Nisqually Suspension Bridge

Nisqually Suspension Bridge is a timber-and-steel suspension bridge over the Nisqually River in the Longmire Historic District. Walk across to see its braced wooden towers and cables, the river below, and Mount Rainier in the view. If you are already at Longmire, it is an easy extra stop for the bridge's engineering and setting.

There is no parking at the bridge. Use the main Longmire parking area and walk from the Administration Building; the bridge is less than a quarter mile beyond it. The approach follows a road shared with vehicles, with an S-bend and slight incline, so stay alert as you walk. Passenger vehicles can cross, but the maximum weight is 3 tons (6,000 pounds); RVs, trucks, and vehicles towing campers must not cross. Check current park direction before driving over.

The span gives you views of the Nisqually River and Mount Rainier. For a phone photo, keep part of the timber structure in the frame above the rocky river channel; the bridge is what makes this view different from a general Longmire landscape.

A light pedestrian suspension bridge stood here by 1911. As automobile travel grew, the park planned a stronger crossing to reach a campground on the river's south bank. Construction finished in 1924, and the bridge opened to the public in August 1925. Portland contractor Monson-Trierweiler Co. was the sole bidder, and the design used large locally sourced logs as suspension supports.

In 1952, crews replaced the original log supports with dimensional-timber towers to handle heavier vehicles and updated safety standards. They saved and reused most of the earlier bridge's timber and hardware, while adding a lower safety railing. The bridge was reconstructed again in 2005 in keeping with its established materials and workmanship. Longmire itself grew from James Longmire's homestead, lodging, and mineral-springs resort into the park headquarters in 1899.

The nearest documented public restrooms are in Longmire, including a small restroom building between the museum and historic gas station. The National Park Inn has additional restrooms and a water-refill station in its basement, along with a separate restaurant and gift shop.