Longmire Service Station

Longmire Service Station is a small 1929 log-and-stone building in the Longmire Historic District, beside the National Park Inn. Built for motorists, it now houses a transportation-history exhibit. Make it a short stop if early park travel or rustic park architecture interests you. Gasoline sales ended in 1994; the red pumps are part of the historic display, not a place to refuel.

Peeled-log walls sit above a rough stone-and-concrete base, and the steep shingled gable reaches over the former drive-through pump bay. A small apartment occupied the upper floor, reached by an exterior stair at the rear. The station is one of three Longmire buildings individually recognized as National Historic Landmarks for their architecture. For a useful photo, step back far enough to include the roofed pump bay, stone island, and log walls together.

Mount Rainier was the first national park selected to experiment with automobile access; its first automobile arrived in 1907. Built in 1929, this station served early motorists with a sheltered pump bay, sales and information office, and upstairs apartment. Its rustic design used peeled logs and glacial stone to suit a building at the edge of the wilderness.

The station is about 6.5 miles east of the Nisqually Entrance. Follow the Longmire Historic District walking tour; maps are available at the Longmire Museum. The outdoor wayside panel is removed in winter, but the building remains visible. The inside exhibit is open when the museum is open. Longmire's nearby National Park Inn has a restaurant, and the general store offers coffee, snacks, ice cream, and groceries. There is parking at the station, and the site is wheelchair accessible.