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Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

3.0 (27 reviews)

Services - Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

Community Service/Non-Profit

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Patrick B.

This is a nice little attraction that needs to grow. My wife and I were looking for a day trip to add to our YouTube channel when we found this. We live in Tacoma and Elbe is an hour south from us. The drive to Elbe is probably more scenic than the actual train ride was. We actually had some glorious views of Mount Rainier on our drive to the train. Once you get to Elbe, the vibe is cool. This isn't a small town, this is a micro town, and your best bet is to make a day of it. The train ride itself was pretty relaxing, and they give you some good historical information while you're riding along but I felt like the 75-minute ride was a bit overpriced for what you get. Eric the conductor was entertaining and made the trip more enjoyable. The train follows some old logging route and that means that your scenic views are mostly of local resident's private property. You see some old rotting vehicles, some horses, some shacks and dilapidated mobile homes among other things. When you get further down the tracks, you see the Nisqually river and some pretty dense forest. When you arrive in Mineral, there is what appears to be a train museum that they mentioned will be opening soon and they did tease about longer train routes becoming available in the future. The prospect of being able to visit those upcoming attractions made the $34 ticket price feel worth it to give to the cause but if they raise the price for those other options in the future, I'm not sure I'll go back. I understand that they work off of donations and volunteers as much as they do selling tickets but their price point is at its limit in my opinion for what you get. Before or after your train ride, visit the Elbe Market and the train themed restaurant nearby for a bite. That way you're not driving all the way out there for just a short train ride to see trees. Thanks for reading.

Cross S.

My wife bought two Lounge Car tickets for the Steam Train ride at the Mt Rainier Scenic Railroad. We had such a great time! Our Lounge Car Host was excellent and very friendly. He tended to everyone's needs. We will take other excursions soon!

The church
Blair F.

A fun 90 minute trip on an authentic steam train. The ride goes through the woods to Mineral, and then back again. The only negatives are that the seats are too close together for a party of 4 to sit comfortably, and that there are very limited snacks and drinks on the train. Otherwise, it was a pleasant way to step back into time.

Taking photos of the train before boarding.
Emily Alice H.

The kids had a blast, and everyone we met on the train was in complete awe of the scenery. I had high hopes we would see more of Mt Rainier. I don't know that I'd go again, but do suggest it to family/friends visiting from out of town to check out. The views of Alder lake are stunning and if you're not from around here the experience is well worth it.

The train

Honestly, It was pretty lame. There was not really any views, not the "scenic railroad" it says it was, but just an experience of a stream train. Not worth the amount of money we paid. If you have kids, might be best to hear the steam, but another than that. Big thumbs down.

This was the view out the window for most of the trip.

This train trip was absolutely not worth the time or money. It was not scenic at all, and the only view during the entire ride was a five-second glimpse of Mount Rainier. Otherwise, you stare at people's backyards, dense forests, or busy roads. Additionally, the train does not go to Mineral, despite what it says. Instead, it goes to a maintenance facility where you have to stay on the train and wait for it to turn around and start its trip back. The only reason I'm giving this two stars is because the train itself is pretty cool. Otherwise, this is a huge waste of money and time and a perfect example of false advertising.

The staff danced and sang during the ride and did a delightful serving of hot chocolate too.
Darin B.

We rode the polar express and what a celebration of the movie and Christmas too! The entire staff was terrific and Santa was extra special. A must-do for the children of any age. We will be back next year.

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Review Highlights - Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad

We rode the polar express and what a celebration of the movie and Christmas too!

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Hobo Inn - Hobo inn

Hobo Inn

(29 reviews)

$$

This place is a little over 1/2 hour away from Tacoma area, yet its in rural part of Washington, at…read morethe east end of Alder Lake, about 20 miles from Mt. Rainier. Technology is not their strong point, as you have to call to make a reservation. You don't get an email confirmation but a verbal one, so you just hope that the confirmation code they give you is legit (it was). And there's no WiFi here. Verizon users have about 2 bars LTE, but T-Mobile users get zero service. Fortunately Stephen was able to tether off my iPhone and used it as a hotspot. We arrived at 7:30 pm, and the sun was just starting to set. When you drive to the caboose, there's a sign that says the registration is n the Dining Car a block behind you. It was walkable, but we drove to the "first' dining car, and sure enough, you sign in at the bar. Word to the wise: get here when the sun is up. There is a gas station / convenience store and espresso stand across the road. When we got there at 7:30, I don't recall it if was open. When I peeked outside around 9:00, the place was dark. Arriving with the sun still up will help you find your caboose. At 7:30, it was hard to find our caboose, because the number is posted on the door, and not all the doors are facing the same way. We had caboose #4, which was the yellow one. I wish the gal who checked us in told us the color, instead of us blindly looking. The caboose share a wooden platform staircase, which should help you determine where the front door is. Caboose #4 had a hot tub, and was more spacious than I was expecting it to be. The room had a queen size bed (although lumpy), a tv that had no reception, but they did provide you with a fridge, a variety of VCR tapes with movies ranging from comedy to horror to drama. If you have VCR tapes at home, bring one! On a table, they provided a coffee machine, packets of Maxwell House coffee, 2 non caffeinated teas, and a bucket for ice... only there's no instructions where to find ice. We went to the Pizza car, where they told Stephen to go to the Dining car. The car was empty but luckily a worker came out, and got him a bucket with ice. The bathroom was spacious, and had a decent size hot tub. The water took a while to fill up and you really had to read the instructions on where to find the knob to turn on the timer, where to start the hot tub, and which dial to increase the pressure of the jets. Once you figure that out, it was a nice relaxing hot tub. The Hobo Inn provided us with 2 bath towels, 4 washcloths, and 2 hand towels. We got 3 dinky bar of soap (so BYO if you want soap) and 2 tubes of shampoo and lotion.. except one of my bottle of lotion looked used as the cap had lotion smeared inside. The place was clean, but its definitely no frills. Its a motel for sure. One Yelp review said they got breakfast included with their rate. I was told in check in that information was wrong. I could not find any information on their web site which proved it did or did not come with breakfast. Overall not a bad stay. They charge your room upon arrival and they do take credit cards. Aside from the no breakfast included miscommunication, I can't really find anything bad. Oh, the Dining Car does not open until 9:00 am, so don't try to check out beforehand. We were lucky that a "kitchen help" found us wandering the area at 8:30 and took the key from us.

For one is the price and two is the value of what you are paying for?Must of the hotels has a…read morecontinental breakfast and they don't but the Hobo restaurant and pizza is one of the most expensive place in Washington State too and it's not even good plus I would not even let my service dog eat it too

Elbe Safety Rest Area

Elbe Safety Rest Area

(5 reviews)

$

Nicely located on the way to Mt. Rainier. Sensor based lights and hand sanitizer dispenser instead…read moreof a sink, which has it's positives. There's a grocery store, "pizza Express" and a bar next to it. It was also relatively clean.

Elbe, WA population: 29…read more En route to Mt Rainier from Seattle, you may pass through Elbe and see the brightly colored re-purposed trains of the Hobo Inn, Pizza Express and the Mount Rainier Railroad Dining Company. On the opposite side of the street you'll find a supply shop, gas station and this charming little rest area. You won't be able to use the restroom at the gas station, even if you fill your tank there. The friendly gentleman inside seems familiar with the plight of travelers passing through. He will quickly and politely direct you to a short, well-worn dirt pathway through the grass leading to this rest stop. He's done this before. Glance across the street to the red and green train cars and you'll see a sign warning that the restrooms are for paying customers only. Meanwhile, nature is still calling. Good for you if you have offline restroom maps of the area. However, forget an online restroom search since you probably won't have access to a signal for several miles in the opposite direction. Not only are cell phone signals limited and/or non-existent, but, so is running water and a septic system. Remember, the population here was 29 as of the 2010 census and that tiny number doesn't do much for building a local infrastructure. Minimal infrastructure here means that this state rest stop is more like a luxury porta-potty. No flushing toilets but you'll find seat doilies and stalls so spacious that you couldn't bump your head on the door while squatting if you tried. There's also toilet paper which is arguably superior to looking for a mullein leaf in the woods. No running water means no sink. You will find a pair of decent sized mirrors in this restroom but a single Purell hand sanitizer attached to the stark white walls. Two mirrors, one hand sanitizer? Personally, I would prefer to see multiple hand sanitizers or at least a backup rather than multiple mirrors. Thankfully, the hand sanitizer was full. There is also a baby changing station and when was the last time you saw one of those in a porta-potty? This little rest stop is one of the few options before the last small base camp town just outside the Mt Rainier park entrance. It's probably just as creepy as any other remote rest area at night so be sure to use the buddy system. Overall, it is clean, includes an information kiosk, and a picnic area out front. This rest stop is super clean compared to some rest stops with flush toilets and running water. If nature calls when you're passing through the little town of Elbe, you'll be relieved to find the Elbe Rest Stop and some upscale cowgirl toilet paper.

On Safari - In

On Safari - In

(5 reviews)

We had dreamed of going on a safari for years but didn't know where to start. Then we had the good…read morefortune of meeting Phil. From the very first day of working with him to plan and organize our trip of a lifetime, we felt we were in great hands. Phil's fantastic first-hand knowledge of the camps allowed him to create a trip that far surpassed the typical group package deals. Phil meticulously plans every detail of the trip, from the best places to stay to recover from jet lag before the safari, to every transfer. You are never left wondering where to go or if someone will be there to meet you. The camps he chooses are small and personal, where you are taken care of and treated like family. The safari experience is second to none, with personal drivers and guides who are excellent, highly skilled, and knowledgeable. If you want a safari experience to remember, I can't recommend Phil and On Safari-In enough!

This was one of the most amazing trips I've ever been on, and I can't imagine doing it without…read morePhil's help. We didn't know anything about going on safari, and Phil build a custom trip that catered to exactly our personal travel style of going to some of the more off-the-beaten-path places with fewer tourists, but still lots of amazing experiences (we watched a family of elephants chase off a pair of male lions!). Everyone we met was on their 4th or 10th safari and when they found out we'd never been before, they'd always ask, "So how did you even find this place?" Also I had no idea you could have a vacation with this much adventure and yet zero stress. Having Phil take care of everything and getting it all arranged for and paid in advance took a HUGE load off of us, which was so great as we both have jobs where we typically do a lot of planning and project management. By taking care of that, Phil let us go on an exciting vacation where we actually got to RELAX. We took literally THOUSANDS of amazing photos, but here are just a couple fun ones I shot with my phone.

Aqua Rec’s - Chimney cap should cover the outside of the chimney tile, not lay flat on it.

Aqua Rec’s

(37 reviews)

$$

I am so happy that Aqua Rec is carrying Marquis Spas (Made in Oregon) again! My new Euphoria Spa…read morewas just delivered, and it is a beauty. It replaced a Marquis Euphoria Spa I bought more than twenty years ago. The folks at Aqua Rec were great to work with, as I needed to remove my old spa to tear out the old deck and build a new one, since I didn't think it had another twenty years of life left in it. The crew of Juan, Andrew, and one other delivery person was joyful, professional, and efficient. However, the company should return to a four-person crew, particularly for the bigger tubs. When three guys struggle with a big tub moving over uneven ground, someone will get hurt or property damaged.

I bought a pellet stove insert for my daughters house from Aquarec in Fircrest. Installers came and…read moreleft. Whole house filled with smoke. They came back and fixed that issue but never installed the thermostat for the stove. There was one there from the old insert but was 20 years old. Finally after multiple calls they came and installed it. A week later the stove quit working. Made multiple calls spoke every time to David the manager. Always promises to talk to someone about it etc. I left 3 messages with no return css as ll. No heat in the house and it is 40 degrees out! Finally reached out to Kelly at the Puyallup location and within two hours he called back and set up a tech to come out. Finally it is working thanks to him. Bought the insert in November and it took multiple calls to get it fixed. Run don't walk away from the Fircrest location, once they have your money they are done with you! Worst customer service that I have ever seen!

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad - trains - Updated May 2026

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