Longmire to Cougar Rock Campground

Name: Longmire to Cougar Rock Campground
Rating: 3.7

Mount Rainier Area > SW - Longmire/Paradise

46.7503, -121.8122 Map & Directions

Length: 3.4 miles, roundtrip
Elevation Gain: 530 feet
Highest Point: 3,200 feet
Calculated Difficulty About Calculated Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Wonderland Trail near Nisqually River. Photo by antjelina. Full-size image

Saved to My Backpack

The short section of the Wonderland between Longmire and the Cougar Rock Campground makes for a lovely snowshoe in the wintertime. Continue reading

Dogs not allowed
Rivers
Wildlife

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

National Park Pass

Rating

3.67 out of 5

(3 votes) Log in to rate

49 trip reports for this trail

Write a trip report

Hiking Longmire to Cougar Rock Campground

Take a short snowy jaunt along the Wonderland Trail from Longmire to Cougar Rock Campground. This stretch of the Wonderland Trail parallels both the Longmire to Paradise Road and the Nisqually River, and has a mild incline all the way from Longmire to the campground.

You can extend your hike by continuing past the campground to the junction with the Nisqually River, where there's a nice view of Mount Rainier on a clear day. More experienced snowshoers with snow navigation and avalanche skills may continue across the river if the bridge to Carter and Madcap Falls is up, but note that there is potential avalanche danger on that route.

Longmire to Cougar Rock Campground

Map & Directions

Trailhead

Co-ordinates: 46.7503, -121.8122 Open in Google Maps

Before You Go

See weather forecast

Parking Pass/Entry Fee

National Park Pass

WTA Pro Tip: Save a copy of our directions before you leave! App-based driving directions aren't always accurate and data connections may be unreliable as you drive to the trailhead.

Getting There

From Tacoma, drive east on State Route 7 to Elbe, then veer left onto SR 706 to enter the park at the Nisqually Entrance near Ashford. Continue east to Longmire. Park in the large lot behind the hotel, and find the trailhead on the south side of the road.