Packwood is a mountain town in the Cascades of southwest Washington State. It is close to both Mount Adams and the east side of Mount Rainier, and is the closest town to White Pass.
Understand
[edit]Packwood is in the upper Cowlitz River valley, just downstream of the confluence of the Muddy and Clear forks of the Cowlitz.
William Packwood and James Longmire were tasked by the Washington Territorial Legislature to chart a low pass over the Cascade Range, necessitated by the deaths of several delegates in their journey to the first legislative session. As a mark of their successes in this venture, the charted pass – called the Packwood Saddle – is still unused by any road, trail, or other conveyance. Instead, Charles A. White led the surveying party that discovered White Pass for the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1878, eventually becoming the path for U.S. Route 12.
- 1 Packwood Visitor Center, 13011-B Highway 12. Daily 9AM-4PM.
Get in
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US Highway 12 (US-12) is the only major road through town, connecting to Mossyrock, Chehalis and the Interstate 5 corridor to the west, and Yakima to the east over White Pass, 20 mi (32 km) from town.
By bus
[edit]- Lewis County Transit (formerly Twin Transit), ☏ +1 360 330-2072. Operates buses to Centralia and Chehalis.
Get around
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See
[edit]Do
[edit]- 1 White Pass Ski Resort, 48935 US Hwy 12 (20 miles east of Packwood), ☏ +1 509-672-3101. The resort has five chairlifts: two high speed quads, two fixed-grip quads, and one triple. It also includes 3 magic carpets for beginning skiers, and 2 terrain parks.
