through Mount Rainier to Longmire, Paradise Valley Road, and Stevens Canyon Road.

By car

From Tacoma, take WA-7 south. At Elbe, keep straight onto WA-706, which leads into the MRNP Nisqually entrance.

Buy

• 1 Whittaker Mountaineering, 30027 WA-706. The only climbing and outdoors gear store near the national park. Attached to RMI Mountain Guides. (updated Nov 2024)

Eat

There are several roadside restaurants along WA-706 in and around Ashford. There are fewer dining options once you enter the park.

Sleep

• 1 Stormking Cabins and Day Spa, 37311 WA-706, ☏ +1 360 569-2964. As featured in Northwest Best Places and Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest offers private deluxe cabins each with private hot tub. Spa facilities catering to couples with massage packages available. Located only one mile from main entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park between Ashford and park entrance. 
• 2 Historic Mineral Lake Lodge, 195 Mineral Hill Rd, PO Box 247, Mineral, WA, ☏ +1 360 492-LAKE (5253). 1905 three story log lodge on pristine Mineral Lake near the Southwest entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. Registered on the National Register for Historic Properties. Magnificent view of Mt. Rainier. Open for lodging year round, just five minutes off the beaten path to Mt. Rainier on beautiful Mineral Lake. 

Go next

• Mount Rainier National Park
• Tacoma