Formerly Mt. Rainier National Park’s headquarters, Longmire has since been decommissioned, but remains a national historic district. Nowadays, it’s a small museum that tells the history of the park’s early days — which seems to include a lot of amateur taxidermy. Outside, a cross-section of a very old felled tree shows the science of ring-counting, along with significant historical dates to give a sense of perspective. A fun, and free, stop that’s worth a short detour during your visit.

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Count Your Age in Tree Rings

Formerly Mt. Rainier National Park’s headquarters, Longmire has since been decommissioned, but remains a national historic district. Nowadays, it’s a small museum that tells the history of the park’s early days — which seems to include a lot of amateur taxidermy. Outside, a cross-section of a very old felled tree shows the science of ring-counting, along with significant historical dates to give a sense of perspective. A fun, and free, stop that’s worth a short detour during your visit.

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