This historic Mount Rainier National Park cabin has been restored for search-and-rescue crew use/NPS

Philanthropic dollars and muscle and sweat have restored an historic cabin in the Longmire District of Mount Rainier National Park, a structure that now will provide search-and-rescue crews with a place to eat and sleep.

Three years ago Mount Rainier was one of 20 national parks competing for grant funding from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Partners in Preservation: National Parks campaign, which awarded $2 million in funding to projects across the country.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark District, Mount Rainier has the most complete example of early National Park Service master planning and features nationally-significant examples of the “Rustic Style” architecture. The cabin selected in the park’s Longmire area was constructed by the Civil Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and had fallen into disrepair. This project restored it for use as a search and rescue volunteer bunkhouse.

Mount Rainier National Park receives nearly two million visitors annually. As a result, park staff and volunteers respond to more than 50 SAR incidents and more than 100 hundred emergency medical events across the park. Intense visitation, combined with the remoteness of the park and the frequency of SARs, leads to challenges with housing volunteers during searches. This cabin will improve the park’s ability to house volunteer staff to support an intense workload, and improve conditions for staff as well as outcomes for visitors who may require medical or SAR support.
 
Washington's National Park Fund, which supports all three national parks in Washington State, served to provide additional funding from REI and private donors to complete the preservation work. Laurie Ward, the organization's executive director, said the organization was honored to be a part of building support for this important preservation project.

“Mount Rainier National Park’s search and rescue rangers do so much with so little," she said. "During their missions, they often rely on volunteers from local Mountain Rescue teams to assist. This project will have a direct impact on those who serve injured or lost visitors.”

A celebration of the restoration work was held in the park on August 10.

Traveler footnote: To learn more about the cabin and how it was restored, dive into the Traveler's archives.